Saint Ralph is the unlikely story of Ralph Walker, a ninth-grader who outran everyone's expectations except his own in his bold quest to win the 1954 Boston Marathon.Saint Ralph is the unlikely story of Ralph Walker, a ninth-grader who outran everyone's expectations except his own in his bold quest to win the 1954 Boston Marathon.Saint Ralph is the unlikely story of Ralph Walker, a ninth-grader who outran everyone's expectations except his own in his bold quest to win the 1954 Boston Marathon.
- Awards
- 6 wins & 9 nominations
- Chester Jones
- (as Michael Kanev)
- Hulk
- (as Chris Ploszczansky)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe 30-kilometre Hamilton Round the Bay Race, which Ralph wins in the movie, is an actual event; in fact, it is the oldest structured road race in North America, predating the Boston Marathon (started in 1897) by three years. The film's director, Michael McGowan, won the Round the Bay Race in 1995 with a time of 1:36:09.
- GoofsThe announcer in Hopkinton at the start of the marathon says "Welcome to the 53rd running of the Boston Marathon". The 1954 Marathon was 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.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Hour: Episode #7.24 (2010)
- SoundtracksHalleluia Proprium Missae
In Domenica Tertia Post Pentecosten
Halleluia / aleluja Diligam te
(Public Domain)
Slovenski Madrigalisti, Ltg./Cond.: Janez Bole
(P) Point Classics, Courtesy of Morning Music Limited
Ralph (Adam Butcher) is a naughty but naive 14-year-old boy, ready to take almost everything literally, now faced with the paradox of faith. His widowed mother is apparently dying in the hospital, and falls into a coma early in the story. A doctor says it will take a miracle to wake her.
Ralph is an interesting character, his even blend of pure and impure motives providing both the humor that make the film entertaining, and the realism that make it believable. His self-abuse in every sense defines the term, from the usual meaning to literally sanding his knees to pray in a pan of alcohol, the latter recommended by his girlfriend, who aspires to be a nun.
When his Catholic school's cross country coach says it would be a miracle if anyone on his team won the Boston Marathon, Ralph's literal mind seizes a fallacious opportunity. If he wins the Boston Marathon, it would be a miracle, and that's what his mother needs to survive. Most of the movie is about his training to run that race, both physical and spiritual, with the help of a priest (Campbell Scott), a nurse (Jennifer Tilly), and his girlfriend (Tamara Hope).
The blend of comedy and pathos is effective, the film kept entertaining by the comedy in the foreground, while the fact that Ralph's mother is dying keeps us interested in the outcome and rooting for the boy. Even if you don't like running or sports in general, the life at stake, or at least the boy's faith at stake, makes this race important.
There may be a bit too much sexual comedy for most parents to let small children see. For instance, after Ralph's caught in a venal sin in the swimming pool, that involved spying on the girl's locker room, he tells his mother "It was really an accident. The manufacture of the pool was faulty." The incident becomes a running joke, demonstrating Ralph's character trait of not caring what other people think. He later says they didn't really need to drain the pool (I'm not going to explain that, you've got to see it, but it was funny). But it's not as crude as other current comedies like The Wedding Crashers and The Bad News Bears.
I recommend Saint Ralph specifically to anyone who liked Lucas or Rudy, and generally to anyone old enough to take the humor maturely.
- SpaceComics
- Aug 6, 2005
Details
Box office
- Budget
- CA$6,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $489,389
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $140,881
- Aug 7, 2005
- Gross worldwide
- $1,881,975
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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