This film is a captivating coming of age story about a young boy named Ralph and his search for a miracle so that his mother will come out of her coma. Ralph is a boy trying to figure his place in life while getting into embarrassing situations that all preteens and teens can relate to.
While Ralph's mother is hospitalized she slips into a coma and the nurse tells Ralph that it would take a miracle for his mother to recover. This sends Ralph on his journey in search for a miracle. He soon finds it when he is told that it would be a miracle for anyone from his cross-country team to win the Boston marathon. Ralph's purpose then becomes to train and win the Boston marathon.
Ralph's naive behavior is endearing and is one of the main reasons why you cheer for him throughout his struggle. While faced with being the awkward kid in his class and someone every just pokes fun at Ralph learns and grows into a character filled with depth.
This may seem like any other sports film where you follow the underdog, it is done in such a unique way, that you are aching to see the outcome. Witt is placed throughout the film through dialog and situations, which allow the film's serious undertone to vanish, even if for a few seconds.
One of the details that I love about this film is the use of the saints. The film is broken down into different chapters, which are titled by the saint that they represent, such as the saint of fire prevention. This detail becomes more humorous the second time the film is seen.
Even though the religious aspect is a little in your face, it is necessary to the film. You are able to sympathize with Ralph, who is trying to understand religion and his place in the world, by better understanding the religious and political pressures that the priests are forcing onto young Ralph.
This is one of the few sports films that is not just about the sport. In fact, the sport has very little to do with the film. The film is mainly about Ralph and the lessons he learns growing up his town, which allows this sports film to reach a deeper level that can be enjoyed by sports lovers and non-sports lovers alike.
While Ralph's mother is hospitalized she slips into a coma and the nurse tells Ralph that it would take a miracle for his mother to recover. This sends Ralph on his journey in search for a miracle. He soon finds it when he is told that it would be a miracle for anyone from his cross-country team to win the Boston marathon. Ralph's purpose then becomes to train and win the Boston marathon.
Ralph's naive behavior is endearing and is one of the main reasons why you cheer for him throughout his struggle. While faced with being the awkward kid in his class and someone every just pokes fun at Ralph learns and grows into a character filled with depth.
This may seem like any other sports film where you follow the underdog, it is done in such a unique way, that you are aching to see the outcome. Witt is placed throughout the film through dialog and situations, which allow the film's serious undertone to vanish, even if for a few seconds.
One of the details that I love about this film is the use of the saints. The film is broken down into different chapters, which are titled by the saint that they represent, such as the saint of fire prevention. This detail becomes more humorous the second time the film is seen.
Even though the religious aspect is a little in your face, it is necessary to the film. You are able to sympathize with Ralph, who is trying to understand religion and his place in the world, by better understanding the religious and political pressures that the priests are forcing onto young Ralph.
This is one of the few sports films that is not just about the sport. In fact, the sport has very little to do with the film. The film is mainly about Ralph and the lessons he learns growing up his town, which allows this sports film to reach a deeper level that can be enjoyed by sports lovers and non-sports lovers alike.