Release Date:
06/14/2002
We know what youre thinking, but this is not the Cardinal Law story. Despite the fact that the eternally creepy Vincent DOnofrio plays a priest, there are no Sabbath shenanigans or rectory slap-and-tickle sessions in Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys. What you get is a quality movie that manages, with very little schmaltz, to capture how adolescent boys really treat each other and the world around them.
Even more shocking is that the movie is actually carried by a strong performane from a Culkin. Macaulays younger brother Kieran, as the rebellious Tim, is snarky without being annoying and troubled without being maudlin. Tim and his Catholic school fellows spend their free time concocting revenge fantasies (in the form of an ultra-violent comic book) directed at their teacher, a one-legged nun played by Jodie Foster. Their comic inspires the movies frequent animated fantasy sequences, with art courtesy of Spawn creator Todd McFarlane. This element, coupled with a smart script that balances humor and tragedy, lifts Altar Boys above your average coming-of-age story. If you can find a theater playing it, youll be pleasantly surprised.
Even more shocking is that the movie is actually carried by a strong performane from a Culkin. Macaulays younger brother Kieran, as the rebellious Tim, is snarky without being annoying and troubled without being maudlin. Tim and his Catholic school fellows spend their free time concocting revenge fantasies (in the form of an ultra-violent comic book) directed at their teacher, a one-legged nun played by Jodie Foster. Their comic inspires the movies frequent animated fantasy sequences, with art courtesy of Spawn creator Todd McFarlane. This element, coupled with a smart script that balances humor and tragedy, lifts Altar Boys above your average coming-of-age story. If you can find a theater playing it, youll be pleasantly surprised.