'The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys' follows the adventures of a group of fourteen-year-old boys that express their rebellion against their Catholic school upbringing by drawing comics and plotting exotic vengeance against their nemesis - Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster, also a co-producer).
The focus is on instigator and plotter Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin), whose family life is so dysfunctional it's given attention in morning prayers in class; and dreamer and storyteller Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch), who is the heart and soul of the piece and the creator of the Atomic Trinity - the comic-book alter egos of the boys. Culkin and Hirsch give painfully accurate portrayals of young teenaged boys burdened by every aspect of what they perceive to be a harsh world. The church and the school can't understand them, Sister Assumpta keeps a close eye on them, and they're suspected of every wrongdoing (rightly or not). Worst of all, one girl, Margie Flynn (Jena Malone), draws Francis to the edges of the boys' club as his feelings for her start to cloud his loyalties to his band of brothers.
There's nothing simple here. Sister Assumpta isn't just a dragon lady out to get the boys because she hates children; she feels frustrated by her inability to connect with the boys. Tim Sullivan isn't just the designer of mad plots (such as the key scheme to steal a panther from the zoo and unleash it on the Sister); he's a disaffected youth trying his hardest to deal with the realities of his life in the only way he knows how. Francis Doyle isn't just a dreamer; he's a conflicted boy in the midst of exiting childhood for good and he knows it. The comics he draws aren't just daydreams of a boy's mind, they're his own interpretation of the ways his life changes day by day.
It's a textured tale that offers realistic interaction between the boys (Culkin and Hirsch turn in standout performances) and the girl (Malone in a very vulnerable supporting role). To tie the film together, and weave the fantasy realm of the Atomic Trinity into the real-life world of the school grounds, director Peter Care adds in animation sequences that bring Francis' story to life. Produced by Todd MacFarlane's studio (the same group that did the animated 'Spawn' for HBO), the boys' alter-egos reflect their flesh-and-blood counterparts, all the way to the bitter end.
'Altar Boys' is a worthy effort, a tender reminiscence to the times in all boys' lives where they must make the journey from boyhood to manhood. It's not just one step, either, it's a series of obstacles and challenges that daunt even the best of us. This film is worth seeing, even for those of you who don't happen to be altar boys.
The focus is on instigator and plotter Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin), whose family life is so dysfunctional it's given attention in morning prayers in class; and dreamer and storyteller Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch), who is the heart and soul of the piece and the creator of the Atomic Trinity - the comic-book alter egos of the boys. Culkin and Hirsch give painfully accurate portrayals of young teenaged boys burdened by every aspect of what they perceive to be a harsh world. The church and the school can't understand them, Sister Assumpta keeps a close eye on them, and they're suspected of every wrongdoing (rightly or not). Worst of all, one girl, Margie Flynn (Jena Malone), draws Francis to the edges of the boys' club as his feelings for her start to cloud his loyalties to his band of brothers.
There's nothing simple here. Sister Assumpta isn't just a dragon lady out to get the boys because she hates children; she feels frustrated by her inability to connect with the boys. Tim Sullivan isn't just the designer of mad plots (such as the key scheme to steal a panther from the zoo and unleash it on the Sister); he's a disaffected youth trying his hardest to deal with the realities of his life in the only way he knows how. Francis Doyle isn't just a dreamer; he's a conflicted boy in the midst of exiting childhood for good and he knows it. The comics he draws aren't just daydreams of a boy's mind, they're his own interpretation of the ways his life changes day by day.
It's a textured tale that offers realistic interaction between the boys (Culkin and Hirsch turn in standout performances) and the girl (Malone in a very vulnerable supporting role). To tie the film together, and weave the fantasy realm of the Atomic Trinity into the real-life world of the school grounds, director Peter Care adds in animation sequences that bring Francis' story to life. Produced by Todd MacFarlane's studio (the same group that did the animated 'Spawn' for HBO), the boys' alter-egos reflect their flesh-and-blood counterparts, all the way to the bitter end.
'Altar Boys' is a worthy effort, a tender reminiscence to the times in all boys' lives where they must make the journey from boyhood to manhood. It's not just one step, either, it's a series of obstacles and challenges that daunt even the best of us. This film is worth seeing, even for those of you who don't happen to be altar boys.