Well-written, beautifully shot, and meticulously acted
Comment
05/30/09
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (2008)
76 %
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted: 34
Fresh: 26
Rotten:8
Average Rating: 6.7/10
Consensus: Though it may not be as profound as its pacing would suggest, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers delicately examines familial issues in an earnest fashion.
Theatrical Release:Sep 19, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: After working on mainstream Hollywood comedies such as MAID IN MANHATTAN and THE LAST HOLIDAY, director Wayne Wang returns to independent dramas with A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS. In this film,... [More]
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Reviews for A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
Click to read the article
04/23/09
As in most of Wang's films, a memorable cast of characters compensates for a serviceable plot.
12/16/08
Top CriticA keenly observed portrait of a parent and child estranged by geography, language, ideology and generation. In other words, a universal story of family in the age of globalization.
11/20/08
Top CriticThis is a nice, quietly heartwarming film. The tone really got through to me. I never laughed out loud, but always had a steady grin. Charming.
11/14/08
It's a short story of a movie: delicate, modest, beautifully observed.
11/07/08
Wang's approach is measured and restrained, his shots simple and immaculate, the emotional stakes deepening scene by scene. It's a miniature gem.
11/06/08
Top CriticA lovely film of small intentions, yet embellished with an enormous heart.
11/06/08
Touching look at a father's and daughter's strained relationship as they struggle through gaps of culture, language, gender, and historical context.
11/01/08
A quiet work with Ozu-like structure and concerns, but remains more an intellectual exercise than one from the heart.
10/18/08
Top CriticThe minor key and quietly observational work is not earth-shattering or particularly urgent, though it enables a talented filmmaker to work through personal ideas about assimilation and family conflict in an open, smart and gracious way.
10/18/08
Meticulously paced and beautifully shot.
10/18/08
A Thousand Years of Good Prayers feels like a fragile wafer of a movie, but it fills you like a three-course meal.
10/17/08
Top CriticA Chinese father visiting his Americanized daughter in Washington finds communication difficult, but the film offers rewards for the patient.
10/14/08
An intensely observed, small-scale family drama involving disagreement between generations.
10/09/08
Top CriticThe emptiness felt by Yiyun Li's characters doesn't seem as much the result of an emotional void than a too-thin plot.
10/03/08
A Thousand Years is imbued with these melancholy images, but it may leave you longing for a story to make you care.
10/03/08
Top CriticIt’s a mildly poignant generation-gap story.
09/26/08
Rich in revealing detail and apt in its use of everyday Spokane settings, A Thousand Years of Good Prayers shows that Wang remains a master explorer of the landscape of the human heart.
09/26/08
Top CriticWang seems to be trying for the reflective silence and emotionally fraught familial relationships of a Yasujiro Ozu film, but his characters are too underdeveloped to support the weight of such expectations.
09/26/08
Latest News for A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
September 16, 2008:
Wayne Wang Gets Personal With New Films 
After making a detour into middle-of-the-road studio fare, director Wayne Wang has moved back into what he calls "smaller, more personal" films, including the just-released "A... More...
August 20, 2008:
Trailer & Poster Review
More...
Related Forums for A Thousand Years of Good Prayers
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Fresh Links
Featured
Point-Counterpoint: Bruno
MSN's David Fear and Frank Paiva go head to head discussing the pros and cons of Bruno star Sacha Baron Cohen.
The New Cult Canon
The AV Club's Scott Tobias takes a second look at David Lynch's cult classic, Lost Highway.
Tom Cruise's 10 Best Roles
TIME takes us on a 25-year long journey into the superstar's career, giving us a look at his 10 best roles.
A Baywatch Comedy?
BuzzSugar reports on Paramount's plans to rebirth the iconic TV show as a comedy film.
IGN RSS Feeds