THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS
"'The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys' digs into the flaming recesses
of the adolescent mind with such acuity, compassion and good humor
that it will plummet you back to that painfully awkward age when hoarded
tidbits of bogus sexual lore had the weight of magic passwords to
the kingdom of heaven...The masterstroke of this small, heartfelt
directorial debut (by Peter Care, from a screenplay by Jeff Stockwell)
is its integration of animated sequences (by Todd McFarlane) in which
action-adventure caricatures of the comic book characters parallel
or comment on events in the boys' lives." --Stephen Holden, The New
York Times
"The gentle comic treatment of adolescent sturm und drang should please
fans of Chris Fuhrman's posthumously published cult novel...'The Dangerous
Lives of Altar Boys' is sweet but not saccharine." --J. Hoberman,
The Village Voice
"... the film belongs to a particular strain of American independent
cinema in which the parts constitute far more than the whole; a project
in which the director found his way in, but couldn't find his way
out; where the several good moments hardly justify the film...Interspersed
among the very episodic elements of 'Altar Boys' are the animated
sequences created by Todd McFarlane, which possess the kind of raw
energy and momentum the rest of the movie does not. It's saying something--and
something about 'Altar Boys'--when the digressions are worth more
than the basic conversation." --John Anderson, Newsday
"...one of the most inventive, funny and ultimately tragic coming-of-age
movies in years....In very difficult roles, Kieran Culkin--the real
actor of that family--and Hirsch are perfectly shaded and convincing,
and Malone ('My Life as a House') is heartbreaking as a girl regretting
her impatience to become a woman." --Jack Mathews, The New York Daily
News
"Unfortunately titled for a film released in the middle of a scandal
over pedophile priests, this contemplative coming-of-age tale transcends
that initial 'oops' factor to reveal itself as a quietly comic little
gem...uniformly terrific performances--especially from the limpid-eyed
Culkin--and quote-worthy lines like, 'Let's get Peg Leg--I feel like
kicking her nasty habit.'" --Megan Turner, The New York Post
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