Wednesday May 29, 2002

Press Release

World Premiere of 'The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys'

 WHO:      Stars Jodie Foster (also produced the film), Kieran Culkin,
                 Jena Malone, Emile Hirsch, Director Peter Care,
                 Animator Todd McFarlane, Screenwriter Jeff Stockwell,
                 Producers Meg LeFauve and Jay Shapiro,
                 and many more to be announced…

WHEN:     Tuesday, June 4, 2002
                 Arrivals begin at 7:00, screening starts at 8:00

WHERE:   Arclight Hollywood at the Cinerama Dome, 6360 Sunset, Hollywood


ThinkFilm presents Peter Care's THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS, which had its World Premiere at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Co-starring Jodie Foster (who also produced), Kieran Culkin, Jena Malone, Emile Hirsch, and Vincent D'Onofrio, the film will open commercially June 14 in Los Angeles and NY.

Based on Chris Fuhrman's original and audacious coming-of-age novel, which critics have compared to the works of Salinger and Flannery O'Conner, THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS is a 70's-set drama in which two charming but irreverent Catholic high schoolers (Culkin and newcomer Hirsch) express their pent up rebelliousness and hormonal confusion by creating a secret comic book depicting themselves as superheroes and their teachers (Foster and D'Onofrio playing, respectively, a nun and a priest) as arch-villains. Their alternately humorous and heartbreaking journey from innocence to experience is punctuated by wildly imaginative animated sequences (by Todd McFarlane of "Spawn" fame) that bring their fantasy universe to life and parallel the live-action tale of friendship, first-love, and inevitable loss.

Remarkable for its ability to convey the mysteries and milestones of adolescence without being juvenile in any way, THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS is that rare thing - a film about youth that possesses both maturity and wisdom. In his feature debut Care has elicited performances from his three young stars that are at once completely natural yet technically accomplished. He also evidences a sophisticated visual style that is aided by the richly textured cinematography of Lance Acord (BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, BUFFALO '66) and the highly expressive production design by Gideon Ponte (AMERICAN PSYCHO, BUFFALO '66). The film, dedicated to novelist Fuhrman, (who died of cancer shortly after the publication of this, his only completed book), was adapted for the screen by Jeff Stockwell and Michael Petroni. Joining Foster as producers are Meg LeFauve and Jay Shapiro. Rated R / Running Time: 105 Minutes. ThinkFilm will release THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS in NY and LA June 14, 2002, with a national expansion June 21.

For more information contact, Chris Libby (clibby@mprm.com) or Jamie Coker (jcoker@mprm.com) at mPRm, (323) 933-3399.