Critic Reviews
Saint Ralph (2004) Rank 2 Reviews
Expert Review Summary
based on (72) reviews
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Reviews by Score:
DVDBeaver.com (Gary W. Tooze)
Reel.com DVD review (Tim Knight)
ReelTalk (Donald Levit)
Hartford Courant (--)
Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
An amiable sentimental fantasy, joining running, religion and a boy with a whole lot of problems into an earnest production that entertains even as it milks some of its situations for all they're worth. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
TV Guide's Movie Guide (Ken Fox)
McGowan's film demonstrates how sometimes the strongest acts of faith can only occur entirely outside the church. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (Ken Fox)
Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
Written with the glee of a scheming Catholic schoolboy, but its geniality outstrips its plausibility. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Arizona Republic (Bill Muller)
Film Threat (Stina Chyn)
McGowan’s film isn’t just about following this boy’s private quest to accomplish the impossible. It is also about how he affects the other characters in the film. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Film Threat (Stina Chyn)
La Presse, Montréal (--)
JWR (S. James Wegg)
Deseret News, Salt Lake City (Jeff Vice)
The comic aspects of this comedy-drama are overly broad and forced, while the supposedly dramatic ones are cloying and treacly. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City (Jeff Vice)
Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)
Canadian writer-director Michael McGowan has packed it so full of earnestness that viewers end up jogging along. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)
Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
You can't argue with the message. But its well-worn homilies might give you reason to question the messenger. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Miami Herald (Connie Ogle)
New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)
Writer-director Michael McGowan must be exhausted after all the tugging he does on our heartstrings in this sentimental drama. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)
Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
This wincingly earnest comedy-drama could rival the maple tree as Canada's leading producer of sap. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means)
Austin Chronicle (Marrit Ingman)
Fourteen-year-old Ralph Walker (Butcher) is no saint. A gawky charity-case student at an Ontario parochial school – circa 1954 – Ralph confesses to twenty-two episodes of onanism in one week alone. While his critically ill mother lies in a coma, Ralph ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marrit Ingman)
Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
Light lessons about pain, endurance, and commitment...Likeable to a point, but in the end, Saint Ralph winds up incredible, manipulative, and strictly for the choir. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
Slant Magazine (Ed Gonzalez)
Saint Ralph is content paying lip service to Catholicism, choosing instead to pander to fans of anyone who got off during Children of Heaven and Millions . ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Slant Magazine (Ed Gonzalez)
St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
An overly convenient plot is the main con in Ralph , which includes a devastating fire, an assist from a celebrity and at least one miracle, all of which show up exactly when the plot needs help moving forward. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
What began as a too familiar coming-of-age story set in an all-boys Catholic school steadily morphs into something arguably as familiar but more satisfying -- a triumphant sports tale. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Denver Post (Lisa Kennedy)
Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)
Unrepentant hokum. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Globe and Mail (Liam Lacey)
Boxoffice Magazine (Shlomo Schwartzberg)
Never develops any bite or tension. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Boxoffice Magazine (Shlomo Schwartzberg)
Toronto Star (Susan Walker)
Thanks to the charm brought to the role of Ralph by young Adam Butcher, and strong performances from Campbell Scott, Gordon Pinsent, Jennifer Tilly and Shauna MacDonald, credibility is achieved. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Toronto Star (Susan Walker)
L.A. Weekly (Scott Foundas)
Michael McGowan's direction is as flat as an asphalt road, and his script is gasping for air long before it enters the final stretch. ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at L.A. Weekly (Scott Foundas)
Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)
It's all very cute and predictable. Still it's a fun movie... ...read the complete Saint Ralph movie review at Greenwich Village Gazette (Eric Lurio)
User Reviews
by Ordinary Consumer... on October 17, 2009
Because the "Saintly" Ralph antics made me look back on my own Catholic upbringing, I appreciated the film more because of it. I don't quite remember having the guts to hand it out to the priests like Ralph, but there were certainly times I resented ...
by Donald K. Poppell on July 14, 2009
This was a great coming of age movie with all the things a 13-14 year old may go thru. It let his character bloom from being a kid to showing his ablity to handle problems like an adult. The young man that played Ralph could not have been a better choice ...
by P. Steiblin on March 26, 2009
This is a funny movie. It took me back to my days of attending a catholic school. The story is well written and humerous. It isn't appropriate for young children, due to some profanity and sexual references. The boy is going through puberty and puberty ...
by Andrew Galan "And... on December 22, 2008
This is the best movie made up to this date. It will make you laugh, cry, and jump up & down. ...
by MrPraveen09 "Amaz... on November 17, 2008
This movie is about a young 14 year old boy from the 1950's who lost both of his parents and his mother is in a deep coma. A priest tells him only a MIRACLE will save his mother and wake him from the coma. The only miracle he knows about is winning the ...
by K. Nichols "xk8gr... on June 10, 2008
The foundation of this movie is the formulaic underdog story, but formula aside, this is one of the best movies I've seen in a long time, and much of the credit goes to Adam Butcher and Campbell Scott. Adam Butcher is a marvel, and it's worth watching ...
by A. Burnham on May 14, 2008
I just discovered Saint Ralph a couple of month ago as I was walking through the independent film section of the video story. I knew nothing of it, had no expectations and was wonderfully surprised. It is now, to date, my favorite movie. It is bound to ...
by Erin E. Golden "E... on May 11, 2008
I thought it was a very sweet and inspiring movie. It's something that a family with teenagers can watch and laugh about because this kid is going through his teenage boyhood while throwing in some humorous quirky notions (That all teenagers see and do ...
by M. S. Thomasson "... on November 21, 2007
Well, Saint Ralph is an endearing peek back at puberty, dreams, and parochial supervision. Nice insights into friendships and the bonds between children and parents. I heartily recommend this film. It will make you smile, cry, and generally make you ...
by Ladyb2cool "Ladyb... on August 15, 2007
too bad this indie flick didn't catch on in the main stream. It's great. We laughed out loud -- a lot! Heartwarming, witty .... etc. ...
User Comments
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