Heaven Help Us

I attended Catholic school for several years. While it wasn't as bad as what was depicted in this film I found it borderline unpleasant for the most part. It's not to say priests and brothers weren't nice, it just wasn't my thing.

I've always liked Andrew McCarthy and he did real well here in one of his first major roles. I believe his grandparents wanted him to become a priest but hormones, school, classmates, crushes, and overall the human condition get in the way. It's what I remember this film revolving around .

Many hilarious moments in this film.

..and I was an altar boy, and went to church every day, and confession..

So watching this the other day brought some of that back to me. There were Brothers in the parish but nuns taught school.

As some other comments have suggested, this movie is unimaginable without Kevin Dillon. He's riotous, from beginning to end. He's given all the good lines and makes the most of them. You barely hear Patrick Dempsey's voice at all.

I was and am not an Andrew McCarthy fan, but he's very tolerable in this. Its the lead but the less showy part. His scenes with Mary Stuart Masterson don't exactly jump off the screen, but they are adequate to the movie.

Movie also gets some points from me for the Elvis references. The guys go to an Elvis movie after seeing the Pope (and get in trouble for it), plus the King is heard over the credits at the end. 8/10.

I have an English vhs of this and it goes by the title of Catholic Boys over here, I was surprised to see this was not available and dvd format, as it is one of those memorable 80's teen films. This is actually dubbed 'Animal House gets religious' on the video case, I think it couldn't be more wrong, although it does have its similarities, Catholic Boys has a real sensible feel to it, it also has its very funny moments, and a fantastic young cast. This is one of those films with lots of familiar faces who seemed to have vanished, Andrew McCarthy, Kevin Dillon, Patrick Dempsey and Malcom Danare, are all quite unknown figures nowadays, although their performances in this make you think they would have had their careers set up for life.

The great cast really sets the tone and their is a real togetherness from them, especially when the sadistic(?) brother Constance tries to get his way, it all comes good in the end and the movie left me very satisfied in the end, watch out for Stephen Geofferies character Williams who is always masturbating at every chance he gets, it seems fitting that he is now a star of the gay porn industry! I'd like to see this on dvd and even a comeback for the excellent Andrew McCarthy, and Kevin Dillon!

While I can't comment on the accuracy in which the "Catholic School for Boys" is depicted in this movie, having once been a teenage boy, I can attest to having known (or been) a kid who is represented by nearly every character in the movie. I identified most with Andrew McCarthy's character, but saw a little of myself in many of the other kids.

The movie is at times funny, touching, and intense. I believe it has been largely forgotten and was ignored even in its initial run. It is vastly underrated, and if you happen across it in the TV Guide or in the older titles at the video store, it is worth two hours of your life. Recommended.

This movie depicts a time that has now become a part of history. St. Michael's School closed its doors earlier this year. The neighborhood which was populated by Irish and Italian kids is now primarily Latino and lower-income,who couldn't afford the rising tuition.

The situations, as portrayed, were actually quite realistic for an inner-city parochial school. Some might say the brutality toward the boys was extreme- but pretty close to the truth.

Actual scenes were used in the neighborhood. The building that housed the candy store is still there, empty and derelict.

The movie caught the aura of the era and is becoming a 'cult classic'