The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Chris W

  
  Based on the title, you might think this has something to do with the church sex abuse scandals that were all over the media around the time this film came out. In actuality, it's based on a book (which I haven't read) about two best friends and altar boys in the 1970s who… More
  Based on the title, you might think this has something to do with the church sex abuse scandals that were all over the media around the time this film came out. In actuality, it's based on a book (which I haven't read) about two best friends and altar boys in the 1970s who resort to making their own lurid comic book, pulling dnagerous and risky pranks, and casually experimenting with drugs and alcohol to deal with boredom. There's more to it of course, such as the boys dealing with various facets of growing up and learning life lessons. What sets the film apart are some bombastic and very colorful animated sequences which parallel the main action and help to flesh out some stuff (mostly inner thoughts and feelings) that is probably elaborated far more in the book (which is probably better anyway. I did like this though, because it is entertaining, and it's got some great music Marco Beltrami and Josh Homme, as well as some credible actors giving some credible performances. Despite the terrific work from Culkin, Hirsch, Malone, D'Onofrio, and Foster, and the great animation work from Todd McFarlane, this film feels very uneven and it tries to blend a lot of stuff together, including some rather really dark revelations about a certain character. I didn't think it gelled all that well, especially since some of the shifts in tone can be quite jarring. I didn't think it was enough to totally sink the movie, though. I just think it could have been handled better, namely with some stronger writing.The movie could have done a tad better job of establishing the time and place, but that's really just a bitchy nitpick. All in all, this movie is flawed, but it has good intentions, and the animated stuff is really cool. Plus, seeing D'Onofrio and Foster as a priest and a nun respectively was an odd joy for me, and I thought those were some surprising (in a good way) touches. You should maybe give this a watch. It could be better, but it's decent enough for a rainy day watch.

• Anthony L

  
  I hate the phrase 'Coming of age' but until I can think of a better one it will have to do. Of course growing up was never this cool for me and I was an Alter Boy, it was far more awkward. That said, what it does capture, quite brilliantly, is the conflict with hypocrisy… More
  I hate the phrase 'Coming of age' but until I can think of a better one it will have to do. Of course growing up was never this cool for me and I was an Alter Boy, it was far more awkward. That said, what it does capture, quite brilliantly, is the conflict with hypocrisy that adult life can bring - using animation, bad romance and an angry Nun to symbolise adolescent angst in its many forms and guises. A very pleasant discovery - in the bargain bin no less. A great film, let down by poor marketing.

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  CAST: Emile Hirsch, Kieran Culkin, Jena Malone, Jodie Foster, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jake Richardson, Tyler Long, Kelvin O'Bryant DIRECTED BY: Peter Care SUMMARY: When a gang of eighth-grade Catholic school students (including Kieran Culkin and Emile Hirsch) gets caught… More
  CAST: Emile Hirsch, Kieran Culkin, Jena Malone, Jodie Foster, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jake Richardson, Tyler Long, Kelvin O'Bryant DIRECTED BY: Peter Care SUMMARY: When a gang of eighth-grade Catholic school students (including Kieran Culkin and Emile Hirsch) gets caught drawing an obscene comic book, they seek revenge for their punishment -- and a reputation as school legends -- by planning a prank on a mean, one-legged nun (Jodie Foster). MY THOUGHTS: "This film had everything in it from hypocrisy, incest, animation, death, and religion. I guess a bit of everything. The film had the feel of the movie 'Stand By Me' when it comes to the four boys relationships. Just really good acting from all the young cast. It makes the movie that much more enjoyable when the acting is good and believable. The story itself is honest and funny. It's also sad. The way Kieran's character is mostly acting out just to get his parents to notice him. Jena Malone's character is seriously disturbed and needs a good therapist. I really felt bad for her, and yet kinda grossed out by what she did to her brother. The ending was unexpected and totally made me cry. The poem he read is what broke me, lol. If you were a rebel in school then you will relate or like this movie. Its definitely worth the watch. Great story and really good acting, especially by Hirsch and Culkin."

• Conner R

  
  A movie about tweens that can't be seen by tweens, completely useless. I liked the cast and their were some good early performances from Kieren Culkin and Emile Hirsch, but it was just way too childish a movie. Instead of being original, it was just really corny and pointless.

• Derek D

  
  Refreshing film about best friends who dream of living out their lives like the comic books they're obsessed with. Great acting from all involved, especially D'Onofrio, who plays the coolest priest in history.

• Dean L

  
  This movie utilizes many vehicles to convey its messages. Children, the church, animation, death, incest, hypocrisy...All of this is tied into a coming of age story focusing primarily on two boys and one girl. It shows the struggles that we go through in those formative stages in… More
  This movie utilizes many vehicles to convey its messages. Children, the church, animation, death, incest, hypocrisy...All of this is tied into a coming of age story focusing primarily on two boys and one girl. It shows the struggles that we go through in those formative stages in order to simply be and the pressures and moral quandaries that we all deal with personified in a young person's world. The characters are aspiring comic book artists and many times the movie breaks into extended animated scenes. While these can be fun to watch (or distracting to some as it was for my wife) they are an integral part of the film. Each animated vignette carefully describes the current mindset of each character within and allows the viewer to see the mind at work played out through an animated avatar. This movie does have some comedic moments that will make you laugh out loud. Equally there are more moments that will make you reflect and perhaps even become a bit saddened at times. It is a sleeper gem. Enjoy

• Jason S

  
  This is a pretty good flick.

• Christopher M

  
  This is a cute movie that, while it never reaches the realm of excellence, is a very enjoyable ride - for the most part. Its a story about a group of Catholic boys and their struggle with the oppressive authority figure(s) hanging over their heads. One of the main things I drew from… More
  This is a cute movie that, while it never reaches the realm of excellence, is a very enjoyable ride - for the most part. Its a story about a group of Catholic boys and their struggle with the oppressive authority figure(s) hanging over their heads. One of the main things I drew from it though was how extreme their actions were, when it wasn't called for - what happens to Kieran Culkin's character is a prime example of this. As such this serves as a theater for the folly of youth, and it definitely works in that way. There are some very interesting ideas at work here - for example the parallel narrative of the comic-book heroes drawn by the main character (in cartoon form alongside and reflecting the main narrative). That part of it really separated this from any other movie, though I'm not sure how much it added in the long run. There were some neat camera tricks used, as well. The one thing that was abundantly clear after watching this movie was that it is made for a specific age group or generation - even at age 20 I found it hard to relate to the teenage characters. However, its still a good movie with some good acting (Vincent D'Onofrio represent! even though he's underused), and I recommend watching it.

• Lanning :

  
  If you were an altar boy, you can't miss this one. We were a band of holy delinquents. And even if you weren't an altar boy, this is well worth seeing. Anime fans may like this movie too.

• Todd S

  
  An excellent movie, especially with a young cast and first time director! The mixture of animation and real life was really cool. Definatly a great movie!

• Sarah P

  
  I effing LOVED this movie! I can't really describe what exactly about it I love so much...the actors were excellent, the story was sweet and tragic, and it ended as it should have.

• Lovable M

  
  Loved the comic book feature within the film. It's hard to say exactly why I liked it, it's one of those movies where you have to see it for yourself.

• Sunil J

  
  Kind of a downer but pretty good.

• Robert F

  
  I'm going to go wild and give this movie 5 stars, which according to some people, I do ALL THE TIME. But honestly, TDLOAB deserves it. Having heard nothing about it, I was suprised by how good it actually was. It was well structured and paced - it opened with a great first scene,… More
  I'm going to go wild and give this movie 5 stars, which according to some people, I do ALL THE TIME. But honestly, TDLOAB deserves it. Having heard nothing about it, I was suprised by how good it actually was. It was well structured and paced - it opened with a great first scene, it got to the point quickly and didn't linger unneccesarily on any scenes, and it treated the audience as intelligent. The acting was also first rate - Jodie Foster is always good, but the stand-outs were Hirsch, Malone (who played a young Jo Fo in the film Contact), and Culkin - definitely some of the best young actors around today. If I felt like it, I could criticise the ending, but I'd rather focus on the film's merits here. Go see this movie. You can thank me later.

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