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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
Thousand Years of Good Prayers, A
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 15 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 2 votes
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Movie Info
Genre(s): Drama | Romance
Written by:
Yiyun Li (& novel)
Michael Ray
Directed by: Wayne Wang
Release Date:
Theatrical: September 19, 2008
DVD: May 26, 2009
Running Time: 83 minutes, Color
Origin: USA
Language(s): Mandarin | Persian | English
Summary
RATING: Not Rated
Starring Henry O, Faye Yu, Vida Ghahreman, and Pasha Lychnikoff
Family ties bind us together in visceral ways, but the forces of modern life often seem to drive parents and children apart. Elderly Mr. Shi, a widower and a retired scientist, has arrived from Beijing to spend time with his divorced daughter, Yilan. He hopes to help her sort out her life in this strange new country. (Magnolia)
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Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
In observing the reality of this relationship, Wang contemplates the "generation gap" in modern societies all over the world. His film quietly, carefully, movingly observes how these two people of the same blood will never be able to understand each other, and the younger one won't even care to.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
A spare, controlled study in communication gaps and a piercing sketch of suburban American loneliness.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
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.
Read Full Review >New York Post V.A. Musetto
An intelligent look at family dynamics set in a boring Washington State suburb where Bible-thumping Mormons come knocking on your door.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Reyhan Harmanci
Has a jangly, improvisational tone, with nuanced moments of humor and pathos.
Read Full Review >Christian Science Monitor Robert Koehler
Wang's A Thousand Years of Good Prayers gives the impression of a director reborn, or at least a director who has his mojo back.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Ty Burr
The movie is almost willfully dull, for its real subject is everything we never say to our parents, or they to us.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter John DeFore
Modest but moving, a finely observed portrait of a father/daughter relationship that will resonate deeply for many viewers.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Aaron Hillis
There's nothing earth-shattering going on here, but it's a film you'll want to befriend.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Nathan Lee
A gentle, pleasantly unrushed piece of moviemaking. There’s a tonic simplicity to how it gets the job done, and if the film comes off as fairly conventional stuff, it nevertheless succeeds on its own modest, middlebrow terms.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
Very little actually happens, since most of the time Mr. Shi sits alone in Yilan's empty apartment, wondering how to help her. But there's a gentle beauty in these long, anguished silences, and Wang and his actors make the most of it.
Read Full Review >Variety Todd McCarthy
A quiet work with Ozu-like structure and concerns, but remains more an intellectual exercise than one from the heart.
Read Full Review >Chicago Reader Joshua Katzman
As in most of Wang's films, a memorable cast of characters compensates for a serviceable plot.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Tasha Robinson
Most of the film isn't as willing to reach out to viewers, and most won't be willing to do all the work in order to connect with it.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 2 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
