Saint Ralph (2004)

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.

Director:

Michael McGowan

Writer:

Michael McGowan

Stars:

Adam Butcher, Campbell Scott, Jennifer Tilly

6 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adam Butcher	...	Ralph Walker
Michael Kanev	...	Chester Jones
Gordon Pinsent	...	Father Fitzpatrick
Tamara Hope	...	Claire Collins
Chris Anton	...	Hulk (as Chris Ploszczansky)
Paulette Sinclair	...	Secretary Roddy
Campbell Scott	...	Father George Hibbert
Shauna MacDonald	...	Emma Walker
Jennifer Tilly	...	Nurse Alice
Lubica Kucerova	...	Woman in Shower
Ben Gans	...	Senior Citizen #1
Jock McLeod	...	Senior Citizen #2
Jeff Baxter	...	Cattana
Daniel Karasik	...	Bolan
Frank Crudele	...	Mr. Karl

Storyline

It's the 1953/54 school year at St. Magnus Catholic School in Hamilton, Ontario. Fourteen year old Ralph Walker is in many ways a typical teenager. He is experimenting with smoking and is openly preoccupied with the opposite sex, which makes him the brunt of jokes amongst his male classmates and which constantly gets him into trouble with the school's strict headmaster, Father Fitzpatrick. As penance and to redirect his energies, Father Fitzpatrick orders Ralph to join the school's cross country running team under the tutelage of the school's avant-garde thinking teacher, Father Hibbert. Some of the more unusual circumstances of Ralph's life are that he lives by himself in the family home, telling the authorities that he is living with his paternal grandparents (who are in reality deceased), and telling his widowed hospitalized mother (Ralph's father was killed in the war) that he is staying with a friend. Ralph's focus in life changes after his mother falls into a coma. It will take ...

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Plot Keywords:

doubt | male protagonist | year 1954 | boston marathon | marathon | 

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Taglines:

A comedy about chasing miracles.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sexual content and partial nudity

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 2005 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Em Busca De Um Milagre

Filming Locations:

Albion Falls, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$140,881, 7 August 2005, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$795,126, 30 October 2005

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alliance Atlantis Communications,Amaze Film + Television,Running Miracles Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The nurse who refuses to let Ralph see his mother when he visits on Christmas Eve is wearing a nursing pin from the prestigious St. Mary's School of Nursing in Montreal.

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Goofs

The marathon route looks nothing like the true course even considering the time period. There is no turn out of Hopkinton at the start, the final turn at the finish is a left, not a right and the hill does not drop off to the right of Heartbreak Hill.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ralph Walker: Forgive me father for I have sinned. It has been 11 weeks since my last confession.

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Connections

Featured in The Hour: Episode #7.24 (2010)

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Soundtracks

Up The Road
Performed by Ron Sexsmith
Written by Ron Sexsmith
Published by Ronboy Rhymes Inc. (SOCAN)/
Sony/ATV Music Publishing (SOCAN)
All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
Courtesy of Linus Entertainment

User Reviews

Saint Ralph captured me

My summary should be taken to mean that I am that little boy, or at least I was years ago. I was surprised at how closely I could identify with the lifestyle of Ralph and with his expressions concerning his experiences.

I too grew up in a god-centered universe, one which attempted to impose values for no other apparent reason than short-term control over my actions. I am atheist now, thanks in some part I feel, to that over-bearing presence.

I deeply enjoyed the acting of Father H because of his portrayal of a contemplative yet self-restricting do-gooder. Deeply enjoyed the acting of Father F because of his portrayal of a man closely guarding his perspective by limiting the creative output of those around him, meanwhile exposing his self-hatred with miniature explosions of emotion. Whew, powerful men! And deeply enjoyed Ralph, who caused in me bursts of laughter as he discovered with an open mind -- beautiful!

Given the "type" of movie, I can easily say my 10/10 vote reflects a straight forward opinion -- I mostly demand consistently portrayed characters, and then simply hope for a good story. But I must admit, that I was partial due to my close association with the experiences of Ralph, a hero!