The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
Encyclopedia
The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is a 2002 independent
comedy-drama film
directed by Peter Care
. The film stars Emile Hirsch
, Kieran Culkin, Jena Malone
, Jodie Foster
, and Vincent D'Onofrio
. The film is based on the semiautobiographical coming-of-age novel by Chris Fuhrman
.
The film is about a group of Catholic
school friends in the Southern United States
in the 1970s who engage in a series of pranks and general mischief. The boys also collaborate on a comic book they call The Atomic Trinity. Interspersed within the film are segments of animated footage based on the comic book.
Fuhrman died of cancer before completing the final draft of the novel. The film is dedicated to his memory.
), and three of his friends, Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin), Wade Scalisi (Jake Richardson
), and Joey Anderson (Tyler Long). The four boys all attend a private Catholic school named St. Agatha's, which they each detest. The boys experiment with smoking and drinking, obsess over girls, and play pranks on their teachers, such as stealing their school's statue of St. Agatha and keeping it in their clubhouse. The four friends dedicate much of their time to a comic book of their own creation titled The Atomic Trinity in order to escape the monotony and avoid the difficulties in their own lives.
After receiving a love note from Francis, which was actually written by Tim, Margie Flynn (Jena Malone
) becomes a major character in the film and weaves her way into the lives of these four friends. She and Francis have an obvious connection that progresses into much more. At times, Francis must choose between his friends and Margie, which causes the group of friends to fall apart. The boys' lives are also translated into segments of animation based on the characters of The Atomic Trinity: Brakken, The Muscle, Captain Asskicker, and Major Screw; Nunzilla, based on their peglegged, overly repressive Catholic school teacher Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster
); and Sorcerella, based on Margie Flynn.
After a school field trip to the zoo, Tim and Francis have the idea of playing another prank on Sister Assumpta. They decide to drug the cougar at the local zoo and then transport it to Sister Assumpta's office to scare her. When they learn how serious Tim and Francis are, the other half of the Atomic Trinity wimp out, which leaves an unlikely group of friends consisting of Margie, Tim, and Francis. Francis soon learns that Margie had been sexually assaulted by her own brother, causing him to rethink his relationship with her, but the two later reconcile. During gym class, Donny (Arthur Bridges), Margie's older brother, bullies Tim during class. Tim, out of pressure and his own impulsive nature, insults Donny for molesting his own sister. He regrets telling Donnie, and then tells Francis who becomes angry with him. Donnie takes Tim and Francis's comic, The Atomic Trinity and gives it to the nun. The violent, blasphemous and inappropriate drawings in the notebook cause Tim and Francis to be suspended, pending expulsion from the school.
In an act of final retribution, Tim, Francis, Wade, and Joey attempt to steal a cougar to place inside the school to cover up a wrecking of the school they did that night. At the zoo, a makeshift tranquilizer
created from several narcotic drugs is used to put the cougar to sleep. The other three boys go down to the gate to retrieve the cougar in a cage, while Tim impulsively climbs over the fence into the cougar's den. He checks to see if the cougar is alive, and happily replies that it is. When the other boys reach the gate to retrieve the cougar, another cougar leaps at Tim, mauling him to death. At Tim's funeral, Francis quotes the poem Tyger Tyger! by William Blake
, whom Sister Assumpta earlier condemned as a "dangerous thinker". Francis places the book at the stolen statue of St. Agatha in their hideout, and starts a new comic series dedicated entirely to the character based on Tim, Skeleton Boy.
effectively, director Peter Care
and producer Jay Shapiro decided to use segments of animation
throughout the film. Since most of the book is from Francis' perspective and takes place in his mind, they needed to find a way to stay true to this "internal narrative". "Animation seemed like a natural way to go in and out of this interior world and use that as the thread that ties everything together," says Shapiro.1 The sequences were created by Todd McFarlane
, and they are visually similar to basic superhero
comic strips. Screenwriter Jeff Stockwell helped to create the storyline for the animated sequences.
Cinematography is done by Lance Acord
, who also worked on Being John Malkovich
and Buffalo 66. Production design was done by Gideon Pointe, who also worked on Buffalo 66, as well as American Psycho
.1
was the first actor that had that innocence and naivete that they were looking for. Similarly, filmmakers believed that Kieran Culkin had a similar personality to Tim. "I think he is going through a lot of similar things [in his own life]," states Jodie Foster
, producer and star of the film.1
Neither filmmakers nor Foster had planned on her also playing the part of the stern Catholic school teacher and headmistress, Sister Assumpta, as well as being producer. Foster was somehow attracted to the role, and called producing partner Meg LeFauve up with the offer to play this role, who graciously accepted, saying that it's not "traditional casting to see a young beautiful woman in that kind of a role."1
was set in 1970s Savannah, Georgia
, the filmmakers wanted a more "universal look" and decided not to specify a place. Most of the filming took place in Charleston, South Carolina
and Wilmington, North Carolina
. There was also a lot of debate about whether the characters should have Southern accents, but to keep with this "universal feeling," the producers decided against any strong accents.
called it a "bracingly truthful" coming-of-age film from the directorial debut of Peter Care.3 According to critics, the film takes one back to those awkward stages in life, a place most are not too keen on returning to, with ease and compassion. However, the film does have its flaws, according to a New York Times reviewer who wrote that "the movie struggles to compare the boys' comic-book vision with William Blake
's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience., becoming its one glaringly off-key note."3
Roger Ebert
gave the film two and a half stars, calling it "an honorable film with good intentions."4 Ebert goes on to say that the screenplay is trying too hard to impress and falls short of achieving the "emotional payoff" it is searching for.4
In 2002, the film and director Care won the award for Best New Filmmaker from the Boston Society of Film Critics
. In 2003, the film won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.2
Rotten Tomatoes
gives the film a rating of 77%, based on various critical reviews.
and was released in 2002 by Milan Records
. A good part of the songs on the soundtrack were specifically written and performed for this film by Queens of the Stone Age
guitarist Joshua Homme
. In addition, the Crosby, Stills and Nash song "Do It for the Others" lets the audience know what the time period and setting probably are.5
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
comedy-drama film
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
directed by Peter Care
Peter Care
Peter Care is an English director of music videos, commercials and film. He has directed music videos for R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison and Depeche Mode, amongst others.- Biography :...
. The film stars Emile Hirsch
Emile Hirsch
Emile Davenport Hirsch is an American television and film actor. He began performing in the late 1990s, appearing in several television films and series, and became known as a film actor after roles in Lords of Dogtown, The Emperor's Club, The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog, and Into the Wild. In...
, Kieran Culkin, Jena Malone
Jena Malone
Jena Malone is an American actress and musician who has appeared on television, in films, and on Broadway. She made her movie debut with the film Bastard Out of Carolina , and has appeared in films including Contact , Stepmom , Donnie Darko , Saved! , Into the Wild , and Sucker Punch .Malone is...
, Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
, and Vincent D'Onofrio
Vincent D'Onofrio
Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio is an American actor, director, film producer, writer, and singer. Often referred to as an actor's actor, his work as a character actor has earned him the nickname of "Human Chameleon"...
. The film is based on the semiautobiographical coming-of-age novel by Chris Fuhrman
Chris Fuhrman
Chris Fuhrman was an American novelist, author of The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys.Fuhrman was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1960...
.
The film is about a group of Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
school friends in the Southern United States
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
in the 1970s who engage in a series of pranks and general mischief. The boys also collaborate on a comic book they call The Atomic Trinity. Interspersed within the film are segments of animated footage based on the comic book.
Fuhrman died of cancer before completing the final draft of the novel. The film is dedicated to his memory.
Plot
Set in the 1970s in the rural South, the film follows the lives of protagonist Francis Doyle (Emile HirschEmile Hirsch
Emile Davenport Hirsch is an American television and film actor. He began performing in the late 1990s, appearing in several television films and series, and became known as a film actor after roles in Lords of Dogtown, The Emperor's Club, The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog, and Into the Wild. In...
), and three of his friends, Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin), Wade Scalisi (Jake Richardson
Jake Richardson
Jacob Matthew Richardson is an American actor, currently acting mostly in TV series. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the film Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves and the TV series Fudge.-Career:...
), and Joey Anderson (Tyler Long). The four boys all attend a private Catholic school named St. Agatha's, which they each detest. The boys experiment with smoking and drinking, obsess over girls, and play pranks on their teachers, such as stealing their school's statue of St. Agatha and keeping it in their clubhouse. The four friends dedicate much of their time to a comic book of their own creation titled The Atomic Trinity in order to escape the monotony and avoid the difficulties in their own lives.
After receiving a love note from Francis, which was actually written by Tim, Margie Flynn (Jena Malone
Jena Malone
Jena Malone is an American actress and musician who has appeared on television, in films, and on Broadway. She made her movie debut with the film Bastard Out of Carolina , and has appeared in films including Contact , Stepmom , Donnie Darko , Saved! , Into the Wild , and Sucker Punch .Malone is...
) becomes a major character in the film and weaves her way into the lives of these four friends. She and Francis have an obvious connection that progresses into much more. At times, Francis must choose between his friends and Margie, which causes the group of friends to fall apart. The boys' lives are also translated into segments of animation based on the characters of The Atomic Trinity: Brakken, The Muscle, Captain Asskicker, and Major Screw; Nunzilla, based on their peglegged, overly repressive Catholic school teacher Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
); and Sorcerella, based on Margie Flynn.
After a school field trip to the zoo, Tim and Francis have the idea of playing another prank on Sister Assumpta. They decide to drug the cougar at the local zoo and then transport it to Sister Assumpta's office to scare her. When they learn how serious Tim and Francis are, the other half of the Atomic Trinity wimp out, which leaves an unlikely group of friends consisting of Margie, Tim, and Francis. Francis soon learns that Margie had been sexually assaulted by her own brother, causing him to rethink his relationship with her, but the two later reconcile. During gym class, Donny (Arthur Bridges), Margie's older brother, bullies Tim during class. Tim, out of pressure and his own impulsive nature, insults Donny for molesting his own sister. He regrets telling Donnie, and then tells Francis who becomes angry with him. Donnie takes Tim and Francis's comic, The Atomic Trinity and gives it to the nun. The violent, blasphemous and inappropriate drawings in the notebook cause Tim and Francis to be suspended, pending expulsion from the school.
In an act of final retribution, Tim, Francis, Wade, and Joey attempt to steal a cougar to place inside the school to cover up a wrecking of the school they did that night. At the zoo, a makeshift tranquilizer
Tranquilizer
A tranquilizer, or tranquilliser , is a drug that induces tranquility in an individual.The term "tranquilizer" is imprecise, and is usually qualified, or replaced with more precise terms:...
created from several narcotic drugs is used to put the cougar to sleep. The other three boys go down to the gate to retrieve the cougar in a cage, while Tim impulsively climbs over the fence into the cougar's den. He checks to see if the cougar is alive, and happily replies that it is. When the other boys reach the gate to retrieve the cougar, another cougar leaps at Tim, mauling him to death. At Tim's funeral, Francis quotes the poem Tyger Tyger! by William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
, whom Sister Assumpta earlier condemned as a "dangerous thinker". Francis places the book at the stolen statue of St. Agatha in their hideout, and starts a new comic series dedicated entirely to the character based on Tim, Skeleton Boy.
Cast
- Emile HirschEmile HirschEmile Davenport Hirsch is an American television and film actor. He began performing in the late 1990s, appearing in several television films and series, and became known as a film actor after roles in Lords of Dogtown, The Emperor's Club, The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog, and Into the Wild. In...
as Francis Doyle - Kieran Culkin as Tim Sullivan
- Jena MaloneJena MaloneJena Malone is an American actress and musician who has appeared on television, in films, and on Broadway. She made her movie debut with the film Bastard Out of Carolina , and has appeared in films including Contact , Stepmom , Donnie Darko , Saved! , Into the Wild , and Sucker Punch .Malone is...
as Margie Flynn - Jodie FosterJodie FosterAlicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
as Sister Assumpta - Vincent D'OnofrioVincent D'OnofrioVincent Phillip D'Onofrio is an American actor, director, film producer, writer, and singer. Often referred to as an actor's actor, his work as a character actor has earned him the nickname of "Human Chameleon"...
as Father Casey - Jake RichardsonJake Richardson (actor)Jacob Matthew Richardson is an American actor, currently acting mostly in TV series. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the film Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves and the TV series Fudge.-Career:...
as Wade Scalisi - Tyler Long as Joey Anderson
- Arthur Bridges as Donny Flynn
Production
In order to adapt the bookFilm adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
effectively, director Peter Care
Peter Care
Peter Care is an English director of music videos, commercials and film. He has directed music videos for R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison and Depeche Mode, amongst others.- Biography :...
and producer Jay Shapiro decided to use segments of animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
throughout the film. Since most of the book is from Francis' perspective and takes place in his mind, they needed to find a way to stay true to this "internal narrative". "Animation seemed like a natural way to go in and out of this interior world and use that as the thread that ties everything together," says Shapiro.1 The sequences were created by Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
, and they are visually similar to basic superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
comic strips. Screenwriter Jeff Stockwell helped to create the storyline for the animated sequences.
Cinematography is done by Lance Acord
Lance Acord
Lance Acord, A.S.C. is an American cinematographer.Acord was born in Marin County, California. He attended Sir Francis Drake High School's School Within A School program and went on to study photography and filmmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute. He began his professional career with...
, who also worked on Being John Malkovich
Being John Malkovich
Being John Malkovich is a 1999 American black comedy-fantasy film written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze. It stars John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, and John Malkovich, who plays a fictional version of himself...
and Buffalo 66. Production design was done by Gideon Pointe, who also worked on Buffalo 66, as well as American Psycho
American Psycho (film)
American Psycho is a 2000 cult thriller film directed by Mary Harron based on Bret Easton Ellis's novel of the same name. Though predominantly a psycho thriller, the film also blends elements of horror, satire, and black comedy...
.1
Casting
Casting the characters of Francis Doyle and Tim Sullivan was essential to the film's success. Filmmakers say that Emile HirschEmile Hirsch
Emile Davenport Hirsch is an American television and film actor. He began performing in the late 1990s, appearing in several television films and series, and became known as a film actor after roles in Lords of Dogtown, The Emperor's Club, The Girl Next Door, Alpha Dog, and Into the Wild. In...
was the first actor that had that innocence and naivete that they were looking for. Similarly, filmmakers believed that Kieran Culkin had a similar personality to Tim. "I think he is going through a lot of similar things [in his own life]," states Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
, producer and star of the film.1
Neither filmmakers nor Foster had planned on her also playing the part of the stern Catholic school teacher and headmistress, Sister Assumpta, as well as being producer. Foster was somehow attracted to the role, and called producing partner Meg LeFauve up with the offer to play this role, who graciously accepted, saying that it's not "traditional casting to see a young beautiful woman in that kind of a role."1
Setting
Although the novel by Chris FuhrmanChris Fuhrman
Chris Fuhrman was an American novelist, author of The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys.Fuhrman was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1960...
was set in 1970s Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, the filmmakers wanted a more "universal look" and decided not to specify a place. Most of the filming took place in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
and Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
. There was also a lot of debate about whether the characters should have Southern accents, but to keep with this "universal feeling," the producers decided against any strong accents.
Reception and awards
The film has received fairly good praise for an independent film. The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
called it a "bracingly truthful" coming-of-age film from the directorial debut of Peter Care.3 According to critics, the film takes one back to those awkward stages in life, a place most are not too keen on returning to, with ease and compassion. However, the film does have its flaws, according to a New York Times reviewer who wrote that "the movie struggles to compare the boys' comic-book vision with William Blake
William Blake
William Blake was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age...
's Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience., becoming its one glaringly off-key note."3
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
gave the film two and a half stars, calling it "an honorable film with good intentions."4 Ebert goes on to say that the screenplay is trying too hard to impress and falls short of achieving the "emotional payoff" it is searching for.4
In 2002, the film and director Care won the award for Best New Filmmaker from the Boston Society of Film Critics
Boston Society of Film Critics
The Boston Society of Film Critics is an organization of film reviewers from Boston, Massachusetts, United States, based publications.The BSFC was formed in 1981 to make "Boston's unique critical perspective heard on a national and international level by awarding commendations to the best of the...
. In 2003, the film won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature.2
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gives the film a rating of 77%, based on various critical reviews.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Marco BeltramiMarco Beltrami
Marco Beltrami is an American film composer.-Life and career:Beltrami was born in Long Island, New York of Italian and Greek descent...
and was released in 2002 by Milan Records
Milan Records
Milan Records is a record label located in Los Angeles, California specializing in film scores and soundtrack albums. In addition, Milan boasts an extensive electronic catalog which features down-tempo, chillout, and eclectic electronic releases....
. A good part of the songs on the soundtrack were specifically written and performed for this film by Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
guitarist Joshua Homme
Joshua Homme
Joshua Michael Homme is an American rock musician, and record producer. He was the guitarist and a founding member of the stoner metal band Kyuss, as well as the founding and only continuous member of the hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age , in which he sings, plays guitar, and serves as the...
. In addition, the Crosby, Stills and Nash song "Do It for the Others" lets the audience know what the time period and setting probably are.5
- "The Atomic Trinity" - Joshua HommeJoshua HommeJoshua Michael Homme is an American rock musician, and record producer. He was the guitarist and a founding member of the stoner metal band Kyuss, as well as the founding and only continuous member of the hard rock band Queens of the Stone Age , in which he sings, plays guitar, and serves as the...
- "The Atomic Trinity vs. Heaven's Devils" - Marco Beltrami
- "The Empty House" - Marco Beltrami
- "The Couch" - Marco Beltrami
- "Hanging (aka Ramble Off)" - Joshua Homme
- "Margie's Confession" - Marco Beltrami
- "The Atomic Trinity vs. Heaven's Devils, Round II" - Marco Beltrami
- "St. Agatha" - Marco Beltrami
- "On the Road Again" - Canned HeatCanned HeatCanned Heat is a blues-rock/boogie rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965. The group has been noted for its own interpretations of blues material as well as for efforts to promote the interest in this type of music and its original artists...
- "Francis and Margie" - Joshua Homme
- "Stoned" - Joshua Homme
- "Dead Dog, Part II" - Marco Beltrami
- "Skeleton Boy is Born" - Marco Beltrami
- "Do It for the Others" - Stephen StillsStephen StillsStephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
- "Story of the Fish" - Marco Beltrami
- "For the Gods / Act Like Cougars" - Marco Beltrami
- "Torn Apart" - Marco Beltrami
- "Someone is Coming" - Marco Beltrami
- "Eulogy" - Marco Beltrami
- "All the Same" - Joshua Homme