Ralph Walker (Adam Butcher), the randy adolescent at the heart of this wannabe-edgy Canadian film, has two goals. He wants to win the Boston Marathon, and he wants his mother to wake from her coma. (Due to his Catholic schooling, he gets the wacky idea that the former is the miracle necessary to produce the latter.) The trouble is, in most edgy films the hero doesn't get to achieve all his goals. If you're either very clever or very bored, you may try to guess whether Ralph's racing dreams or his mom will get the shaft. Sadly, the film conspires to make you root for the race. His saintly ma looks ready to croak anyway.

This wee structural problem is compounded by Butcher's butchering of his character. The kid can act all right -- it just would've been nice if he weren't so obviously acting all the time. As written by filmmaker Michael McGowan, the character of Ralph is plucky, cheeky and refreshingly mercenary in his use of God to get what he wants. (He never does find religion, thank Christ.)

As played, Ralph is all these things minus a soul. Fortunately, Butcher is bolstered by two men who know how to look like they're not acting. Campbell Scott (see feature page 18) exudes grace and weariness as Ralph's teacher/trainer, while Gordon Pinsent pours conviction into his thankless role as headmaster/buzzkiller. Jennifer Tilly just makes her kindly nurse seem a little dirty. But that's what Tilly does with every role, no matter how innocently written. Hoochie can't help it.