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The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys (2002)
I recently attended a preview showing of The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, the highly touted collaboration between Oscar-winner Jodie Foster, and Spawn-creator Todd McFarlane, now in limited release. Having never read the original novel by Chris Furhman, I had no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised.
Despite the potentially lurid title, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is basically a teen movie. Unlike the recent trend in teen flicks that abase themselves in toilet humor and gratuitous sex, this film eschews comedy in favor of drama, and harkens back to such coming-of-age pictures as Stand by Me and The Breakfast Club.
Set in the 70s, the story opens at night with Francis (Emile Hirsch) and Tim (Kieran Culkin) preparing a dangerous prank that could have near fatal results, only to hilariously discover that their nightly hijinks were inspired by of all things, geometry homework. Along with their buddies, they spend their days getting into trouble by playing tricks on their strict Catholic schoolteacher, Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster). After school, they escape into their comic books at the local newsstand where their lives are reinterpreted in a four color, fantasy world. Switching to animation, they become larger-than-life superheroes, and Foster's scooter-riding nun with a prosthetic leg, turns into their hated nemesis, a habit-wearing demon biker named Pegleg. At first jarring, the cartoon sequences soon lend a surreal touch, as the film weaves between the live action and animated storylines.
The boys' innocent, comic book view of the world is challenged however, when the artistic Francis takes an interest in Margie (Jena Malone), a dark-haired girl with a secret of her own. Their tentative steps to approach the opposite sex are both tense and disarming, as Hirsch and Malone display an aching, teenage vulnerability, rarely seen in today's quick, jump-in-the-sack type relationships. Their budding romance changes the dynamic between the boys, and forces Francis, and the always wisecracking Tim to deal with their conflicting emotions in a more grownup world. Indeed, the film's greatest strength is its convincing portrayal of the teenage mindset, where peer pressure, risk-taking, and minor events can seem all-important, and earth shattering.
Ably directed by Peter Care, the young cast of relative unknowns all give universally strong performances. Hirsch is suitably lost and confused, but resilient as the lovelorn Francis. Tim is an immature practical joker, but given unexpressed depth by the likable Culkin, who hides his true feelings under a cool exterior. Their friendship is the heart of the film, and both succeed admirably. Although, the willowy Margie is cast as the damsel-in-distress, Malone gives a disturbing, and at-times breathtaking performance as her character deals with serious, emotional issues only touched upon by the script, keeping the audience off-kilter as to who she really is.
As good as the actors are though, the film is not perfect. Anachronistic moments sometimes displace the viewer. Foster argues, "well that's the problem with improvising. I think we basically made a decision to let the actor's feel free in some ways," and judging by the performances, it's difficult to disagree. Although as a comic fan, I wonder if that freedom includes allowing comic titles from the late 80s and 90s on the magazine rack, next to Francis' favorite 35 cent Swamp Thing.
The lauded animation by Canadian Todd McFarlane is fast and colorful, but nothing new to after-school action fans. Violence is abundant, but never gory, and although the superhero designs are derivative, they do properly reflect the unoriginal, artistic tendencies of teenage boys (at least, that's how I used to remember it). Despite a low budget, the film looks and sounds good. Musical cues are used a little repetitively, and the golden-hued cinematography by Lance Acord manages to suggest long summer days, but never gives a real, convincing sense of place or time.
Indeed, Care and the script never tackle the reality of kid's situations. Parents are barely on screen; Foster's disciplinarian nun, and Vincent D'Onofrio as the laughable chain-smoking Father Casey are well-meaning, but thinly-drawn characters. With little adult guidance or interference, the kids tackle male adolescence in a personal, honest and unpredictable fashion. But a touching scene with Tim beside a road, along with his symbolic choice of heroes adds too much foreshadowing. Had the other friends been given more depth in the script, the predictable climax could have been a bit more dramatic, and less painfully obvious.
Although the film ends on a somewhat positive note, the lack of consequences for the characters leaves the movie without an adequate resolution. I don't need everything tied up in a neat little bundle, Hirsch's Francis goes through a lot at the end, but we never see him emotionally deal with the outcome. Malone's character suffers the most, and is in some ways broken, but the story never explores her motivations, and the audience never really understands why Margie did what she did to begin with. Again we only see her torment through Francis' eyes. I appreciate touching upon important issues in a teen film, but without fully addressing them, they feel tacked on, and leave the film hollow.
Upon reflection, the lack of a sense of time, the exclusion of relatable adults, and a script with only the highlights of teenage hood, along with surrealistic animation creates not so much a film about adolescence, as a nostalgic memory of adolescence. While it never becomes greater than the sum-of-its-parts, engaging performances and a dreamy disposition to tears and laughter offers one of the more thought-provoking movies of the year. I may not have been completely impressed, but I was fully entertained, and that's better than most of the stuff coming out of Hollywood. A solid recommendation from me, and lookout for the animal zoo guide played by an under-the-influence Chandler McIntyre that had the crowd in stitches.
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