David Strathairn on the magic of movies and theater at A Little Prayer' screening in Soho | amNewYork

"A Little Prayer, a movie written and directed by Angus MacLachlan, took nine years to write and debuted at Sundance Film Festival two years ago. In the film, playing at two Manhattan cinemas, we watch parents become aware that their son is cheating on his wife. What follows is the tension between recognition and revelation and the hope that reality will somehow resolve itself, even as we watch characters and cast wrestle with an emotional situation that impacts them all."

"We watch Strathairn and his on-screen spouse Venida (Celia Weston) find out their castle has been built on clouds. He learns that his son David (Will Pullen) is cheating on Tammy (Jane Levy) in an affair with a co-worker (Dascha Polanco). We actually had one day of rehearsal. I didn't know anybody. I didn't have that much time in the house at all, Strathairn said. Sometimes it comes together in a magical way."

"The setting and set dressing, cluttered rooms filled with the chaos of domestic objects, a daughter packing her life into the back of a car, a peaceful yard with a swing, create a perfect setting for strong performances and a pastoral, but troubled family. When Strathairn gives his daughter Patti (Anna Camp) a check as she gets in the car, it is at once a triumph and a surrender, recognizing that she needs help and that he is able and willing to provide it."

A Little Prayer debuted at Sundance Film Festival two years ago and is playing at Angelika Film Center, AMC Empire 25 and North Shore Towers Cinema. The story follows parents who discover their son is cheating on his wife, setting off tension between recognition and revelation and the hope that reality will resolve itself. David Strathairn portrays the father burdened by the revelation; Celia Weston, Jane Levy, Will Pullen, Dascha Polanco, and Anna Camp complete the family ensemble. The film uses quiet, Edward Hopper-like compositions and domestic set dressing to allow silence and camera language to reveal actors' inner lives.

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