The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys is a 2002 coming-of-age drama film directed by Peter Care and based on the novel of the same name by Chris Fuhrman. The film follows a group of Catholic school friends in the 1970s, Francis, Tim, Wade, and Joey, who create a comic book series as a way to express their frustrations and rebelliousness against their strict religious upbringing and the oppressive nuns at their school.
After the boys are caught drawing an obscene comic book, which they had planned to distribute to their classmates, they double down on their rebellion and come up with a daring heist plan to steal a cougar from a local zoo. Joey, who is struggling with his parents' divorce and losing touch with his friends, reluctantly agrees to join the heist, which he hopes will bring him closer to his friends again.
As the boys plot and execute their heist, tensions rise between them and their personal struggles come to the surface. The film explores themes of adolescence, friendship, rebellion, and the struggles of growing up in an oppressive environment. The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys features an ensemble cast including Emile Hirsch, Kieran Culkin, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jena Malone, and Jodie Foster, who also served as executive producer. The film received critical acclaim for its performances, direction, and poignant storytelling.