Prier Loin

Original title: Pray Away

2021
PG-13
1h 41m

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

3.7K

YOUR RATING

In the 1970s, five men struggling with being gay in their Evangelical church started a Bible study to help each other leave the "homosexual lifestyle." They quickly received over 25,000 letters from people asking for help and formalized as Exodus International, the largest and most controversial conversion therapy organization in the world.
But leaders struggled with a secret: their own "same-sex attractions" never went away. After years as superstars in the religious right, many of these men and women have come out as LGBTQ, disavowing the very movement they helped start. Focusing on the dramatic journeys of former conversion therapy leaders, current members, and a survivor, PRAY AWAY chronicles the "ex gay" movement's rise to power, its unscientific influence, and its legacy of profound harm.

Play trailer2:35

1 Video

7 Photos

Faith & Spirituality Documentary Documentary

Former leaders of the "pray the gay away" movement contend with the aftermath unleashed by their actions, while a survivor seeks healing and acceptance from more than a decade of trauma.Former leaders of the "pray the gay away" movement contend with the aftermath unleashed by their actions, while a survivor seeks healing and acceptance from more than a decade of trauma.Former leaders of the "pray the gay away" movement contend with the aftermath unleashed by their actions, while a survivor seeks healing and acceptance from more than a decade of trauma.

Director
- Kristine Stolakis
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.5/10

3.7K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Kristine Stolakis
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 4 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 2:35

Official Trailer

Photos6

Top cast19

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Yvette Cantu Schneider

Self

Michael Bussee

Self - Co-Founder, Exodus

John Paulk

Self - Former Board President, Exodus

Julie Rodgers

Self

Jeffrey McCall

Self

Randy Thomas

Self - Former Vice President, Exodus

Alan Chambers

Self - Former President, Exodus

George W. Bush

Self - 43rd President of the United States
(archive footage)

Ricky Chelette

Self - Executive Director, Living Hope
(archive footage)

James Dobson

Self - Popular Televangelist
(archive footage)
(as Dr. James Dobson)

Jerry Falwell

Self - Popular Televangelist
(archive footage)

Newt Gingrich

Self - Former Speaker of the House
(archive footage)

Joni Lamb

Self - Christian Broadcaster
(archive footage)

Joseph Nicolosi

Self - Clinical Psychologist
(archive footage)
(as Dr. Joseph Nicolosi)

Barack Obama

Self - 44th President of the United States
(archive footage)

Anne Paulk

Self - Executive Director, Restored Hope Network
(archive footage)

Karl Rove

Self - Senior Advisor to George W. Bush
(archive footage)

Lesley Stahl

Self - 60 Minutes Correspondent
(archive footage)

User reviews58

6.53.7K

Featured reviews

3jan_vervloet-564-821712

When apologies aren't enough

This documentary, while it's good, it's so angering and gut turning that it is truly hard to watch.

It's an exercise in turning around root issues and not a single time addressing them.

6kristarosephillips

Didn't really enjoy this

Love the subject matter, think it is incredibly important. This documentary felt so slow. I unfortunately was bored (probably because the conversion nuts are hard a chore to listen to) and almost cut it off multiple times. Worth the watch if you need a background doc, but I recommend reading up on conversion and its horrors to get a better picture.

5marymcfarland-01866

Okay....Kind of Missed the Mark

I was expecting many stories from those who had to experience "conversion therapy" and what they went through. This played more like buyer's remorse from "ex-ex gays", with some random storyline thrown in about a maybe former Trans person who hosts parades for ex trans people...or something (I do not understand why that was thrown in here. It played out like filler.)

Conversion therapy stories are important to tell, but the way this was presented did not capture the damage that's done when this whole "pray it away" philosophy is crammed down people's throats and forced upon the young. I'd say watch it just so you know this was and still is a thing. But it's not giving the whole story.

7vzhuk

Like it in some way.

Here we can see same topic but from two different perspectives: the first one - those who run away for better, the 2nd - those who still pray for something they shouldn't.

5erhanipekciler

Excellent trailer, super slow documentary

I think Ryan Murphy is the president of Netflix gay series producing department.. First of all when I saw trailer, i thought this is an eye opening, promising documentary but it is super slow and we are watching old discussions about homosexuality. Unfortunately it doesn't give anything new. Boring for me.

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Every reputable American medical association has condemned the practice of "conversion therapy" and the idea that sexual orientation can be changed as false and both medically and psychologically harmful. Organizations that have released statements censuring the practice include: the American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Counseling Association, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the American School Counselor Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and many others.

Quotes
Self - Former Board President, Exodus: I realized that my dishonesty hurt people. Because I was dishonest, it caused people in the audience - people that were struggling with homosexuality or had gay feelings - to feel like, "There must be something wrong with me 'cause I'm not like him. And he doesn't- he's not tempted anymore. So if I'm tempted, I must be broken and damaged."