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 | character name as title | nickname as title | 

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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

Gross USA:

$795,126

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 name of the imaginary author of Ralph's manual on long-distance running, Simon Longboat, was borrowed from the great Canadian runner Tom Longboat, who won the Round the Bay Race in 1906 and the Boston Marathon in 1907.

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Goofs

The actual winner of the 1954 Boston Marathon was Veikko Karvonen from Finland. His finish time was 2:20:39.

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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

Goodnight Moon
Performed by Will Kimbrough
From the Album "This"
Written by Will Kimbrough and Gwil Owen
Published by Will Kimbrough Music (BMI)/Turgid Tunes (BMI)
Courtesy of Waxy Silver Records

User Reviews

Be inspired...

I'm not a catholic, certainly not a saint, and can hardly even call myself a jogger, but I found this movie wonderfully inspiring, witty and enjoyable from start to finish. I was thoroughly impressed with Adam Butcher's performance; he portrayed young Ralph's emotions (and the struggles of youth) so genuinely that he brought tears to my eyes during several scenes. A truly uplifting message in the film, brought home with brilliance. The producers were able to turn back the clock on Hamilton in a convincing way, with the appropriate prudishness of dress and behaviour for the private catholic school community in the mid-'50s. The sound track / score was excellent as well.