Dial a Prayer

The story is not told exactly linearly, we see snippets of flashbacks that eventually all add up to what happened in the backstory of Cora.

Brittany Snow is 26-yr-old Cora and the first scenes has her showing up for an assignment with the local Detroit "Dial A Prayer" hotline. Everyone else there is happy and enthusiastic but it is clear she would rather be just about anywhere else. But she had gotten into some pretty serious trouble and her high powered lawyer dad managed to get her to do restitution by working the prayer hotlines.

William H. Macy is always good and here he is good as Bill, the leader of the prayer office. The story arc is Cora figuring out that her life up to that point, and the friends she hung out with, might not be the best trajectory and she has to figure out a better path.

The movie works because Brittany Snow is so good and authentic in the role of Cora. I found it on Youtube streaming free movies (with a few ads thrown in). I found it worthwhile viewing.

This was actually listed as a comedy, but it was no such thing. There were a few funny parts about how these phone center employees were trained on how to answer with prayers. This was not at all a Christian movie...some foul language, sex, drinking, etc. I cannot handle sappy Christian movies because they're too fake and white washed. The basic plot was a woman was doing community service after committing a crime and her father was a big shot attorney who basically got her off easy. She reluctantly has to work a prayer call center and hates every minute of it. But she unknowingly actually helps some people. It was a slower paced movie, but it kept me engaged. Her crime slowly unfolds throughout the movie and it connects her to a few other characters. The film kind of pokes fun at Christians doing the "dial a prayer" thing (which is probably why it was listed as a comedy), but there is a moral to the story or at least an evolution of the main character.

a film about faith. not great but decent. same option of drawing of fundamental transformation, search of life sense, family tension, a love story and the success who change existences and give the second chance. its best part - the dialogue. because it is the inspired option to escape from the sin of sentimental story. and gives to it coherence and some credibility. a film about the fight against past errors. and the reconciliation with yourself. sure, far to be perfect. and not always convincing. but a beautiful story. touching in few scenes, realistic in the others. useful as advise for dark state who is not unknown for many of us. more important, a nice try. to define the faith in not usual manner. to propose a character who reminds many other similar cases from every day media.and that does it a real useful show.

I liked this little film. A good and decent little film. The story, the script, the directing , the acting and the cinematography. A well packaged little project. I liked the idea that just when you thought that William Macey's character was evil, you end up realizing that he is not. Also, I liked the idea that believing and disbelieving in anything could change in any minute when your perception changes .

Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I always beg for more character development and back stories. I loved this movie, but I needed to know a bit more about the supporting characters.

William Macy plays a wonderfully animated boss of a Dial-A-Prayer business. But we never hear how he got into the field or why. Also, no one ever identifies what church the girl's family, the call center, and the town identify with. Is it Catholic? Interestingly, there is practically no mention of Jesus, except when the funny boss says that he parted the Red Sea.

Therefore, I think a non-Christian could feel comfortable watching this without feeling bombarded by J.C.

The film is not really about religion. It is about second chances and turning one's life around. There is good usage of the Fall and Winter Midwest landscape. One could see it as either bleak, or starkly beautiful, depending on attitude. There are some clever references to that. The final scene shows a couple quietly beholding the glory of a blank snowy setting.

Do prayers make a difference? Our protagonist keeps asking this question. Of course they do, but the film focuses only on the aspect of making people feel better. It doesn't mention any metaphysical effect on the world at large, or the idea of praying for world peace and messianic redemption. People are only praying for themselves and their family to deal with domestic and health issues.

Casting is so essential to a character-driven film. This one aced the test. I don't know who Brittany Snow is, but her no-makeup sadness came through the screen with genuine sincerity. Macy phoned it in, no pun intended, but in his case, he phones it in beautifully. Glen Headly, the mom, fit the profile to perfection. No one here is great looking or flashy. They are ordinary people in a working class Midwestern town trying to make it through life the best way they can.

What I loved the most was the way they structured dialogue scenes. The characters would say just the right amount of words to each other, without overdoing it or milking the scenes for manipulative effect.

I could have done without the few dream sequences and the schmaltzy music toward the end, but the photography was first rate.