Dial a Prayer 2015

5.1 / 10   38 vote(s)
PG-13
Comedy Drama

A troubled young woman working at a prayer call center makes a difference in other people's lives, forcing her to reconcile with her troubled past with the faith she brings out in others.

Release Date 2015-04-07
Runtime 1h 38m
Directors Maggie Kiley, Gavin Kelly
Producers Paul Finkel, Bryan Binder, Marcus Dean Fuller, Julie S. Fuller, Jason Potash, Jonas Spaccarotelli
Writer Maggie Kiley

Walking the tightrope between darkness and light in cold Michigan

Around Thanksgiving season in suburban Detroit, a troubled 26 years-old woman (Brittany Snow) evades jail by working for a prayer hotline, but she can only connect with those who need help when she stops following the script. William H. Macy plays the pastor of the ministry, Glenne Headly her mentally ill mother and Tom Lipinski a man drawn to Cora.

"Dial a Prayer" (2015) is a drama and spiritual exploration that also satirizes Christian religion as a business in the first half. While it’s not what is known as a “faith-based” film, it’s also not necessarily anti-God, anti-Scripture, anti-faith or anti-spirituality. For anyone who argues that it’s completely anti-spiritual, someone clearly receives a healing through prayer and the laying on of hands, which are biblical concepts.

Yes, so-and-so commits fornication, but the Bible shows God using mighty Samson even though he visited a prostitute (Judges 16). The flick is only against go-through-the-motions Christian religion (notice I said religion).

I’d put this in the same category of "The Preacher's Daughter" (2012) even though that one lacks the satire angle. It’s just no where near as good because there’s a little too much ambiguity, especially in the weak ending.

The movie runs 1 hour, 37 minutes, and was shot entirely in the Detroit area of Michigan, including Royal Oak, Ferndale and Troy, all of which are 6-12 miles north of the city.

GRADE: B-/C+

Wuchak