The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPeter Care
Screenplay by
Based onThe Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
by Chris Fuhrman
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyLance Acord
Edited byChris Peppe
Music byMarco Beltrami
Production
companies
Distributed byTHINKFilm (North America)
Initial Entertainment Group (Overseas)
Release dates
  • January 18, 2002 (2002-01-18) (Sundance)
  • June 14, 2002 (2002-06-14)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$12 million
Box office$2 million

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Peter Care and written by Jeff Stockwell and Michael Petroni based on Chris Fuhrman's 1994 semi-autobiographical coming-of-age novel of the same name. The film stars Emile Hirsch, Kieran Culkin, Jena Malone, Jodie Foster and Vincent D'Onofrio.

The film is about a group of Catholic school friends in the Southern United States in the 1970s who engage in a series of pranks and general mischief. The boys also collaborate on a comic book they call The Atomic Trinity. Interspersed within the film are segments of animated footage based on the comic book. THINKFilm paid $1 million to acquire the film's North American distribution rights and went on to gross $1.8 million in limited theatrical release, making it a profitable acquisition for THINKFilm.

Fuhrman died of cancer before completing the final revision of the novel. The film, dedicated to his memory, received positive reviews from critics.