A Little Prayer

In a quiet North Carolina suburb, Bill, David Strathairn runs a sheet metal factory with his son, David [Will Pullen]. Bill’s wife Venida, Celia Weston leads tours of a local historical area, and David’s wife Tammy, Jane Levy works at Target. Because David and Tammy live in an adjacent house on the same lot as Bill and Venida, the two couples often share mornings and Bill sometimes drives David to work, creating a tight, overlapping circle of family and work.

One day at the office, Bill notices a charged interaction between David and Narcedalia, Dascha Polanco while David is rallying energy for their company’s weekly outing at the VFW (both Bill and David are veterans). When he confronts David about a possible affair, [David] does not deny it, and Bill chastises him before [David] urges Bill to stay out of his business.

Patti, Anna Camp, arrives at the house unexpectedly, once again temporarily separated from her problematic husband. As Bill and Venida struggle with how they should support her and whether that means intervening, Tammy expresses infinite patience with Patti’s daughter Hadley, Billie Roy, quietly showcasing a natural parenting ability. Venida is unsettled by Patti’s sense of entitlement and erraticism, just as Bill grows frustrated with [David]’s marital irresponsibility.

At their company’s VFW dance night, Bill dances with Narcedalia, who is eyeing [David] as he flirts with another woman. Bill asks if she knows the woman and she does, saying that it is her best friend Bethany, Ashley Shelton. Bill eventually sits with Bethany. Bethany, a little buzzed, freely shares information about the dysfunctional nature of the romantic relationship between [David] and Narcedalia.

Tammy feels increasingly lonely despite a loving friendship with Bill, who thanks her for making his lunch while [David] does not, and both of them notice the neighborhood’s mysterious singing woman. Tammy privately takes an at-home pregnancy test, which comes back positive. [David] continues to resist Bill’s attempts to push him toward better behavior, and he dismisses Bill’s suggestion to intervene with Patti by offering money for a divorce lawyer.

Narcedalia resigns from the company, telling him that she has a better offer from a bank. Bill implies that he already suspects the affair and suggests that might be for the best, adding that he will try to work with the bank to inflate her salary, a remark Narcedalia accepts with quiet thanks.

Tammy’s abortion becomes a turning point when Venida figures it out and informs Bill. Before the next VFW dance night, Bill confronts [David] again, this time bringing up the abortion without naming it. [David] promises he did not force her to do it and remains stoic until Bill lays out the potential consequences of his actions, at which point [David] breaks down and drives away.

Back at the VFW, Bill notices [David] having an angry conversation on the phone. Assuming he’s hearing some of Bethany’s previously described intensity, he heads to Narcedalia’s house. A surprised Bethany opens the door, revealing she’s crashing there temporarily, and she invites him in for cocoa. Narcedalia arrives home soon after and tries to be cordial, but as Bill wears out his welcome, she becomes agitated and reveals that she is pregnant. She also implies that while [David] may be the biological father, he will not play a role in the child’s life, and she reveals that [David] was verbally and physically abusive when she told him of the pregnancy, insisting she have an abortion.

Patti and Hadley return to Patti’s husband. Bill and Tammy share a lunchtime date, visiting a small local museum before sitting together on a park bench. They engage in a lengthy, candid conversation in which Bill urges Tammy to leave her marriage, and Tammy agrees, noting that her one regret will be leaving the enduring friendship she has formed with Bill, a bond they both feel is deeply meaningful and kindred. The day ends with a sense of unresolved tension, quiet resilience, and the promise that the relationships around them will continue to strain, grow, or heal in the days ahead.

Last Updated: January 06, 2026 at 10:49