‘Say A Little Prayer’ available on a streaming platform near you

By Michael Quintanilla

She’s lost something. Not her keys, not her phone, not even her favorite pair of chanclas.

What Adela, the heroine of the feature film, “Say A Little Prayer,” is missing is love.

And in this charming movie — now available for digital rental on streaming platforms (Google Play, YouTube movies, Prime Video, Fandango at Home, Apple TV, Comcast Infinity and DIRECTV) — it’s none other than St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost things, who’s on the case.

Filmed entirely in San Antonio in 2022, “Say A Little Prayer” is more than just a feel-good rom-com. It’s a cinematic valentine to our city. From scenes in La Villita to quiet moments along the River Walk, San Antonio is the beating heart of the story.

And for those of us who call San Antonio home, it’s a thrill to see our culture, our colors, and yes, even our comida woven so seamlessly into the narrative.

Adela, played with radiant charm by Tejana actress Vannessa Vasquez, is a hopeless romantic with a skeptical streak. She’s tried dating apps, blind dates and is tired of the bar scene. Nothing works. So, reluctantly, she turns to St. Anthony, lighting a veladora and whispering the age-old plea, along the lines of: “Tony, Tony, look around, something’s lost and must be found.”

What unfolds is a whimsical journey through San Antonio as she stumbles through misfires with dudes looking for lust, not love, that leads to Adela’s moments of self-discovery — and finally the man meant for her, Rafael, played by Latin music superstar Luis Fonsi in his first leading role. Fonsi brings a warm, charismatic presence to the screen, charming Adela as they bond over their shared passion for art.

But here’s the twist: for viewers outside of San Antonio, the city’s cultural richness might feel like window dressing. A colorful place where love blooms.

What they may not realize is that San Antonio itself is the love story.

The film’s soul is stitched with our cultura, serenaded by our songs with guitar and gentlemanly voices and seasoned with the wisdom of our abuelas.

It’s a celebration of Mexican American identity. And it’s no accident that St. Anthony, our city’s namesake, is the guiding spirit and the matchmaker in the story.

Director Patrick Perez guided the movie based on screenwriter Nancy De Los Santos’ script, and both wanted our city to feel like a character visually and emotionally.

“Say A Little Prayer” is about recognizing that the answers we seek sometimes are in plain sight; in the smell of fresh tortillas, with friends sipping cafecito and laughing, in the quiet prayers whispered in candlelight.

For the Buena Vista Project, which champions San Antonio as the capital of Mexican American culture in the United States, this film is proof that our stories, our saints, our Tex-Mex, our sacred rituals, belong on the silver screen. And when we say a little prayer, sometimes what’s found is more than love.

It’s home.