The read
A Balasaur Score of 66 out of 100, drawn from IMDb 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 65%, Metacritic 51/100. Audiences rate it 22 points higher than critics do. Scores higher than 74% of the 2,368 2000s comedy movies in this catalog. Streaming on Prime and Tubi.
Synopsis
This Canadian made comedy/drama, set in Hamilton, Ontario in 1954, is a sweet and - at times - goofy story that becomes increasingly poignant as the minutes tick by. It's the fictional tale of a wayward 9th grader, Ralph (Adam Butcher), who is secretly living on his own while his widowed, hospitalized mother remains immersed in a coma. Frequently in trouble with Father Fitzpatrick (Gordon Pinsent), the principal of his all-boys, Catholic school, Ralph is considered something of a joke among peers until he decides to pull off a miracle that could save his mother, i.e., winning the Boston Marathon. Coached by a younger priest and former runner, Father Hibbert (Campbell Scott), whose cynicism has been lifted by the boy's pure hope, Ralph applies himself to his unlikely mission, fending off naysayers and getting help along a very challenging path from sundry allies and friends.
Ratings
Audiences rate it 22 points higher than critics do.
85 audience votes
Key crew
- Michael McGowanDirector
- Michael McGowanWriter
Cast
- Adam ButcherRalph Walker
- Campbell ScottFather George Hibbert
- Michael KanevChester Jones
- Gordon PinsentCast
- Tamara HopeClaire Collins
- Keir GilchristKid Collins
- Boyd BanksWorker #1
- Jennifer TillyNurse Alice
- Shauna MacDonaldEmma Walker
- Frank CrudeleMr. Karl
