This Canadian-made comedy/drama, set in Hamilton, Ontario in 1954, is a sweet and - at times - goofy story that grows more poignant as the minutes pass. It's the fictitious story of Ralph (Adam Butcher), a troubled ninth-grader who is secretly living on his own while his widowed, hospitalized mother is in a coma. Ralph is frequently in trouble with Father Fitzpatrick (Gordon Pinsent), the principal of his all-boys, Catholic school, 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 skeptics and receiving assistance along a very difficult path from various allies and friends.
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This Canadian-made comedy/drama, set in Hamilton, Ontario in 1954, is a sweet and - at times - goofy story that grows more poignant as the minutes pass. It's the fictitious story of Ralph (Adam Butcher), a troubled ninth-grader who is secretly living on his own while his widowed, hospitalized mother is in a coma. Ralph is frequently in trouble with Father Fitzpatrick (Gordon Pinsent), the principal of his all-boys, Catholic school, 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 skeptics and receiving assistance along a very difficult path from various allies and friends.
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