Butcher carries the film well, interpreting Ralph as a tangle of mixed-up yearnings tempered with an indomitable drive.
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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Reviews for Saint Ralph
Written with the glee of a scheming Catholic schoolboy, but its geniality outstrips its plausibility.
As predictably uplifting movies go, Saint Ralph isn't completely charmless.
If McGowan pushes the religious themes too hard, his greatest sin is that he leads you to believe that the story is true.
The movie rests on (Adam) Butcher, and the actor proves to be a well-rounded smart aleck in the making.
This deliciously offbeat Canadian comedy gets its charm from marvelous acting and from a screenplay bursting with ideas.
For the jaded moviegoer, here's a little film that just might restore your faith -- in movies and a whole lot more.
Writer/director Michael McGowan’s feel for his underdog narrative seamlessly melds humour and heartache.
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.
...a small, straightforward story that has its heart in the right place, even if its hokey sentimentality keeps it from reaching the finish line.
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.
It succeeds in flashes, but the movie's mixture of humor and inspirational fluff never quite meshes.
The comic aspects of this comedy-drama are overly broad and forced, while the supposedly dramatic ones are cloying and treacly.
Going beyond the never-say-die concept, McGowan paints an evocative picture of provincial life and mostly steers clear of cliche.
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