DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS, THE
Released: June 14, 2002
Despite a title like "The Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys", this movie has nothing to do with evil pedophile Priests raping altar boys. Just bad timing in terms of a release date... A group of Catholic school friends, after being caught drawing an obscene comic book, plan a heist that will outdo their previous prank and make them local legends. Directed by music video autuer Peter Care (Depeche Mode, REM) with plot-expanding animated interludes from Todd McFarlane, this is a movie on the same planet as "The Virgin Suicides". Based on an autobiographical coming-of-age novel by Chris Fuhrman, who passed away shortly before it was published, "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" takes us back to the early 1970s in a way that is genuine in its portryal of youth. Sister Assumpta (aka Nunzilla, haha) is played with restrained vigor by Jodie Foster, who also produced for her Egg Productions imprint (the last ever film to be released under her company). Co-starring are Jenna Malone (she played young Jodie Foster in 1997's "Contact"), Emile Hirsch and Kieran Culkin. Also starring is Vincent D'Onofrio as the chain smoking Priest. Watching "Altar Boys" reminded me of watching the Peanuts cartoons - it's just the kids and the parents are ignored outright. The action here is what's going on with the kids as they plan revenge against the Nun they hate so much. While they go to extreme measures in this aspect, it was an enjoyable film and made even more interesting by McFarlane's nifty animated sections.
105 Minutes
ThinkFilm