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Saint Ralph
EMAILPRINTSamuel Goldwyn Films

Mixed or average reviews
Based on 21 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 15 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Comedy | Drama | Foreign
Written by: Michael McGowan
Directed by: Michael McGowan
Release Date:
Theatrical: August 5, 2005
DVD: December 13, 2005
Running Time: 98 minutes, Color
Origin: Canada
Summary
RATING: PG-13 for some sexual content and partial nudity
Starring Adam Butcher, Campbell Scott, Shauna MacDonald, Gordon Pinsent, Michael Kanev, Tamara Hope, Jennifer Tilly, Miranda Black, Frank Crudele, and Chris Ploszczansky
A funny, heartwarming and inspirational tale of a boy who dares to dream big. (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
This deliciously offbeat Canadian comedy gets its charm from marvelous acting and from a screenplay bursting with ideas. Great fun.
Read Full Review >USA Today Claudia Puig
The kind of well-acted, genuine heartwarmer that some people complain Hollywood doesn't bother making anymore. And in this case, Hollywood didn't.
Read Full Review >New York Post Kyle Smith
All of this is punctuated with refreshingly strange wit.
Read Full Review >Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell
Wants to be a sex farce, a sports film and a serious meditation on Catholicism. To its credit, it succeeds as all three.
Read Full Review >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 Full Review >Variety Joe Leydon
Even though it sprints along a well-trod path through familiar territory, Saint Ralph remains surprisingly compelling.
Read Full Review >The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen
A tart and tender comedy that pulls off a little miracle of its own by being genuinely heartwarming without leaving any cloyingly sticky emotional residue.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Wesley Morris
As predictably uplifting movies go, Saint Ralph isn't completely charmless.
Read Full Review >Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman
Tthe kind of movie the clergy can recommend to anxious parishioners.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan
Though Butcher is appealing, Saint Ralph is anchored by Scott's persuasive work as a model of intelligent decency.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Ken Fox
Far from the sentimental drivel you might expect given the subject matter, this amiable and heartfelt drama about an adolescent boy's attempt to rouse his comatose mother explores the meaning of faith by tapping into the original, rebellious spirit of Christianity.
Read Full Review >Dallas Observer Bill Gallo
Little Ralph comes off like "Billy Elliot" on steroids. Still, this an energetic movie that can be truly hilarious in spots, and it captures perfectly the oppressive atmosphere of a Catholic boys' school in the ’50s.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Gregory Kirschling
At first, Ralph and the movie have moxie -- the kid even gets busted for pleasuring himself in the public pool. Then Ralph starts asking us to take this cornball mission seriously.
Read Full Review >Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker
Scott, whose sensitive turn as a priest inspired by Ralph's conviction and commitment gives the film a touch of grace at the cost of revealing McGowan's drab direction of every other actor.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Connie Ogle
The sins of the inspirational Saint Ralph are venial, but they undeniably prevent the small Canadian film from stretching beyond the boundaries of an After School Special.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
The real miracle here is that the hard-working cast manages to turn McGowan's script into an intermittently touching tale.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps
Scott can invest just about any scene with heft and intelligence, but neither the material nor his co-star give him much help.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Ed Park
The most blatant rip-off is of the "Rushmore" soundtrack. But Ralph Walker is no Max Fischer, and his monomania gets dull fast.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman
The film isn't going to catapult Butcher to international stardom, but he holds his own in it and helps to sell its curious logic.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Scott Foundas
In fairness, the movie isn't the absolute worst of its kind and there's a certain charm to Butcher's amiable, puppy-eyed performance. But 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 Full Review >The New York Times Stephen Holden
This crude, inspirational tear-jerker is as sweet as a bowl of instant oatmeal smothered in molasses. It should please those who honestly believe that Santa Claus and God are synonymous; others may retch.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.6 (out of 10) based on 15 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jonathan F. gave it a9:
Great, funny, inspirational. Adam Butcher was surprisingly very good.
Heather H. gave it a10:
I really liked the movie. I just wish they would have showed him seeing his mother awake.
Sean gave it a9:
the script was witty and the movie was never boring to watch. "inspiring".
D.L. B. gave it an8:
A great feel good movie, with fun insights into Catholicism.
Michael gave it a10:
It is not only enjoyable for its fun and wit, but also for being well-done as a period piece from the 50's.
Caroline gave it an8:
Perfect casting.....a fun movie to watch...wonder what they would've done with a bigger budget 'cause this was pretty decent.
