The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)

Director:

Peter Care

Writers (WGA):

Chris Fuhrman (book)
Jeff Stockwell (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 May 2002 (Germany)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

One of the most inventive, funny coming-of-age films in years!

Plot:

A group of Catholic school friends, after being caught drawing an obscene comic book, plan a heist that will outdo their previous prank and make them local legends.

Plot Keywords:

Comic Book | Catholic School | Prank | Secret | Drawing

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Emile Hirsch	...	Francis Doyle
Kieran Culkin	...	Tim Sullivan
Vincent D'Onofrio	...	Father Casey
Jena Malone	...	Margie Flynn
Jake Richardson	...	Wade Scalisi
Tyler Long	...	Joey Anderson
Jodie Foster	...	Sister Assumpta
Arthur Bridgers	...	Donny Flynn (as Arthur Bridges)
Scott Simpson	...	Newsie
Melissa Suzanne McBride	...	Mrs. Doyle (as Melissa McBride)
Michael Harding	...	Mr. Doyle (as Mike Harding)
Chandler McIntyre	...	Naturalist
Jeffrey West	...	Professor Sullivan
Yvonne Erickson	...	Mrs. Sullivan
Nicky Olson	...	Colin Gibbney

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexual content and youth substance use.

Runtime:

104 min | Argentina:105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Sweden:11 (Stockholm Film Festival) | Canada:14A | France:U | Germany:12 | UK:15 | USA:R | Norway:15 | Argentina:13 | Spain:13 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Brazil:16 | Canada:A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Charleston, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Egg Pictures

Trivia:

The final shot in the scene where the boys find an injured dog was actually just footage shot of the actors "resetting" after a blown take. It was kept in since it so clearly shows their fatigue and frustration.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Movie takes place in the 1970s but when the boys are riding their bikes to buy comic books, they drive past a house with a late '80s Buick parked in its driveway.

Quotes:

Joey Anderson: It's Major Screw going at it with an evil warrior babe.
Tim: Going at what?
Joey Anderson: 69.
Wade Scalisi: That looks more like 47.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Anatomy of a Scene: The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys" (????)

Soundtrack:

On The Road Again

great "coming of age" film

Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is a pretty good coming of age film, with 4 Catholic schoolboys that are devoted to comics & mischief composing their very own "comic book", The Atomic Trinity. Of course, there are 4 of them now, but the title's already been done & they can't go back & change it. Or won't. The do their daily battles with school and Sister Assumpta (Jody Foster) who has a special place in their book as "Nunzilla". When the class is taken to an animal park, the boys become taken with a cougar that they want to kidnap and sic on Sister Assumpta, having noticed how it tracked her movements while she was there. Despite numerous sidelines, that's what most of the rest of this film leads up to. One of the sidelines is that one of the 4 boys has fallen in love with one of their classmates, who reveals to him a secret about her and her brother, which he of course shares with one of his buddies who can't keep HIS mouth shut and lets it fly at the brother when he gets upset with him for hurting him during soccer practice. Revenge is sweet as the brother kidnaps the Atomic Trinity book & presents it to the sister, after which of course the cougar plan becomes more of a necessity. I can't reveal much more without spoilers so I will have to stop at this point, but to say that things don't go exactly to plan and the rest, you'll have to see for yourself. I didn't think I'd like this much since I'm not into comics nor did I go to Catholic school, but this is a pretty good film and sucked me right in. If you liked films like "Stand By Me" you will probably like this. Check it out, 8 out of 10.