The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

R

Released Jun 14, 2002

1 hr. 45 min.

Drama

List

76%

106 Reviews

Tomatometer

79%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch) and Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin), and their closest friends, are fighting the stultifying repression of their parish school. Foremost among the forces of evil is the stern and disapproving nun, Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster), who rules their lives. She seizes their artwork one day, setting the boys on an obsessed trail of revenge that ultimately changes their lives.

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Critics Consensus

The inter-cutting of animation by Spawn's creator, Todd McFarlane, doesn't always work, but the performances by the young actors capture the pains of growing up well.

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Charles B

Awesome classic with cool random segway's.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/21/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Even the lives of altar boys deserve to be looked at A young Kieran Culkin, Emilie Hirsch, Jenna Malone, Jodie Foster, and Vincent D'Nofrio Two best friends Tim and Francis attend parish school but neither of them like the oppression they're facing Their teacher, Sister Assumpta is stern and disapproving making their lives miserable To escape the hardship of reality they both spend their time drawing and making comic book storylines Several sequences of animation are sprinkled in to express how they react Mainly it revolves around a superhero group called the Atomic Trinity and Assumpta is portrayed as Nunzilla Francis also has a crush on classmate Margie But when the boys' artwork is confiscated by their teacher they set on a trail of revenge to set things right The comic animation scenes are actually done by actual comic book illustrator Todd McFarlane The animated sequences are way more interesting Yet the performances by the young actors capture the pains of growing up well The languid pacing and the story's thinness are just very weak So it's a mixed bag

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

torin f

There's a lot to like here: fine acting, soundtrack, animation, nuanced coming-of-age portrait. The story itself does hinge on some oddly specific dark elements, however, that the film's structure can't adequately accommodate, and I think they thus end up somewhat alienating the viewer instead.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

evan m

The film tries hard to be edgy, like it's protagonists. I would give an additional star if I thought it were intentional.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

robert p

The animated sequences by Todd McFarland who draws the comic SPAWN adds to an otherwise bland movie about kids resentful of Catholic School and for the life of me I could not tell why they had a grudge against the female nun she did not seem that bad to me!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

just an overall messed up movie

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

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Peter Care

Director

Kieran Culkin

Tim Sullivan

Jena Malone

Margie Flynn

Emile Hirsch

Francis Doyle

Vincent D'Onofrio

Father Casey

Jodie Foster

Sister Assumpta

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Bill Muller

Arizona Republic

Although McFarlane's sequences are inventive, the rest of the film moves languidly.

Jun 28, 2002

Full Review

Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

I thought the young actors were strong, but the material is too thin and too cliched, even with Todd McFarlane's animated sequences to stretch the story to feature length.

Jun 25, 2002

Full Review

Rex Reed

Observer

It's not serious enough to be profound, and not ribald enough to be giddy.

Jun 25, 2002

Full Review

Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

Rated: 3/5

Aug 7, 2008

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 3/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

Pablo Villaça

Cinema em Cena

Esfora-se ao mximo para arrancar lgrimas do espectador, mas, com exceo da performance cativante de Culkin, o filme empalidece diante de tantos outros do gnero.

Rated: 3/5

May 20, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch) and Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin), and their closest friends, are fighting the stultifying repression of their parish school. Foremost among the forces of evil is the stern and disapproving nun, Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster), who rules their lives. She seizes their artwork one day, setting the boys on an obsessed trail of revenge that ultimately changes their lives.

Director: Peter Care
Executive Producer: David A. Jones, Pen Densham, Graham King, John Watson
Screenwriter: Jeff Stockwell
Distributor: ThinkFilm
Production Co: Egg Pictures, Trilogy Entertainment Group, Initial Entertainment Group
Rating: R (Sexual Content|Language|Youth Substance Use)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 14, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 10, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.8M
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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