IGN.com|AskMen.com|Rotten Tomatoes|GameSpy|FilePlanet|TeamXbox|CheatsCodesGuides|GameStats|Direct2Drive

RottenTomatoes.com

Register | Log In | What is RT?
It's our 10th birthday, so you get presents!
Home Movies DVD Celebrities News Critics Photos & Trailers The Vine Forums
Box Office | In Theaters | Opening | Upcoming | Best Of | Certified Fresh | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
 
MOVIES / ON DVD / SAINT RALPH
Saint Ralph

Rate This Movie

Write a Review
Share This Movie
Add to List
Buy DVD
Buy Poster

Bookmark and Share

Saint Ralph (2005)

62%
61%
87%
N/A
N/A
N/A
62 %
Reviews Counted: 65 Fresh: 40  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.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

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

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

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 hormones, challenges priestly authority, and tries to achieve a miracle by winning the... 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]

Genre: Dramas

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

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

DVD Info

Release:

Dec 13, 2005

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Anamorphic - 1.85

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
  • Dolby Stereo - French
  • Subtitles - English - Closed Captioning
  • Subtitles - English, French - Optional

Additional Release Material:

  • Audio Commentary - Michael McGowan - Director
  • Behind-the-Scenes - Featurette

Buy It On DVD

Reviews

 
T-Meter Critics
 
 
Top Critics
 
 
RT Community
 
 
My Critics
 
 
My Friends
 
 
DVD
 
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
Arrange By: Name | Fresh | Rotten | Date | Source
 
 
Ratings Image
N/A

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

Full Review | comment Comment
03/01/07
Bruce Feld
Film Journal International
Ratings Image
3/4

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

Full Review | comment Comment
10/02/06
Carolyn Arends
Christianity Today
Ratings Image
3/4

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

Full Review | comment Comment
12/12/05
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily
Ratings Image
3.5/5

Click to read the article

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

Click to read the article

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

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
09/26/05
Onion AV Club
Ratings Image
3/4

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

Full Review | comment Comment
09/15/05
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star
Ratings Image
2/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
08/28/05
Marrit Ingman
Austin Chronicle
Ratings Image
2/4

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

Full Review | comment Comment
08/26/05
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Ratings Image
2/4

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

Full Review | comment Comment
08/26/05
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune
Ratings Image
'1.5/4'

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 | comment Comment
08/26/05
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Ratings Image
2/4

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 | comment Comment
08/25/05
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Ratings Image
2.5/4

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

Full Review | comment Comment
08/25/05
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
3.5/5

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 | comment Comment
08/19/05
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com
Ratings Image
N/A

...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 | comment Comment
08/19/05
Todd Jorgenson
Denton Record Chronicle (TX)
Ratings Image
3/4

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

Full Review | comment Comment
08/16/05
Sean O'Connell
Charlotte Weekly
Ratings Image
N/A

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 | comment Comment
08/12/05
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly
Ratings Image
N/A

Funny, touching and uplifting.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/08/05
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
2.5/5

It's all very cute and predictable. Still it's a fun movie...

Full Review | comment Comment
08/07/05
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette
Ratings Image
C

Pushes itself as strenuously as its young protagonist, but ultimately collapses in a welter of sentiment, cuteness and whimsy.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/06/05
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
See More Topics...

Related Forums

Click here to be the first to post a message on this forum.
all

Pictures

Around the Network

• Saint Ralph at Rotten Tomatoes
• Saint Ralph at AskMen
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | ModCenter | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2008, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.