Saint Ralph (2004)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Michael McGowan

Writer:

Michael McGowan (writer)

Release Date:

8 April 2005 (Canada)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

Finding yourself on the starting line of life.

Plot:

Saint Ralph is the unlikely story of Ralph Walker, a ninth grader who outran everyone's expectations except his own in his bold quest of trying to win the 1954 Boston Marathon.

Plot Keywords:

Teenage Boy | Female Nudity | Catholic Priest | Shower Scene | Prayer

Awards:

6 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Adam Butcher	...	Ralph Walker
Campbell Scott	...	Father George Hibbert
Gordon Pinsent	...	Father Fitzpatrick
Jennifer Tilly	...	Nurse Alice
Shauna MacDonald	...	Emma Walker
Tamara Hope	...	Claire Collins
Frank Crudele	...	Mr. Karl
Michael Kanev	...	Chester Jones
Chris Ploszczansky	...	Hulk
Paulette Sinclair	...	Secretary Roddy
Lubica Kucerova	...	Woman in Shower
Ben Gans	...	Senior Citizen No. 1
Jock McLeod	...	Senior Citizen No. 2
Jeff Baxter	...	Cattana
Daniel Karasik	...	Bolan
Jonathan Walker	...	Mr. Collins
Keir Gilchrist	...	Kid Collins
Jonathan Wilson	...	Father Gregg
Robert N. Smith	...	Santa Claus (as Rob Smith)
Joan Massiah	...	Mrs. Scarlet
Gerard Parkes	...	Longboat
Boyd Banks	...	Worker No. 1
Henry Alessandroni	...	Worker No. 2
Fiona Highet	...	Nurse
Brandon Barré	...	Road Runner
John Blakey	...	Spectator No. 1
Naomi Emmerson	...	Spectator No. 2
Sean Cullen	...	Children's Aid Officer
Barry Stillwell	...	Mr. Jones
Jonathan Higgins	...	Boston Announcer
Michael David Brown	...	John Bannon
Miranda Black	...	Nurse Riggin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brian Bannan	...	Priest
Peter Feniak	...	Reporter #2
Tufford Kennedy	...	Reporter

Directed by
Michael McGowan

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michael McGowan		writer

Produced by
Teza Lawrence	....	producer
Andrea Mann	....	producer
Seaton McLean	....	producer
Marguerite Pigott	....	executive producer
Michael Souther	....	producer
Peter Sussman	....	executive producer
Gordon Yang	....	line producer

Original Music by
Andrew Lockington

Cinematography by
Rene Ohashi

Film Editing by
Susan Maggi

Casting by
Deirdre Bowen
Jenny Lewis

Production Design by
Matthew Davies

Art Direction by
Ken Watkins

Set Decoration by
Erica Milo

Costume Design by
Anne Dixon

Makeup Department
Susan Exton-Stranks	....	head of hair department
Mary Sue Heron	....	key makeup artist
Kiisti Matsuo	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
John Harcourt	....	post-production supervisor
Jennifer Macleod	....	post-production supervisor
Stephen Paniccia	....	executive in charge of production
Paul Vella	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Velvet Andrews-Smith	....	trainee assistant director
Fergus Barnes	....	first assistant director
September Death	....	second assistant director
Mark MacDonald	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Luis Camara	....	on-set dresser
Nitram Dass	....	set dresser
Brent Kelly	....	lead set dresser
Brent Kelly	....	lead man
Jordan Kerner	....	set dresser
James R. Murray	....	property master
Sean Scoffield	....	second assistant art director
Richelle Wilks	....	art department apprentice
Matthew G. Wright	....	set buyer
Geri Bertolo	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Richard Duhaney	....	sketch artist: paper props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Steph Carrier	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michele Cook	....	adr editor
Michele Cook	....	dialogue editor
Erik Culp	....	foley mixer
David McCallum	....	supervising dialogue editor
Christopher Miller	....	assistant sound editor
Brent Pickett	....	first assistant sound editor
Valentin Pricop	....	sound mixer
David Rose	....	sound editor
Mark Shnuriwsky	....	sound editor
Lou Solakofski	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jane Tattersall	....	supervising sound editor
Robert Warchol	....	sound effects editor
David Yonson	....	adr recordist

Visual Effects by
Ioan Balcosi	....	compositor
Mark Fordham	....	lead matte painter
Genevieve Forte	....	digital artist
Gudrun Heinze	....	senior digital compositor
Mary Holding	....	digital compositor
Elizabeth Holmes	....	digital compositor
Mihaela Orzea	....	senior digital compositor: Calibre Digital Pictures
Tony Willis	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Randy Butcher	....	stunt coordinator
Randy Butcher	....	stunt motorcycle rider

Camera and Electrical Department
Nicole Blanchard	....	second assistant camera
Amanda Buckland	....	camera trainee
Gilles Corbeil	....	Steadicam operator
Gilles Corbeil	....	camera operator
Paul Dias	....	gaffer
Rob Dias	....	electrician
Christian Drennan	....	key grip
Shem Ellis	....	best boy electric
Carl Flood	....	electrician
Amanda Goble	....	second assistant camera
Nick Porter	....	electrician
Christopher Raucamp	....	first assistant camera
Brent Robinson	....	underwater first assistant camera
Ken Woroner	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Kay Denver	....	extras casting
Christopher Richards	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Anna Dal Farra	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Erin Deck	....	first assistant editor
Mark Kueper	....	tape-to-tape colorist
Ricardo Olivero	....	color timer
Catherine Rankin	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Ron Korb	....	musician: flute
Michael Perlmutter	....	music supervisor
Ron Searles	....	music score recording engineer

Transportation Department
Steven 'Sparky' Carr	....	transportation captain
Michael Curran	....	transportation coordinator
Tim Fagan	....	unit driver

Other crew
Anthony Carovillano	....	key craft service
Jill Carter	....	script supervisor
Andrea Eisen	....	tutor
Aaron Horton	....	production assistant
Dennis Jacobson	....	first assistant accountant
Susan James	....	production coordinator
Jane Kim	....	production assistant
Chandra-Li Paul	....	accommodation coordinator
Irene Phelps	....	production accountant
Catherine Sample	....	assistant production coordinator
James Stevens	....	assistant location manager
Vess Stoeva	....	third assistant accountant
Michael Tough	....	location manager
Rick Whalen	....	location production assistant

Production Companies

• Alliance Atlantis Communications
• Amaze Film + Television

Distributors

• Alliance Atlantis Communications (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Entertainment Group (2005) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Distribution Company (2006) (Argentina) (all media)
• EuroVideo (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Odeon Films
• SND (2005) (France) (all media)
• Samuel Goldwyn Films (2005) (USA) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Film Effects  titles and opticals

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and partial nudity.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:6 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | USA:PG-13 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva)

Filming Locations:

Cambridge, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Alliance Atlantis Communications

Goofs:

Factual errors: The announcer in Hopkinton at the start of the marathon says "Welcome to the 53rd running of the Boston Marathon". The 1954 Marathon would be the 58th running.

Quotes:

Emma Walker: [Ralph has been caught gratifying himself with the public pool's water jets, and comes in upset] What's wrong, 'Doom and Gloom'?
Ralph Walker: What's the most embarrassing thing you ever did?
Emma Walker: What happened?
Ralph Walker: [sighing] I got caught committing a venal sin in the pool. It was an accident, obviously, a technical oversight by the pool's manufacturer. If you want to blame anyone.

Soundtrack:

You Came Along

Wonderful Film with 1950's Canadian Schoolboy Theme

Saint Ralph is a throwback to the wonderful films of the 1940's and 50's in which hope springs eternal, no matter the roadblocks that one may encounter along the way. However, it's never corny. It is a film with a lot of wry, gentle humor, especially for those who may have gone to parochial schools when they were staffed primarily by nuns, brothers, and priests. My wife tells me that all over the theater men of a certain age could be heard chuckling at the familiar scenes from their youth.

Lots of references pop into my head as I think about this film. I can't help but recall "Chariots of Fire", British schoolboy movies, and even "Catcher in the Rye." I believe this Canadian film could only have been made in an English-speaking Commonwealth country, possibly Britain, but certainly Canada or Australia. It's pretty definite, however, that this kind of film could never have been made in the U.S. There is a certain sensibility that we south of the Canadian border seem to have lost forever.

This movie is not perfect, but it certainly ranks as one of the most satisfying films I've seen in a very long time. The cast is uniformly good, the writing is spot on, and there is even a period of real suspense. I most heartily recommend this movie.