nlangella1 One of the worst, if not, the worst films I have ever seen. Just nothing but a film made by some ingrates who try to use comedy and humor by making fun of the Catholic Faith. Some scenes with Rooney and Williams weren't even funny. Rooney was a low life, idiotic bully. As for Williams, he was a lustful student who played with himself every 5 seconds. He was caught masturbating in public while sitting in a cafeteria full of male students. He also had the "brilliant" idea to faint/jerk off while serving the communion wafers to the girls who attended the female school the virgin martyrs. The girls were not right for tempting Williams into lust while receiving Euchirist. But who decides to drop on the altar and jerk off? Seriously? The writers must of had sick minds.

rickherrick77 This is a realistic comedy about old fashioned Roman Catholic education. Some catholic schools did require daily mass, and the hilarious scene with the "clicker" actually happened many times. The corporal punishment scenes may have been brutal, but if anything, they are less violent than the reality of those days. And if you are wondering about the "au naturel" swim class, yes, it was once common practice, and would have been required at Catholic schools, YMCAs, and many public schools as well, at least for male students, in 1964. Summary: Dunne is a 16 year old from Boston who is sent down to Brooklyn after his parents die in a car accident. He and his sister are taken in by his grandparents. His grandma is convinced that he will become a priest and maybe the Pope. Dunne is enrolled in strict St. Basil's Academy, a no-nonsense Catholic school run by tough Irish religious brothers. Dunne is an excellent student who befriends both the school nerd and a group of underachieving wise guys. His association with the wise guys results in a confrontation with a violent brother. In the meantime, the honest and unaffected Dunne has time for a romance with a local working girl. He also befriends a young, hip religious brother, later to play Kevin's dad on Home Alone. See this film; it could hardly be better.

MARTY PARTYMAN When I first watched this movie, chills went up and down my spine because they brought back memories of my years in Catholic School, back in the 60's. That movie hit the 'Nail on the Head' when it portrayed how the 'Priest/Fathers/Brothers' treated us during our 'Sentence' in High School. We had one priest that resembled on of the actors, where he beats one of the students in the movie. Ole 'Father Markham'. People like him should of been a prison guard or drill instructor or a contract assassin for the C.I.A., instead of a priest. When this movie came out, I took my children to see it. They were still pre-teens and I had threatened to send them to Catholic School if they didn't behave. To this day, they still remember that, and laugh at my soft attempts at disciplinary actions. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this movies, being that I lived parts of it and 'was' just as 'bad' as some of those students. Yet, when I attend my various High School reunions of many years..the 40th being the most recent..I wonder and look for that one particular 'priest' that we had, back in the Good Ole Days and wonder..where he is. I sure would like to see him again. Too bad! He would of been in his late 70's or 80's, by now. Oh well!! I sure would of loved to of 'kicked' his "walker" from under his feet.

mOVIemAN56 Sixteen-year-old Michael Dunn (Andrew McCarthy) has just arrived in Brooklyn and has started at a new school, St. Basil's for Boys. While at Saint Basils he confronts Caesar (Malcolm Danare) the school nerd, Rooney (Kevin Dillon) the school bully, and Brother Constance (Jay Patterson) the violent teacher. Somehow Dunn manages to become friends with Caesar and Rooney all the while Rooney calling Caesar a faggot. All the while they collide with the girls school and the violent Brother Constance. It is truly a bunch of teens being against authority (what else is new) and trying to have a good time. But soon Dunn's life turns when he falls in love with the local tomboy Danni (Mary Stuart Masterson) and a new defiance comes within the boys causing an uproar between the faculty. The students soon have an ally of their own in the faculty in Father Timothy (John Heard) and helps the boys to come-of-age. The movie is very dark and tells of the a very bad era in Catholic teaching (priests smacking students, banging heads against blackboards, and paddling) and gives a sense of how students aren't powerless. Each character is developed throughout the film and the plot is heavy with points of emotion and depression.Heaven Help Us. Starring: Andrew McCarthy, Malcolm Danare, Kevin Dillon, Mary Stuart Masterson, Donald Southerland, and John Heard.4 out of 5 Stars.