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Sadly Over-hyped

Load of rubbish!!

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

I believe some people, especially the authors of the raving reviews, let the "feel-goodness" of this movie wash over some of its many flaws. So here, I try to offer a more objective review, if such a thing is possible. I will avoid circumlocution with a simple pro and con contrast. Pros: Themes of hope and faith in spite of the odds. Spicing up a classic storyline with religious identification. Hilarious, mostly believable, comedic scenes that didn't distract from the drama and sentiment. Childhood innocence. Pre-teen romance, mostly Ralph's attitude and ways of dealing with it.Cons: Unrealistic explanations regarding why Ralph was left unsupervised and unaccounted for in a house to himself for such a long period. Unrealistic ability to train for a professional race, especially given the time frame. Overused storyline: Typical feel-good competition movie with its ups and downs and eventual happy self revelation. Some unrealistic dialogue: Some of the pre-teen and priest conversations. Unrealistic social interactions: Major support for Ralph in the race, bullies' immediate turnaround in compassion for Ralph, continued negligence of Ralph, and senior father's dedicated suppression of Ralph's goal. Despite some of these writing flaws, the film was still entertaining and emotionally moving. I personally wouldn't venture to call this movie inspiring, but more of an examination of the state of inspiration, which was powerful enough to shed a tear or two.

A wonderful mix of laughter, inspiration, tears and thought-provoking questions. A teen-age Catholic boy struggles on the precipice of adulthood and being an orphan at the same time while being raised by priests in a Catholic Canadian school. His wild ways (no different than any teen) seem magnified by a strict senior priest and the boy's own misperception that he must personally perform a miracle to earn the healing of his comatose mother.That all sounds quite morose but the plot is held together by a jeweled rosary of bright, witty humor, stirring pathos and deft acting by all, especially the young lead. Also one of the best tie-ins of musical themes I've ever heard for a movie. Listen closely to "Hallelujah" which is beautiful and painful in its near blasphemy of real humanity, that same mix of humanity and Spirit that is the true Gospel. GOD loves us anyway, at our worst, which is (when we "get" that) what compels us to want to give Him our best.A wonderful opportunity for parents to have some meaningful conversations with their teen sons and daughters, but be prepared to blush as this movie, though fantasy, "keeps it real" in a lot of ways.See it. Watch it with your family. And be prepared to be entertained, embarrassed, challenged, and blessed. Especially if you grew up Catholic. Or Be prepared to do penance. :)

SAINT RALPH is a pleasant surprise most watchers will find hidden away (or absent) at most video rental stores simply because it didn't get a lot of notice in the States. Filmed entirely in Canada by a Canadian crew and cast, this film will make it to the top of many favorites lists once viewers get a chance to see it.If you're a fan of HOOSIERS, ROCKY, or some other underdog story, you'll slowly fall for Saint Ralph in similar style.The story is that of a troubled 14-year-old at a parochial Catholic school in 1950s Ontario. Ralph Walker is his name (relative unknown Adam Butcher) and he's acting out at school. He smokes. He uses God's name in vain. He has "impure thoughts." And he has a mother who is very sick; a type of brain cancer is easily surmised. Ralph's father died in WWII and he now lives alone in a dilapidated home. Using school chum Chester (Michael Kanev) to help fake notes from Ralph's non-existent grandmother and grandfather, Ralph is able to fool the Catholic school's principal, Father Fitzpatrick (Gordon Pinsent, THE GOOD SHEPHERD), into believing he resides with his aging grandparents.Ralph's mother Emma (Shauna MacDonald) eventually slips into a coma and Ralph is now truly alone in the world. Grasping at anything that is more anchored than himself, Ralph begins falling apart but holds himself together thanks to a kindly nurse at the hospital named Alice (Jennifer Tilly, TIDELAND) and a good-hearted priest named Father George Hibbert (Campbell Scott, MUSIC AND LYRICS). Father Hibbert one day initiates an interesting discussion in class about miracles and saints. How ordinary people of the past begat divine miracles. And when Ralph was at the hospital recently, Nurse Alice told him it would take a miracle for his mother to wake up from her coma. The idea to do something saintly so that his mother will awaken comes to him and he settles on winning the Boston Marathon. With the help of Father Hibbert's training, Nurse Alice's weight-lifting, and his classmates wavering support, Ralph eventually runs the Boston Marathon and ... we'll have to stop there.Uplifting isn't a word I would associate with myself, simply because I'm not a religious person. But one not need be to enjoy the messages entrenched in Saint Ralph. The uplifting music (Hallelujah), and the study of human endurance and friendship are a part of each of us regardless of our "godly" make-up. It is hope that'll keep viewers watching, not any sense of the miraculous, simply because many can't or won't believe in miracles (myself among them).It is also nice that the makers of this excellent movie didn't drop to the lowest religious denominator and thankfully made Ralph be a horribly flawed young man (including drinking, enjoying things that rub against his crotch, cursing, smoking, and nearly giving up on everything and everyone).The final sequence of scenes will remain with many as we watch Ralph return to school from Boston and meet up with many of his detractors and supporters. Yeah, it's uplifting but hallelujah! it's not corny.

This is simply a beautiful movie of a 14 year old boy, dealing with some huge life problems. It centers around his love for his mother, and for the Catholics in the audience, a nostalgic trip back to problem resolution in the 50's Catholic church.This picture is a gem for those who want to feel good about life after watching it. The casting is wonderful, and photography tops. The screenplay perfectly captures and illuminates the many complexities of growing up. My wife and I have watched it twice, and cried each time. Simply a wonderful movie.