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Saint Ralph
Metascore
51 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 21 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 21
  3. Negative: 2 out of 21
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  1. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    100
    This deliciously offbeat Canadian comedy gets its charm from marvelous acting and from a screenplay bursting with ideas. Great fun.
  2. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    88
    All of this is punctuated with refreshingly strange wit.
  3. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    88
    The kind of well-acted, genuine heartwarmer that some people complain Hollywood doesn't bother making anymore. And in this case, Hollywood didn't.
  4. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: M. E. Russell
    75
    Wants to be a sex farce, a sports film and a serious meditation on Catholicism. To its credit, it succeeds as all three.
  5. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Michael Rechtshaffen
    70
    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.
  6. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Stina Chyn
    70
    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.
  7. Variety
    Reviewed by: Joe Leydon
    70
    Even though it sprints along a well-trod path through familiar territory, Saint Ralph remains surprisingly compelling.
  8. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    63
    As predictably uplifting movies go, Saint Ralph isn't completely charmless.
  9. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
    63
    Tthe kind of movie the clergy can recommend to anxious parishioners.
  10. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Ken Fox
    60
    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.
  11. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Bill Gallo
    60
    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.
  12. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kenneth Turan
    60
    Though Butcher is appealing, Saint Ralph is anchored by Scott's persuasive work as a model of intelligent decency.
  13. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Connie Ogle
    50
    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.
  14. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    50
    The real miracle here is that the hard-working cast manages to turn McGowan's script into an intermittently touching tale.
  15. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Gregory Kirschling
    50
    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.
  16. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Sean Axmaker
    50
    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.
  17. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marrit Ingman
    40
    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.
  18. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Keith Phipps
    40
    Scott can invest just about any scene with heft and intelligence, but neither the material nor his co-star give him much help.
  19. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Ed Park
    40
    The most blatant rip-off is of the "Rushmore" soundtrack. But Ralph Walker is no Max Fischer, and his monomania gets dull fast.
  20. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    30
    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.
  21. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    30
    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.
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.5 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. JonathanF.
    9
    Great, funny, inspirational. Adam Butcher was surprisingly very good.
  2. HeatherH.
    10
    I really liked the movie. I just wish they would have showed him seeing his mother awake.
  3. Sean
    9
    the script was witty and the movie was never boring to watch. "inspiring".
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