Saint Ralph

Saint Ralph

Directed by Michael McGowan

2004

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Plot Summary

Set in Hamilton, Ontario in 1954, Saint Ralph is the story of fourteen year old Ralph Walker, a ninth grade catholic school student. Convinced that he was put on this earth to achieve greatness, Ralph finds himself on a quest to figure out where this greatness lies.
Ralph's father died as a war hero, and his mother is severly ill, in a coma, in hospital. Terrified of being left alone in the world to fend for himself, Ralph knows that it will take a miracle to wake his mother from her coma.
As punishment for getting caught performing an 'ungodly sin' in the public pool, Ralph is sent to train with the school's cross-country team. Ralph is told that it would take a miracle to win the Boston marathon. From this point forward, he is convinced that if he wins the Boston, than this 'miracle' will surely wake his mother. However, Father Hibbert (Ralph's favorite teacher) suggests in religion class one day that it take three things to perform a miracle, faith, purity and prayer.
The movie follows Ralph as he trains for the race, develops a crush on a girl, visits his mother in hospital, struggles to maintain pure thoughts and learns to pray.

Comments

This movie pulled my heart strings! Ralph's character is endearing, smart and funny. Although the movie is set in a catholic school, the overall message was not one of religious virtue per se.
Its characters are engaging, its story entertaining and its ending happy. It avoids clichés and doesn't hammer any kind of important message into the skulls of its audience.
Teens may find inspiration from Ralph. Although Ralph aims to accomplish something seemingly enormous and impossible, he sets his mind toward his goal and works really hard toward its accomplishment. I think that anybody watching this film can take something away from this lesson.
There is tons of really good Canadian music throughout the movie and I think that any audience would enjoy this film. I loved it.

Age Range - 12...............................+

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