Vote on this title

Do these genes fit this title?
Click on a gene to vote or discover related titles.

Does this gene fit The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys?

See more like The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

See even more

Overview

Watch it:

Find it on:

	Twitter
	IMDb
	Rotten Tomatoes

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, 2002

Starring: Emile Hirsch, Kieran Culkin, Jena Malone

Directed by: Peter Care

Written by: Jeff Stockwell

Language: English

Country: USA

Runtime: 104 min

MPAA Rating:

Rating:7.0

Watch it

More like it

Wish List

Favorites

Profile of The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys can be described as bittersweet, sentimental, and touching. The plot revolves around the clergy, coming of age, and teenage life. The main genres are drama, independent, and period. In approach, it is serious and realistic. The storytelling is slow paced. It is located in the USA. It takes place in the 20th century. Visually, it includes animation and live action. It is based on a book. It has received attention for being critically acclaimed. Note that it involves mild violent content, drugs/alcohol, and profanity.

Summary of The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

Set in the rural South in the 1970s in a Catholic school, four pre-teen boys (Kieran Culkin, Emile Hirsch, Jake Richardson, and Tyler Long) create a comic book called "The Atomic Trinity" to channel their creativity, imagination, and rebellious adolescent angst. They each develop their own superhero and, in doing so, live out fantasy lives through their empowered, unchained alter egos. Their evil adversaries are exaggerated characters designed after their teachers: Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster) the stark, peg-legged nun; and Father Casey (Vincent D'Onofrio), the shady, chain-smoking priest. The spotlight of the film shines clearly on the handsome Francis (Hirsch) whose crush on his neighbor and schoolmate, Margie Flynn (Jenna Malone), leaves him tongue-tied. Tim (Culkin) is bolder, and so he rewrites a William Blake poem and uses it to bring together secretly dark Margie with wide-eyed Francis. Their relationship flowers into one of the heavier and more mysterious subplots in the film. Margie is instantly written into the comic as a wounded warrior-heroine who enlists the superheroes to help her in her battles against evil. Meanwhile, the boys are busy planning--and occasionally executing--devilish pranks at school, eventually taking things a step too far, to tragic result.

Based on the Chris Fuhrman book of the same name, adapted to the screen by writer Jeff Stockwell, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys from director Peter Care is an edgy, engrossing, teen rebellion flick. Extensive animated sequences share a good amount of screen time with the live action narrative, and a prescient musical score by Marco Beltrami and Joshua Homme provides the perfect accent to the action of the film.

Details

Language:	English
Country:	USA
Release date:	18 January 2002
Runtime:	104 min

Cast and Crew See all

Emile Hirsch

as Francis Doyle

Kieran Culkin

as Tim Sullivan

Jena Malone

as Margie Flynn

Photos See all

Jodie Foster and Director Peter Care on the set of The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)

Jodie Foster and Kieran Culkin in The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)

Emile Hirsch and Jena Malone in The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)

Jena Malone, Emile Hirsch and Kieran Culkin in The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)

Kieran Culkin and Emile Hirsch in The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)

Clips See all

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys: Official Trailer

Critics Reviews See all

Rolling Stone

First-time director Peter Care crafts something darkly funny and touching from a coming-of-age fable that might have drifted into formula without deeply felt performances from Culkin and Hirsch and dazzling animation from Todd McFarlane (Spawn) that... Full Review

|
by: Peter Travers

The New York Times

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... Full Review

|
by: Stephen Holden

Users Reviews See all

I enjoyed "Altar Boys" but not as much as Donnie Darko. The situations were not very realistic, especially in the end when Kulkin's cahracter finally gets to execute his plan. I loved the animation (What else can you expect from Spawn creator Tod... Read and rate it

11.October.2009
|
by: VichusSmith
VichusSmith rated this movie0/10

I was looking forward to this movie when I heard about it. I have to say I wasn't dissapointed. This movie has all the good elements of a "coming-of-age" movie, the lost innocense, the need to be recognized as an individual and even the... Read and rate it

17.March.2009
|
by: gothgeek
gothgeek rated this movie8/10Great

Jinni is more fun with friends!

To:

OR add contacts from a webmail or network:

Email:

Password:

Never saved or shared

These people could join your Movie Circle on Jinni!

Select all

Add a personal message or stick with ours:

Success! Invites sent.

Likely to see

Not for me

You

Your Feedback

Us

Help

Jinni is best for now in Firefox, Internet Explorer 7 and 8, and Chrome