The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys brings Chris Fuhrman's well-received, posthumously published teen novel to the screen. Set in the 1970s, the film concerns two rebellious Catholic schoolboys -- bashful, pensive Francis (Emile Hirsch) and whip-smart, impulsive Tim (Kieran Culkin) -- who spend their ...more

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys throws together live action and animation, lighthearted teen romance and serious family trauma, and raucous comedy and heavy, melodramatic tragedy. It's an intriguing mixture that doesn't quite gel. The film is at its best when it focuses on the simple joys of teens hanging out. In showing the four altar boys of the title fine-tuning their comic book characters or just thinking up more elaborate ways to get into trouble, director Peter Care and screenwriters ...more