Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysHispanic & Latino VoicesSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

A Prayer for the Dying

  • 19871987
  • K-16K-16
  • 1h 47m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
5.2K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
19,687
655
Mickey Rourke, Alan Bates, and Bob Hoskins in A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
Martin, an I.R.A. hitman, is seen by a Catholic priest while carrying out a hit. He grows a bond with the priest and his niece. But his past and his former employers put all their lives in danger.
Play trailer1:53
1 Video
49 Photos
ActionCrimeDrama

Martin, an I.R.A. hitman, is seen by a Catholic priest while carrying out a hit. He grows a bond with the priest and his niece. But his past and his former employers put all their lives in d... Read allMartin, an I.R.A. hitman, is seen by a Catholic priest while carrying out a hit. He grows a bond with the priest and his niece. But his past and his former employers put all their lives in danger.Martin, an I.R.A. hitman, is seen by a Catholic priest while carrying out a hit. He grows a bond with the priest and his niece. But his past and his former employers put all their lives in danger.

IMDb RATING
6.2/10
5.2K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
19,687
655
  • Director
    • Mike Hodges
  • Writers
    • Jack Higgins(novel)
    • Edmund Ward(screenplay)
    • Martin Lynch(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Mickey Rourke
    • Bob Hoskins
    • Alan Bates
Top credits
  • Director
    • Mike Hodges
  • Writers
    • Jack Higgins(novel)
    • Edmund Ward(screenplay)
    • Martin Lynch(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Mickey Rourke
    • Bob Hoskins
    • Alan Bates
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 29User reviews
    • 21Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 1:53
    Trailer

    Photos49

    Alan Bates and Christopher Fulford in A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
    Bob Hoskins in A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
    Mickey Rourke and Sammi Davis in A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
    A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
    Mike Hodges in A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
    Mickey Rourke and Bob Hoskins in A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
    Mickey Rourke in A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
    Jack Higgins in A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
    Liam Neeson and Alison Doody in A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
    Mickey Rourke in A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
    Mickey Rourke, Alan Bates, and Bob Hoskins in A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
    A Prayer for the Dying (1987)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Mickey Rourke
    Mickey Rourke
    • Martin Fallon
    Bob Hoskins
    Bob Hoskins
    • Father Michael Da Costa
    Alan Bates
    Alan Bates
    • Jack Meehan
    Sammi Davis
    Sammi Davis
    • Anna
    Christopher Fulford
    Christopher Fulford
    • Billy Meehan
    Liam Neeson
    Liam Neeson
    • Liam Docherty
    Leonard Termo
    Leonard Termo
    • Bonati
    Camille Coduri
    Camille Coduri
    • Jenny Fox
    Maurice O'Connell
    • Superintendant Miller
    Alison Doody
    Alison Doody
    • Siobhan Donovan
    Karl Johnson
    Karl Johnson
    • Fitzgerald
    Ian Bartholomew
    • Kristou
    Peggy Aitchison
    • Mrs. Orton
    Cliff Burnett
    • Fred Varley
    Anthony Head
    Anthony Head
    • Rupert
    Mark Lambert
    • Ainsley
    David Lumsden
    • Lance
    Stanley Beard
    • Krasko
    • Director
      • Mike Hodges
    • Writers
      • Jack Higgins(novel)
      • Edmund Ward(screenplay)
      • Martin Lynch(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Mike Hodges and Mickey Rourke publicly disowned the theatrical cut of this movie.
    • Quotes

      Billy Meehan: I do what I fucking want, when I fucking want! I'm Jack Meehan's brother!

    • Crazy credits
      The end credits begin to roll up from behind the amusement park rides on the horizon.
    • Alternate versions
      There's an unknown director's cut for which Mike Hodges originally had John Scott to compose the music. However the producers decided that they didn't like it and hired Bill Conti to redo the music. Also, after watching Hodges' cut, Samuel Goldwyn recut the film for American audience who wanted an action movie. Both Hodges and Mickey Rourke publically disowned the theatrical cut.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Without Walls: Supercrips and Rejects (1996)
    • Soundtracks
      Ave Maria
      (uncredited)

      Music by Franz Schubert

    User reviews29

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Possibly one of the best movies, ever.
    Based on the Jack Higgins novel of the same name, A Prayer for the Dying follows an IRA hitman (Rourke) who has seen enough and wants to come clean. Chased the cops and the IRA as well as a notorious gangster, Rourke (as Martin Fallon) has to protect a priest who he has implicated in a murder. While some of the supporting actors aren't the most impressive, I think that this is Rourke's best work. He plays a man with a haunted past who wants desperately to put an end to the cycle of violence that has followed him for years.
    helpful•18
    16
    • The_Mad_Russian
    • Jan 30, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 6, 1987 (Finland)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Viimeinen palvelus
    • Filming locations
      • Canning Town, London, England, UK
    • Production company
      • The Samuel Goldwyn Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $6,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,432,687
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $881,793
      • Sep 13, 1987
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,432,687
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 47 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Mickey Rourke, Alan Bates, and Bob Hoskins in A Prayer for the Dying (1987)
    Top Gap
    By what name was A Prayer for the Dying (1987) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View image
    Photos
    Trending: Stars to Watch
    See the gallery
    View list
    List
    IMDb's Top 50 TV Dramas
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    New & Upcoming Sequels, Prequels, and Spin-Offs
    See the full list

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.