THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR
BOYS
A couple of rebellious Catholic school boys play a mean trick on a
pious, peg-legged nun and end up in a place that is very far from
heaven.
(Now in stores)
CAST: Emile Hirsch, Kieran Culkin, Jena Malone, Jodie Foster, Vincent
D'Onofrio, Jake Richardson
DIRECTOR: Peter Care
"'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." --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
"...compelling but flawed adaptation of Chris Fuhrman's novel about
a parochial school prank that takes a turn for the tragic...Among
the virtues of 'Altar Boys' are the solid contributions of Hirsch,
Culkin, Malone and especially Jodie Foster, who miraculously conveys
a touching fragility beneath her steely facade. If director Care is
guilty of a mortal sin, it's not giving Foster more screen time."
--Guy Flatley, Moviecrazed
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