Praying with Anger

'Praying with Anger' is rarely seen semi-autobiographical debut by director M. Night Shyamalan. There is a rumor that after the success of 'The Sixth Sense' Shyamalan bought all the VHS copies of the film because he was embarrassed by it. Although the film didn't get exactly a wide release first place. 'Praying with Anger' has primarily shown at film festivals, and some second hand VHSs still circle around and occasionally it pops up in the internet.

This is not a movie to get out of your pants for. Maybe if you're a hardcore Shyamalan fan. I was personally clad to see the film because I'm interested in famous and renown directors' first works.

The story and pacing is uneven. It takes some time to build up any interest to continue watching it. Most scenes don't have the impact that filmmaker obviously wanted to have and they simply fall flat and cliché ridden. Mixed with occasional humor and little hints with supernatural and totally out of place awkwardly directed scenes (hey, let's just play some football with these kids over there). The acting is nothing special - not a single ultimately bad or masterfully good performance to point out. If becoming film director wouldn't have worked out for M. Night he could always play some Indian comic relief side character in some silly sitcom.

'Praying with Anger' is not very strong film, quite forgettable actually, and it's not strong even for debut, but it showed then that Shyamalan has some talent to become capable

I saw this when it was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.

It was a late entry, but the festival's programmers were so impressed by this debut feature by a young filmmaker (only 20 during shooting) that they put it on the program anyway. One of them (David Overbey as I recall, sadly now deceased) introduced Shyamalan and glowingly said something like "Watch this young man; he's going places and you'll be seeing a lot more of him". Pretty good assessment.

The film is about a teenager, born in India but raised in the U.S. (as Shyamalan was), who goes to his birthplace for a long visit and experiences major culture shock. He sees various aspects of local life with his American eyes, from trivial things to matters of life and death, and the film shows his bemusement while doing a good job of communicating the thoughts of the local characters. I would say that he chose well the issues to highlight (I too am a South Asian raised in the West, born in Canada to Sri Lankan parents who planned to go back but never did), like the importance of superstition and the local variety of racism. However, some parts were a bit too Hollywood for me, in particular the scene where the protagonist stops a lynch mob by preaching his American brand of morality - in much the same way that Captain Kirk used to prevent interstellar war with a few glib phrases.

After the screening, an audience member asked Shyamalan how autobiographical the film was. He replied that he had indeed taken the same kind of journey, but that the movie was definitely fictional. As he put it, "I did not quell a riot in India".

Another question from the audience was how much the movie had cost to make. His answer: "About a million". He didn't say where the money came from, but clearly someone took a chance on this talented young filmmaker. I'm sorry that the film didn't get released; it has stayed with me through the years despite my never having heard of the guy at the time. And now that I've seen other movies he's made, I'd like to watch this again to see more of their origins, much as I was fascinated by watching, long after it was made, Stanley Kubrick's first feature Fear and Desire.

I saw this film at a film festival many years ago and it has haunted me (in a beautiful way) for years and I have longed to see it again.

In a rare portrayal of a teenager, this boy is smart and sensitive and open. All the characters are interesting.

The third world spirituality and visuals, remind me in tone, of THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY.

I would like to get a DVD of this movie.

i loved the boy's visit to the Hindu temple and to his ancestral home. Magnificent.

Shyamalan made it when he was 22. Please release it whoever owns it -- NYU???

I saw this film on Indian television many years ago and remembered it distinctly, one for its storyline (which as a South Asian American I could relate to), and second for the quite interesting name of the director. Little did I know way back then that I was watching the work of one of current cinema's more gifted filmmakers.

I found a rare VHS of the film and recently viewed it, and much could be see of the distinctive M. Night Shyamalan style. There is no twist ending to this film, but there is a silent and slow development to the story which pays dividends to the viewer. One could see that Night was not in complete control of his powers, but as a debut film, "Praying" is a highly accomplished piece of work, and was a precursor to a wonderful talent indeed.

The cinematography of DP Madhu Ambat is excellent, the acting is even, and the music a bit synth-cheesy, but what truly stands out is the emotional depth of the film. In hindsight there may have been too many issues tackled within the film (arranged marriages, caste, religion, poverty, ragging, elderly respect, diaspora, and family) but nonetheless all are addressed truthfully and honestly.

If you can locate this film, it is worth a watch. You'll see the beginnings and origins of Shyamalan's signature style, and a wonderful little piece of independent low-budget film-making.

A film about an Indian-American who returns to his homeland to go to college. It very accurately depicts the social conventions of the time. It is a movie about inner courage and self-discovery that will leave you with a good feeling when it is over.