The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002) User Reviews

Growing Up Catholic

[MichaelMargetis · 8/10 · 29 April 2005]

I came across this indie gem one day at my local Blockbuster. I looked at it and it seemed like it would be an o.k. way to kill two hours. There was really nothing else in the videostore, so I decided to rent it. Boy, am I glad I did. I really appreciated the movie and related to it, after all I do go to a Catholic High School. 'The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys' is actually a great coming-of-age tale set in the Catholic school setting of the 1970s. Just by reading the title I thought it was about pedophile Catholic priests or something, but it's really about two friends who are the altar boys at their church/school and their adventures as they discover what's life is all about... or their interpretation of it.

The two boys in 'The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys' are Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch - The Girl Next Door, The Emperor's Club) and Michael Sullivan (Kieran Culkin - Igby Goes Down, Home Alone). They are two fifteen year old rebels that have a passion for comics and writing and illustrating their own. They despise their tough-as-nails and strict one-legged Catholic nun school teacher, Sister Assumpta (played by Two Time Academy Award Winner Jodie Foster - The Accused, The Silence of the Lambs). The two boys make themselves their own creative superheroes in their comic and have Sister Assumpta be the evil motorcycle peddling nun from hell that the two superheroes battle, along with the boys' other two friends who provide superheroes for their comic too. The film switches from real-life to the creative comic book setting during conflicts in the story, and I think that it's done very stylish and neat. The two boys rebel against their teacher and misbehave in front of her constantly, especially Michael (Culkin) who drives her absolutely nuts. The boys rebel by doing other things that the nun doesn't know about like, drink, smoke pot and steal and damage church property. The film contains some funny moments, and as the story unfolds Francis (Hirsch) becomes interested in the girl who lives next door to him Margie (Jena Malone - Saved!, Cold Mountain), a cool, nice, beautiful and independent girl with a deep and dark secret that challenges Francis. I won't give it away though.

There are many great aspects to this film. Most notably is the acting. Emile Hirsch is nothing short of incredible as the genuine misfit Francis and Jena Malone is equally as good as the sweet yet complex Margie. Jodie Foster is hysterical and always a pleasure to watch as the uptight Catholic school nun and 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent's' Vincent D'Onofrio has a somewhat small role as an interesting Catholic school priest who smokes like a chimney. The stand-out of the film however is Kieran Culkin. He is definitely the most talented performer in his family, and he gives an astounding performance as Michael Sullivan that puts him on the top of the list of the best child actors working in Hollywood currently. Culkin gave an equally amazing performance in Burr Steer's neurotic and darkly hilarious film debut 'Igby Goes Down' which was released the same year as 'The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys'. Peter Care does a fabulous job with this, his feature film debut, and the valley's Todd MacFarlane (creator of Spawn) provides the comic book illustration for the animated scenes.

All in all this is a great coming-of-age movie, with a lot of heart and intelligence. It has some flaws like dragging a little towards the beginning, being a little unclear towards the end and having some freaky and unnecessary ghost sequence towards the middle of the film. I'd recommend this to anyone who attends Catholic High School because it is a great movie but it's also something you could relate to. Next time you are at the videostore and can't find anything to watch, maybe pick up 'The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys'. Chances are you won't regret it. Grade: B+

MADE MY TOP 300 LIST AT #245

Live Dangerously! (spoilers)

[vertigo_14 · 7/10 · 4 August 2004]

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is based on the bildungsroman novel by Chris Furhman, who, unfortunately died of cancer during the revision of his novel, which was later published by a friend. Judging by the last chapter (although it is narrated from the first person point of view of Francis Doyle), I assume that the novel is based on Fuhrman's own actual childhood experiences and developed into a comic book of the same title. Unfortunately, while both the novel and the movie are quite good, the movie lacks some of the structure as well as more significant, yet "controversial" images than does the film (for obvious reasons on this latter point--they are catering to younger audiences and pre-teen sex doesn't go over well with your always alert conservative censors). Likewise, the novel, which is set in Savannah circa 1970 and deals with heated issues of racism (and our characters recognition of the fallacies of generalization). It was risqué enough to develop a movie which contains among its characters a young school girl who has not only engaged in an incestial relationship, but also attempted suicide.

This is the story of four boys in at Blessed Heart, a Catholic School for Boys. Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch) and Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin) are figures that model Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn (although Francis is ruled by considerably fewer rules than Tom's Aunt Polly reserved for her own boy). Tim Sullivan is the inspiration for the gang, living the credo that danger and trouble is their only defense against boredom. Partly, their only defense against the absurd rules of society and the meaningless ritual of adults (our character Tim is of the Holden Caufield variety), is a comic book (The Atomic Trinity) which the friends create, which parallels their various coming-of-age experiences with pranks and first love and so forth. Part of the screen time is shared with animated scenes of our comic book heroes at work.

Francis and Tim seem to differ on their goals, however. For Tim, his goal is the revolt against Sister Assumpta (Jodi Foster) who embodies most of the absurd rules as head of the Catholic School. For example, she is the one who confiscates Tim's copy of a book by William Blake (I think it was called 'The Creation'), and as such, is seen as an unruly censor. Tim is out to defy that absurdity. His character is the bildungsromane type more Francis. His character is much smarter, much more aware of his surroundings. But sadly, it is all he is focused on. As you see in the comic book scenes, he is the hero who is only concerned with bringing down the flaming skull, which is actually Sister Assumpta. Blessed Heart represents everything finds wrong with the world around him.

Francis, too, may be disgusted with the hypocrisy of the Catholic teachings and Blessed Heart in general, but his disgust with the world and likewise his concern is Margie Flynn (Jena Malone), his first true love. Flynn is an utterly sad character in a film where you might just expect boyhood pranks on unsuspecting authority. Flynn is a young quiet girl who attempted to kill herself because she thought she was going crazy and hated herself for an incestial relationship she carried on with her brother. Francis, through his real actions and through his comic book hero image, tries to rescue the frail Margie Flynn. She is the girl he is forever in love with, and her frailty may in part be part of the oppression he sees (like Tim). They don't tell much about her parents or brother in the movie, but in the novel, they are divorced and Donnie Flynn is a real sadistic creep, at least towards Francis and the other boys.

Margie Flynn is really a difficult character to endure, particularly for younger audiences, considering the circumstances. The story starts out like another 'Heaven Help Us' type (only more intellectual and much funnier) of Catholic School boys run amuck, but the introduction of Margie's character puts a weird spin about things. I'm not sure that they developed her character enough for this movie, although much of the focus within the Flynn-Doyle relationship was on Francis and not really Margie. Maybe if Emile Hirsch didn't always act so spaced out all the time, this aspect of the story might've been more effective.

Meanwhile, when the four boys's comic book is confiscated by Sister Assumpta, the boys (Tim in particular) get the idea that they're going to get retaliation on Blessed Heart and, in particular, Sister Assumpta (amongst all other things that they think need revolting against in that William Blake revolutionary sense that Tim abides by) by releasing a panther (in the novel, it was just a bobcat) into the school. By doing so, they would be declared the local legends of danger. This is going to be their mark of importance. This is when each of the boys start questioning their loyalty to this unofficial pact of a crusade for danger. Francis and Tim (the closet of the four friends), too, start questioning just how far they're willing to go because, their idea of importance changes. For Tim, it's all or nothing. For Francis, he's second guessing just how easy (and necessary) such a prank would be and also, is meanwhile, wrapped up in his own little world with Margie Flynn.

This is one of those coming-of-age films with young characters who have a heightened sense of self-awareness and such in the style of 'Stand by Me' and hell, even 'Fandango' and so forth. It's funny and it's sad. Overall, it's a pretty good movie worth catching. Live dangerously!

good film that remains relatively faithful to its source

[Jonny_Numb · 7/10 · 15 January 2003]

"The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" is one of the best books I've read in awhile, so I was pretty stoked to see how it translated to film. The good news is, this coming-of-age tale (revolving around the themes of first love and adolescent mischief) remains faithful to its source, while expanding (successfully, I think) upon what was written in the book. This worked very well in Terry Zwigoff's "Ghost World," but there are times in "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" where the tone threatens to go from comedy-drama, to flat-out drama, to flat-out comedy. It always manages to regain its balance, though. The story revolves around Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch) and Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin, who's very good), altar boys with a comic-book fixation and a resentment of authority (represented here by Jodie Foster's peg-legged Mother Superior); also on hand is Francis' love interest, Margie (Jena Malone), who reveals herself to be a complicated, tragic figure.

As far as revisiting adolescence is concerned, "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" is accurate, funny, and even sad. However, it suffers from an over-emphasis on close-ups during key dramatic scenes, and the lead performance of Emile Hirsch is surprisingly weak (when he emotes, it looks exaggerated and fake). Overall, though, this is pretty good. 3.5 stars out of 5.

Evocative and funny...

[moonspinner55 · 7/10 · 13 September 2003]

Group of Catholic schoolboys in the mid-1970s are obsessed with comic books, girls, and wreaking havoc on their most hated teacher, Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster, in a nun's habit, somewhat uneasily cast but still quite good). A surprisingly rich, rewarding film about adolescence puts other, more popular films in this genre to shame. The scruffy, nostalgic era is captured nicely, and the young players really shine. Spiked with wonderful animated sequences, the film failed to catch on with its target audience yet is otherwise intelligently crafted and often very moving. Foster also served as co-producer. *** from ****

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

[george.schmidt · 17 June 2002]

THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS (2002) *** Kieran Culkin, Emile Hirsch, Jena Malone, Jodie Foster, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jake Richards, Tyler Long. Funny and poignant coming of age story centering on two Catholic school adolescents (Culkin and Hirsch both superb) whose penchant for juvenile acts of defiance is only underscored by their innate desire to fit in and be loved while pitted against their arch nemesis, their teacher Sister Assumpta (a dourly cheeky Foster, who also produced the project), a one-legged harridan from Hell. Based on the novel by Chris Fuhrman and written by Jeff Stockwell and Michael Petroni, the film's strengths in storytelling are in its dynamic duo of troublemaking loners and are punched up with a wise peppering of Todd McFarlane's vivid animation depicting the boys' creative flairs as a Greek chorus to the plotline at hand. (Dir: Peter Care)

Sweet Look At Young Love, with Original Animation Fantasy

[noralee · 7/10 · 12 December 2005]

"Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" is very similar to "Stand By Me," with the nice addition of a non-stereotyped girl and a stereotyped nun (played by producer Jodie Foster) in the mix. Young love is shown the sweetest I've seen in a long time (oy, I'm still apologizing to a certain boy in my head when he was so sweet to me at that age and I didn't know how to handle it; oh well, I didn't have a script based on a book to follow.) Emile Hirsch and Jena Malone are marvelous, especially with the very serious sides of their lives, though the lousy parenting is only vaguely shown with shouting. While the gambits of their crew are a bit unbelievable as they try to put fantasy into their real lives, their fantasy comic life through Todd McFarlane animation is a lot of fun (I was a fan of McFarlane's HBO series "Spawn.") I've never seen a super-hero with such sensitive eyes! (originally written 6/23/2002)

Delinquents coming of age.

[mgchainsaw · 6/10 · 11 January 2005]

I'm not going to write a whole lot about this movie. I liked it OK. There was really nothing in the movie that I hadn't seen before in better movies, but it's still a pretty good movie. Kieran Culkin and Emile Hirsch gave winning performances, and Jena Malone was wonderful. I guess my main problem with the movie is that it didn't really have a point. Maybe I'm getting old, but just because you are 14 and are in an oppressive environment doesn't give you the right to do absolutely anything you want. I would've been OK with the movie if we could've seen more of the good side of the kids and less of the bad. I know, I'm getting old... All that said, I was glad that I watched the movie - it did make me think, and I did become involved with the characters. I guess that's more than what you usually get.

Totally great

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 10/10 · 18 July 2004]

The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys is kind of like a cross between The Virgin Suicides and Stand By Me. Set in the 70's (featuring many cool 70's haircuts) in small town Georgia, the story focuses on Francis, a 14-year-old dreamer and troublemaker. He and his pals, Tim, Wade, and Joey cope with life under the oppressive rule of one-legged nun Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster) at the Puritan Christian high school they're unfortunate enough to attend.

One of their methods of escape is the 'The Atomic Trinity' comic book. Each of them have their own character with superpowers (such as The Muscle, Captain Asskicker and Skeleton Boy), battling against the tyrannical regime of Nunzilla/Pegleg (a gross caricature of Sister Assumpta). These fantasy stories make up the terrific animated sequences of the film. The cool thing is that they are not so totally removed from the reality of Francis, Tim, Wade and Joey.

The boys soon find their way into a lot of trouble though. After stealing the school's nun statue mascot the quartet plan to steal a cougar from the zoo and put in Sister Assumpta's office. A mad plan yes, but their determination and invention behind it is very clever.

Some scenes of the film are very emotional, so if you have soft spot you'll find it tough to get through the scene where Tim finds a dying dog by the side of the road or Francis reading a poem at the funeral.

Francis' relationship with Margie (the very cute Jenna Malone) also takes many curious and unique turns. The scene with the ghost watching them sleep was pleasingly weird.

Taken from the one and only book (posthumously) by Chris Fuhrman (a book I must get as soon as I see), The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys is attractively shot, wonderfully acted and definitely worth getting.

The DVD is in 1.85:1 widescreen (strangely non-anamorphic, though the region 2 version is) with Dolby 5.1 sound and a mild bunch of extras.

Another entertaining look into the eyes of children

[SeptumSin · 7/10 · 14 November 2010]

Well now we have a film that tends to capture some of the child's mind qualities of "stand by me" mixed creatively with some creative cinematic and an interesting plot line.

The story follows four friends going to a catholic school and getting together causing trouble drawing comics and otherwise being boys. The main story starts when Jenna Malone's character comes in and turns some of the relationships on their heads. There is a lot to be said about the dynamics of growing up and coming to terms with life.

This story is quite dark and goes through a different line than many movies of it's type and therefore is not quite as viewer friendly as stand by me. The ending may also be debatable but I will let you as the viewer decide.

The story cuts into animated scenes to illustrate the imagination of the main character and does a fair job conveying the emotions and relationships throughout the plot. These scenes are of course brought to you by Todd McFarlane himself and again isn't exactly child friendly.

In the end this is a movie for adults but does a good job moving the message it goes about trying to convey. It is creative and draws you in. The plot is a bit dark and it does have some issues that may not sit with many viewers. All in all I believe this is a good film.

Surprisingly Great Original Coming to Age Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 19 September 2005]

In the Seventies, the fifteen years old troublemaker and leader altar boy Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin) and his three great friends, Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch), Wade Scalisi (Jake Richardson) and Joey Anderson (Tyler Long), study in a repressive Catholic school, and they hate their nun-teacher Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster). Francis has a crush on Margie Flynn (Jena Malone), who has a dramatic secret in her life. They like to write a comic book called 'The Atomic Trinity' and all of them have an alter-ego in their superheroes: Brakken (Francis), The Muscle/Skeleton Boy later (Tim), Captain Asskicker (Wade) and Major Screw (Joey), with Sorcerella (Margie) joining them later. Francis uses to fantasize reality with the fantastic situations the heroes face against the evil Nunzilla/Pegleg, a dark caricature of Sister Assumpta. The group plots an evil prank against Sister Assumpta, with tragic consequences.

"The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" is a surprisingly great original coming to age movie, one of the best I have ever seen in my life. The group of friends recalled me 1986 "Stand by Me" or part of 1981 "Four Friends" and the dramatic situation recalled somehow 1999 "The Virgin Suicides". The screenplay, alternating animation with film, is great: the boys escape and fantasize reality through their alter egos. The performance of the young cast is also excellent. Jodie Foster, as the severe teacher, and Vincent D'Onofrio, as Father Casey, magnificently complete this wonderful cast. I could never imagine Jodie Foster in such role. I highly recommend this great movie, much unknown here in Brazil. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Meninos de Deus" ("Boys of God")

Burning Bright

[Tweetienator · 7/10 · 20 March 2023]

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is one of those coming of age movies they don't make these days anymore - the story starts with a band of boys having fun and adventures, first love emerges, and in the end some tragic and dramatic turns shade the easy days of our young heroes. This fine movie reminds me of Bridge to Terabithia (starring young Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb) or Stand by Me (1986). Detached from today's politics and agendas, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is a very funny, entertaining and touching movie. It's also fun to see Jena Melon, Kieran Culkin and the others in their young days. Jodie Foster and Vincent D'Onofrio are also rock solid as Sister and Father of the Catholic school, the young no-goods attend. Anyway, this one is a fine piece, and if you don't know it yet, put it on your to watch list - if you have any taste for such kind of movies. Exact rate: 7.5.

Simple & Wonderful

[shark-43 · 9/10 · 19 July 2002]

I had just seen a bunch of the summer "blockbusters" and feeling a bit ripped off when I decided to check out this "little" film and was so surprised. It is wonderfully made and the acting by the mostly young cast is excellent - with majestic work by Hirsch, Culkin and Malone. The film has so many wonderful, real moments of those awful teenage years where you are trying to figure out who you are and what is important to you. Powerful, strong adaptation of a good novel - my only complaint is with Jodie Foster. She's a terrific actress but I just felt she was miscast. I know it's her name and production company that gotthis film made, so good for her - but she really didn't seem to understand the character, so she was just "acting" as opposed to what she usually does - which is totally inhabit her characters and make them three-dimensional people - I just think a Louise Fletcher or Ellen Burstyn would have made a much more powerful figure as the boys' nemesis. Jodie's nun never seemed that mean or cruel or threatening (And I'm not talking about making her into a one note crazy, hitting nun either). But, as I said, Foster got the movie made and this is a simple, sweet, tragic film about growing up. Well worth seeing.

Religion, School and Pranks gone Bad

[thinker1691 · 6/10 · 16 December 2004]

This film, set in the religious environment many adults grew up with tells the story of four boys, who's personal lives become intertwined with their fertile imaginations. Immitating many boys their age, they deal with personal problems and set about to enliven their dull existence with pranks. They are common enough, until they run headlong into Jodi Foster who plays their main teacher and a Catholic Nun. Their stunt of stealing the statue of the school's namesake progresses to stealing a mountain lion, which in turn initiates death. With the added concepts of visual art in comic form, the film delivers a plausible entertainment. However, the search for the reason why this film earn an "R" rating proves illusive.

Tries hard but story lacks conviction

[rosscinema · 5/10 · 10 April 2004]

Young boys growing up and experiencing life while going to a Catholic school is a fairly familiar story and when it ends I asked myself if this film had anything new to offer. It doesn't but there are some effective moments and performances that keep this from being a total disappointment. Story takes place in the 1970's at a Catholic school called St. Agatha's and four young boys are the central characters. Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch) and Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin) are best friends along with Wade (Jake Richardson) and Joey (Tyler Long) and the four of them pull preposterous pranks against their school and also collaborate on a comic book story that is called "The Atomic Trinity". At school they are constantly being criticized by Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster) who is a very strict nun and one night they decide to steal a statue from the school and instantly they are suspected of the crime. Francis starts to date Margie Flynn (Jena Malone) and they get along very well until she confides in him a very dark secret.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Margie tells Francis that she had an incestuous relationship with her brother and now he is unsure about how to continue dating her. He asks Father Casey (Vincent D'Onofrio) for some advice but doesn't get the answer that he is seeking. Meanwhile, Tim has devised a plan on tranquilizing a cougar and putting into Sister Assumpta's room but during this prank something horrible occurs.

This film is directed by Peter Care who has directed many music video's but this is his first effort with anything resembling a budget. Care does an adequate job of telling this story but the script lacks conviction in both plot and character development. Culkin is the king of all pranks and clearly doesn't take what is taught to him in school seriously but in one scene while carrying a dying dog he starts to yell about this animal not being cared for. This reveals a dark part of his persona but the script never dwells into it and we are left wondering about this part of him. The part of the plot about Malone and her brother seems a bit overwrought for the mood and tone and I never had a sense of what this film was trying to say. A film like "American Graffiti" could balance both comedy and drama but one of the flaws here is that this film does not do that well at all. Both Hirsch and Culkin are solid and Malone continues to show great promise but the script lacks focus with their roles in correlation with the rest of the film. Foster for the most part plays her part one dimensionally and uninspired and seems to just go along with what was written for her without developing the character for her own. The only originality comes from the film balancing both the live action and the animated sequences and it does a fairly good job of reflecting their inner most fantasies through their comic book stories. The films comedy isn't as humorous as "Heaven Help Us" and it also doesn't possess the dark tone and edge of "The Devil's Playground". This film attempts an emotional ending but with the lack of focus and conviction in the story it doesn't occur.

authentic portrayal of adolescence

[thomandybish · 17 July 2002]

THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS, based on the only novel of the late author Chris Fuhrman, gives a great portrayal of the ups and downs of adolescence. Despite veering wildly away from the novel, the film does a great job of transposing moments of boredom-inspired adolescent lunacy with aching transcendence (the scene in which Francis, the protagonist, akwardly talks to his dream girl Margie for the first time made MY heart flutter, and I haven't been 14 for a while!)Still, I wished that the scriptwriters had stuck closer to the book in some respects, especially detailing Francis' home life, which would have given greater insight into WHY he uses his drawing as an escape(and he has a heavy-duty reason to escape). For the guy who wondered in his review about Tim and Francis' home lives, let's just say that Francis' parents are WAY more disfunctional in the book than in the movie. Even with the parents' virtual absence from the movie, there are still great moments that were more or less transferred from book to screen: the scene in Margie's bedroom(although a bit more explicit in the book);Tim and Francis' finding the dying dog by the highway and Tim's subsequent soliloquy; the fateful journey into the wildlife preserve. Painful, beautiful, and true. See this one.

the book was better

[zengator · 6/10 · 10 July 2003]

I had read the book soon after it came out in '94 and was pleased to see that it was being made into a movie. I was less pleased when I actually saw the movie.

There are many examples I could give, but I'll stick with the most basic. For one, the feel of the school was all wrong. While the book perfectly captured the culture of rebellious teenagers resisting authority in an old-school Catholic environment, the movie didn't even come close. One gets the impression that the filmmakers had no personal experience in that environment and copied ideas they'd seen in other movies.

Suprisingly, another big problem was Jodie Foster. While she is one of the best actors of her generation, she is woefully miscast as the evil nun. (I know evil nuns. I attended classes taught by evil nuns. Jodie Foster is no evil nun.)

The various subplots and student subgroups were mishandled or missing completely. The book showed the main characters interacting with other students and contained a potent racial subplot relevant to the time period. The movie left every character flat and unconvincing. Even a surprising revelation by a main character and the dramatic conclusion were played simply for shallow shock value.

Overall, it was a disappointing film. And my negative appraisal is not simply because the book was better (as is often the case). A good friend who also attended Catholic school saw the movie and found it to be untrue to its setting and even exploitive. It's just not very good on its own merits.

trying to connect

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 12 March 2021]

It's the 70's. Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch) and Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin) are best friends and altar boys at a Catholic school run by Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster) and Father Casey (Vincent D'Onofrio). The kids are comic book fans and they have created comic book superheroes of themselves in their lives. Francis has a romance with troubled Margie Flynn (Jena Malone).

I try to find a way to love these characters but each one pushes back at me in their own ways. Francis is too passive. Tim is a psycho. The two others are blanks. I don't know what to do with Margie. Jena Malone plays it like a victim at which she is very good but we are continuously told that she is not the victim. It's a very complicated character which is relegated to being a side character. Jodie Foster is interesting but she needs a better final scene with Francis. Each character is a challenge to find a connection. Like the comic book animated connective scenes, the movie suggests real characters but there is the hyper-characterization which disconnects me from these roles.

Terrific acting, patchy story telling.

[GRMacE · 7/10 · 4 June 2002]

This movie has a compelling direction with terrific acting but, in the end, there are a lot of blind alleys in the plot. The director was at the screening I saw and let it drop that it had been through at least one screenwriter change. That may account for the unfinished feel of the story.

If you go thinking you are going to see "Little Man Tate" (a gentle, early Jodi Foster attached project) you will probably walk out of the theater. Several people did at the screening I saw. However, if you go to the theater remembering early Jodi Foster ("The Little Girl Who Lived Down The Lane" or "Taxi Driver") you will enjoy the experience. No, Ms. Foster does not have a large part but the young stars are all up and comers who play the rolls she did at the same age.

Much is made of the animation and it is a highlight. It is not a stunt and advances the movie very well.

Overall a mixed bag, great film-making, less than great story-telling; . . . but worth your time

I LOVED it!

[SamoanAttorney · 10/10 · 17 April 2004]

This is a must see!

Everyone in the cast pulled this movie off excellently. Acting was great by everyone, which made the movie all the more absorbing and real.

It is a funny movie, but is definitely serious when it needs to be. It's sort of what you'd call dark humor. I love how they put the cartoon bits in at exactly the right time and still let the movie run smoothly.

It's a very tragic portrayal of 4 young boys', but mostly focusing on Francis and Tim, journey in growing up, and learning some of life's hard lessons.

If you liked this movie, I strongly recommend reading the book. The book is just as great, but much different at parts.

All in all...I loved this movie. 9/10

A movie about the inner life of young people

[marioprmpi · 6/10 · 17 December 2019]

Positive:

• cast
• narrative style
• script/story
• cinematography

Negative:

• a bit lengthy

A thoughtful and complex coming-of-age film

[srstolz · 8/10 · 19 January 2009]

Great acting, solid direction and some inventive presentation-- the protagonists re-imagine their lives in terms of comic-book fantasies, and we are treated to some wonderful traditional animation thereof-- are just the start in this complex picture.

The film follows a group of '60s Catholic schoolboys who hatch a plan to play a crazy prank on one of their hated teachers. The plan, of course, goes awry. What is interesting in this film-- besides watching Culkin, Hirsch and Foster working their usual magic-- is the complexity of theme going on behind the adolescent antics. The film looks at the purpose of fantasy, the meaning of faith, the dangers of testing boundaries, the unpleasantness of unfinished business, the nature of God and the question of how one interprets His authority. The question of original sin-- never clumsily and straightforwardly stated-- permeates the film, from Margie's awful revelations to Tim's mischief. The film's real genius is its ability to play with obviously religious ideas without really doing any preaching.

Behind all this, of course, is the Viet Nam war. As America loses its post-WWII innocence at the end of the 1960s, and as the flower-power generation realises that breaking the boundaries that authority sets ultimately breaks much more, so the boys learn what happens when people want to take God's power. When Tim Sullivan tells his teacher that William Blake's poetry is written "simply enough for a child," she responds with "so are the instructions for a handgun."

Coming of age in the Catholic Church.

[kmberger · 7/10 · 15 November 2002]

'The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys' follows the adventures of a group of fourteen-year-old boys that express their rebellion against their Catholic school upbringing by drawing comics and plotting exotic vengeance against their nemesis - Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster, also a co-producer).

The focus is on instigator and plotter Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin), whose family life is so dysfunctional it's given attention in morning prayers in class; and dreamer and storyteller Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch), who is the heart and soul of the piece and the creator of the Atomic Trinity - the comic-book alter egos of the boys. Culkin and Hirsch give painfully accurate portrayals of young teenaged boys burdened by every aspect of what they perceive to be a harsh world. The church and the school can't understand them, Sister Assumpta keeps a close eye on them, and they're suspected of every wrongdoing (rightly or not). Worst of all, one girl, Margie Flynn (Jena Malone), draws Francis to the edges of the boys' club as his feelings for her start to cloud his loyalties to his band of brothers.

There's nothing simple here. Sister Assumpta isn't just a dragon lady out to get the boys because she hates children; she feels frustrated by her inability to connect with the boys. Tim Sullivan isn't just the designer of mad plots (such as the key scheme to steal a panther from the zoo and unleash it on the Sister); he's a disaffected youth trying his hardest to deal with the realities of his life in the only way he knows how. Francis Doyle isn't just a dreamer; he's a conflicted boy in the midst of exiting childhood for good and he knows it. The comics he draws aren't just daydreams of a boy's mind, they're his own interpretation of the ways his life changes day by day.

It's a textured tale that offers realistic interaction between the boys (Culkin and Hirsch turn in standout performances) and the girl (Malone in a very vulnerable supporting role). To tie the film together, and weave the fantasy realm of the Atomic Trinity into the real-life world of the school grounds, director Peter Care adds in animation sequences that bring Francis' story to life. Produced by Todd MacFarlane's studio (the same group that did the animated 'Spawn' for HBO), the boys' alter-egos reflect their flesh-and-blood counterparts, all the way to the bitter end.

'Altar Boys' is a worthy effort, a tender reminiscence to the times in all boys' lives where they must make the journey from boyhood to manhood. It's not just one step, either, it's a series of obstacles and challenges that daunt even the best of us. This film is worth seeing, even for those of you who don't happen to be altar boys.

One of the, least said, most interesting films i've seen in a while

[Lea-Ralic · 10/10 · 13 June 2006]

I first encountered this film on a foreign TV channel and on an unknown language. However, i was attracted to the TV screen like a bee to honey. I can't really say why, but the film was just very, well, attracting. It has sort of a gloomy atmosphere, and the scenes which changed in front of my eyes were understandable even in a foreign language. It could be because i can relate with the story and the feelings that the boys are going through, but i believe that the reason is that it's just a terrific film. Of course IMDb helped me find the film :) and today it's one of my favorites films. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to see a good film, but is ready to see some real life on the screen. The story isn't sweet, nor particularly happy, but it's real and emotional.

Little strange movie

[nickvervoort · 7/10 · 26 May 2002]

I watched the movie and I must say it's a little strange one! You don't expect how things happen and end. I would say: See for yourself! Also I noticed the cast (Jena Malone) looked much younger then they are, I thought the movie was made a few years ago because Jena Malone did look much younger then 18 years.

Confused, uneven mess.

[CMUltra · 4/10 · 13 July 2003]

I sat down unsure of what the movie was going to offer. My best guess was a coming-of-age film. It clearly had Catholic elements as well, though I wasn't sure if that was just a backdrop.

After watching it, I still wasn't sure. The movie tries to be light-hearted, but is too angry and cruel. The Catholic elements tend to weigh a bit against the religion but even there the movie vacillates. The movie doesn't try to stay out of the argument, mind you, it just seems very confused as to what it thinks.

The animated sequences, meant to illustrate the lead character's emotional thinking, are the best element of the film. And even they aren't terribly well done. They don't give much extra insight into his mind, nor do they progress the main movie.

I generally try to find a way to recommend a movie, even if it's a qualified recommendation. Most films have entertaining qualities that some can enjoy. And some have clearly enjoyed this one.

If you like comics, there are a few nice references to existing titles plus the characters created by the boys (and featured in the animated sequences). Or, if you are a Jodi Foster fan, she turns in a decent performance as the nun.

Overall, however, I'd just avoid this one.

4 out of 10.