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Movies / On DVD / Saint Ralph
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

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Reviews for Saint Ralph

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1 - 20 (sorted by source)
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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

Written with the glee of a scheming Catholic schoolboy, but its geniality outstrips its plausibility.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
08/04/05
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

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

Click to read the article

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

As predictably uplifting movies go, Saint Ralph isn't completely charmless.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
08/05/05
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
08/07/05
Boston Phoenix

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

Never develops any bite or tension.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
05/22/05
Shlomo Schwartzberg
Shlomo Schwartzberg
Boxoffice Magazine

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

This deliciously offbeat Canadian comedy gets its charm from marvelous acting and from a screenplay bursting with ideas.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
08/04/05
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor

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

Writer/director Michael McGowan’s feel for his underdog narrative seamlessly melds humour and heartache.

Full Review Source: Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | comment Comment
04/12/05
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

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)

Touches the heart in unexpected ways.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
08/04/05
Nancy Churnin
Nancy Churnin
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

...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)

What began as a too familiar coming-of-age story set in an all-boys Catholic school steadily morphs into something arguably as familiar but more satisfying -- a triumphant sports tale.

Full Review Source: Denver Post | comment Comment
08/05/05
Lisa Kennedy
Lisa Kennedy
Denver Post

It succeeds in flashes, but the movie's mixture of humor and inspirational fluff never quite meshes.

Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
08/05/05
Robert Denerstein
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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

Going beyond the never-say-die concept, McGowan paints an evocative picture of provincial life and mostly steers clear of cliche.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
08/05/05
E! Online

Funny, touching and uplifting.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
08/08/05
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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