Set in the rural South in the 1970s in a Catholic school, four pre-teen boys (Kieran Culkin, Emile Hirsch, Jake Richardson, and Tyler Long) create a comic book called "The Atomic Trinity" to channel their creativity, imagination, and rebellious adolescent angst. They each develop their own superhero and, in doing so, live out fantasy lives through their empowered, unchained alter egos. Their evil adversaries are exaggerated characters designed after their teachers: Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster) the stark, peg-legged nun; and Father Casey (Vincent D'Onofrio), the shady, chain-smoking priest. The spotlight of the film shines clearly on the handsome Francis (Hirsch) whose crush on his neighbor and schoolmate, Margie Flynn (Jenna Malone), leaves him tongue-tied. Tim (Culkin) is bolder, and so he rewrites a William Blake poem and uses it to bring together secretly dark Margie with wide-eyed Francis. Their relationship flowers into one of the heavier and more mysterious subplots in the film. Margie is instantly written into the comic as a wounded warrior-heroine who enlists the superheroes to help her in her battles against evil. Meanwhile, the boys are busy planning--and occasionally executing--devilish pranks at school, eventually taking things a step too far, to tragic result.

Based on the Chris Fuhrman book of the same name, adapted to the screen by writer Jeff Stockwell, THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS from director Peter Care is an edgy, engrossing, teen rebellion flick. Extensive animated sequences share a good amount of screen time with the live action narrative, and a prescient musical score by Marco Beltrami and Joshua Homme provides the perfect accent to the action of the film.

Theatrical Release: JUNE 14, 2002 (LIMITED)

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Widescreen
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Additional Relase Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Peter Care - Director, Jeff Stockwell - Screenwriter
Featurette - 1. Sundance Channel ANATOMY OF A SCENE
2. Making Of
Animated Scene Collecton with Optional Commentary by Animation Director Todd McFarlane
Trailers - 1. Theatrical
2. TV Spots
Deleted Scenes
Cast & Filmmaker Interviews
Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Selection
Text/Photo Galleries:
Production Notes
Cast/Filmmaker Bios
Animation Illustrations
DVD-Rom Features:
Web Links

Emile Hirsch: Actor, DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS (2002)
Kieran Culkin: American actor
Jena Malone: Actress
Jodie Foster: American Actress/Director, NELL (1994)
Vincent D'Onofrio: American actor
Jake Richardson: 
Tyler Long: Actor, DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS (2002)

Peter Care: Director

Jodie Foster: American Actress/Director, NELL (1994)
Meg LeFauve: Producer\"BABY DANCE"
Jay Shapiro: Producer, DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS (2002)

Jeff Stockwell: Screenwriter, DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS (2002)

Marco Beltrami: Composer

"...Artful and surprising....Care crafts something darkly funny and touching from a coming-of-age fable..."
"...The drama is evocative and absorbing....Culkin brings plenty of irreverent spunk to his character..."
"...Beautiful, emotion-charged....The look and feel of the film is entirely beguiling..."
"...It's a sensitive and originally executed film....It's a multilayered coming-of-age story of adolescent rebellion..."