A Canadian import about a 14-year-old Catholic school student who's convinced he can perform the kind of miracle needed to save his critically ill mother, "Saint Ralph" is a tart and tender comedy that pulls off a little miracle of its own by being genuinely heartwarming without leaving any cloyingly sticky emotional residue. Tempering potentially maudlin elements with a healthy dose of humor and a good amount of invigorating irony, he tells a coming-of-age, 1950s-era story that's also unburdened by the aching nostalgia which often accompanies period pieces.

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