'Family Prayer' is allegedly a bildungsromane plot applied to a film. That is, that the young central character (though not really central here), in his coming-of-age or rites-of-passage experiences, exhibits a self-actualization and understanding of his surroundings, though not without difficulty, on a level much deeper than what is often expected of his age. Comparable examples are Tim from Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, Alice Bloom in That Night, the youngest brother in The Return, Zach in Levelland, or Charles in Man Without a Face.
In 1960s California, 13 year-old Andrew Jacobs, on the verge of entering manhood as he prepares for his barmitzvah, exhibit the same qualities. He wrestles with an unstable family life as his father (Joe Mantegna), a gambling addict, can't seem to control his habits for the sake of his children. Andrew is only participating in the formal entrance into manhood in the naive hopes that the ceremony will bring his family back together. His source of guidance is a laid-back tutor, Dan Linder (Paul Reiser) who tries to help the kid out.
Bildungsromane films are often either amusing as they are driven by an adolescent spirit, still a childish confusion, which offers some comic relief amidst the drama. There seems to be little of that, save the few moments when Andrew interacts with his strange, commanding classmate who tries to get him to loosen up. There even fails to be much emergency within the story to fully appreciate the conflict among Andrew's father and his mother because things tend to happen in an entirely half-hearted lackluster state.
The young actor who portrays Andrew did do a nice job, as did everyone else. But overall, the movie just seems so non-chalant. 'Family Prayer' just doesn't have enough substance to make it a sufficient drama. For a better substitute for the young Jewish man's confusion being addressed through his faith's formal rites-of-passage, I would recommend 'The Outside Chance of Maxamillian Glick,' a comedy about a young Canadian Jewish boy growing up in 1960s Canada and preparing for his barmitvah while questioning his faith.
In 1960s California, 13 year-old Andrew Jacobs, on the verge of entering manhood as he prepares for his barmitzvah, exhibit the same qualities. He wrestles with an unstable family life as his father (Joe Mantegna), a gambling addict, can't seem to control his habits for the sake of his children. Andrew is only participating in the formal entrance into manhood in the naive hopes that the ceremony will bring his family back together. His source of guidance is a laid-back tutor, Dan Linder (Paul Reiser) who tries to help the kid out.
Bildungsromane films are often either amusing as they are driven by an adolescent spirit, still a childish confusion, which offers some comic relief amidst the drama. There seems to be little of that, save the few moments when Andrew interacts with his strange, commanding classmate who tries to get him to loosen up. There even fails to be much emergency within the story to fully appreciate the conflict among Andrew's father and his mother because things tend to happen in an entirely half-hearted lackluster state.
The young actor who portrays Andrew did do a nice job, as did everyone else. But overall, the movie just seems so non-chalant. 'Family Prayer' just doesn't have enough substance to make it a sufficient drama. For a better substitute for the young Jewish man's confusion being addressed through his faith's formal rites-of-passage, I would recommend 'The Outside Chance of Maxamillian Glick,' a comedy about a young Canadian Jewish boy growing up in 1960s Canada and preparing for his barmitvah while questioning his faith.