The ultimate artistic bummer has to be dying right before your big breakthrough. It happened to playwright and composer Jonathan Larson, just 35 when he died from an aortic aneurysm on the opening night of his hit musical "Rent." The dynamic singer Selena was on the brink of superstardom when she was gunned down by the president of her fan club. And Chris Fuhrman was putting the finishing touches on his first novel, "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys," when he succumbed to cancer at age 31.
"The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" was published in 1991, shortly after Fuhrman's death. It's a shame that Fuhrman never knew that his book went on to become not only a critical darling and a cult favorite, but was also honored with a movie version as thoughtful and well-acted as "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" (2002).
Our story takes place at Blessed Heart, a Catholic high school in Savannah, Ga., (Fuhrman's hometown) in the mid-1970s. Longtime friends Francis Doyle (Emile Hirsch) and Tim Sullivan (Kieran Culkin) are sophomores at Blessed Heart and both of them hate it with a passion. Full of rules, regulations and humorless nuns like Sister Assumpta (Jodie Foster), Blessed Heart feels more like prison than school.
Francis and Tim let off steam by pouring their anger and frustration into "The Atomic Trinity," a comic book they've been working on since they were kids. They both appear as super heroes (animated by "Spawn" creator Todd McFarlane), battling evil forces from Blessed Heart like the school's principal Father Casey (Vincent D'Onofrio) and of course, Sister Assumpta, depicted in "The Atomic Trinity" as the nasty "Nunzilla."
The comic book isn't enough revenge for Tim, though. He wants to see Sister Assumpta completely freak out. He's planned the ultimate prank to make it happen, too -- drug a cougar from the local animal reserve, bring it back to campus and put it in Sister Assumpta's office. Tim has pulled off a number of pranks around school; they've all been relatively harmless and Francis has always been along to help. This time is different. Francis isn't interested in pranks anymore, especially not one as stupid as this. Francis is into other things lately, like his mysterious classmate Maggie (Jena Malone).
With or without Francis, Tim is still determined to go ahead with the cougar transfer. It's a decision that will cost everyone dearly, forcing Francis to leave his boyhood behind forever.
The DVD cover makes "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" look like a comedy; while there are a few funny moments (like the statue heist) overall the movie is much more serious than hilarious. The performances are all top-notch, with Hirsch, Culkin and Malone at the top of the list. I did have a little trouble with the whole cougar-kidnapping thing, but I suppose it's not the looniest idea kids have ever cooked up. Foster was an unexpected treat in a small role, giving it a subtle depth that made me wish she'd had a few more scenes to develop as a character.
You can find "The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys" (rated R for a little language and Maggie's shocking revelation) at Blockbuster Video on Flood Avenue and Main Street. In memory of Chris Fuhrman, check it out!
Entertainment
'Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys' brims with fascinating characters
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