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Saint Ralph

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Saint Ralph (2005)

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Reviews Counted:67

Fresh:42

Rotten:25

Average Rating:6.3/10

Consensus: Saint Ralph is an amiable tear-jerker that walks a fine line between being inspirational and being hokum.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for some sexual content and partial nudity.

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Aug 5, 2005 Limited

Box Office: $656,185

Synopsis: A charming Canadian import by director Michael McGowan (MY DOG VINCENT), the 1950s period comedy SAINT RALPH follows earnest Catholic schoolboy Ralph (Adam Butcher) as he struggles with his teenage... A charming Canadian import by director Michael McGowan (MY DOG VINCENT), the 1950s period comedy SAINT RALPH follows earnest Catholic schoolboy Ralph (Adam Butcher) as he struggles with his teenage hormones, challenges priestly authority, and tries to achieve a miracle by winning the Boston Marathon. Facing orphanhood after his father is killed in WWII and his mother falls into a coma caused by terminal cancer, Ralph, with the help of his friend Chester, carries on life as usual by pretending that he lives with his grandparents. He regularly visits his mother in the hospital and creates a special friendship with one of her nurses (Jennifer Tilly). He tries to date an evasive classmate intent on becoming a nun, and generally causes havoc with his school priests (Campbell Scott, Gordon Pinsent). However, when Ralph comes to believe that winning the Boston Marathon would constitute a miracle that might save his mother's life, nothing can stop him. Reminiscent of inspiring stories like BILLY ELLIOTT and WHALE RIDER, SAINT RALPH pokes gentle fun at strict Catholic school rules and provides a young hero for all generations. Underscoring the script's emotion is the score by Andrew Lockington, which features a moving version of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah." Embracing faith, religion, and humanity, SAINT RALPH is a classic family film. [More]

Starring: Adam Butcher, Campbell Scott, Jennifer Tilly, Gordon Pinsent

Starring: Adam Butcher, Campbell Scott, Jennifer Tilly, Gordon Pinsent, Tamara Hope, Shauna MacDonald

Director: Michael McGowan

Director: Michael McGowan
Screenwriter: Michael McGowan
Producer: Teza Lawrence, Michael Souther, Seaton McLean
Studio: IDP Distribution

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Release:

Dec 13, 2005

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Saint Ralph

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
05/13/09
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

What writer-director Michael McGowan has pulled off is a bit of a miracle.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Bruce Feld
Bruce Feld
Film Journal International

For the jaded moviegoer, here's a little film that just might restore your faith -- in movies and a whole lot more.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
10/02/06
Carolyn Arends
Carolyn Arends
Christianity Today

A likable little underdog-triumphs drama from Canada... This is a case where my idealistic side won out over my cynical side.

Full Review Source: Fantastica Daily | comment Comment
12/12/05
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
10/15/05
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: San Diego Metropolitan | comment Comment
10/01/05
Jean Lowerison
Jean Lowerison
San Diego Metropolitan
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/26/05
AV Club

Butcher carries the film well, interpreting Ralph as a tangle of mixed-up yearnings tempered with an indomitable drive.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
09/15/05
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
08/28/05
Marrit Ingman
Marrit Ingman
Austin Chronicle

The comic aspects of this comedy-drama are overly broad and forced, while the supposedly dramatic ones are cloying and treacly.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
08/26/05
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

This wincingly earnest comedy-drama could rival the maple tree as Canada's leading producer of sap.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
08/26/05
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

A hooey-slathered film that combines the Catholic school humor of 'Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?' with the rah-rah uplift of an underdog sports story.

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
08/26/05
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

An overly convenient plot is the main con in Ralph, which includes a devastating fire, an assist from a celebrity and at least one miracle, all of which show up exactly when the plot needs help moving forward.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
08/25/05
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Canadian writer-director Michael McGowan has packed it so full of earnestness that viewers end up jogging along.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
08/25/05
Jeff Strickler
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Ralph may be more a sinner than a saint, and his movie may be a little cheesy, but who cares - I thoroughly enjoyed following him on his quest.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
08/19/05
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

...a small, straightforward story that has its heart in the right place, even if its hokey sentimentality keeps it from reaching the finish line.

Full Review Source: Denton Record Chronicle (TX) | comment Comment
08/19/05
Todd Jorgenson
Todd Jorgenson
Denton Record Chronicle (TX)

The movie rests on (Adam) Butcher, and the actor proves to be a well-rounded smart aleck in the making.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Weekly | comment Comment
08/16/05
Sean O'Connell
Sean O'Connell
Charlotte Weekly

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
08/13/05
Hollywood.com

If McGowan pushes the religious themes too hard, his greatest sin is that he leads you to believe that the story is true.

Full Review Source: Boulder Weekly | comment Comment
08/12/05
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly
 
 
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