I read the book a few years ago. I think the key point people need to understand is the movie is BASED on the book. Just like most period-piece movies today. Most of the characters are based on many different people. That doesn’t mean that what happened didn’t happen. It just happened to other people in his life and not the characters in the movie. Read some of the interviews that Dito Montiel gave about the movie. He explains it all.

I can see where the profanity may be overwhelming to some, but really is shows the anst and frustration that all the characters were feeling. The lack of showing their true emotions and never really saying what they were really feeling was expressed through the profanity. How many times did you want to say something and you couldn't get the words out and all you can say is F*@k?

I am one of the few people who really doesnt go to see movies anymore. At least blockbusters, so I didnt know most of the actors. But I can honestly say they ALL gave an amazing performance.

This movie is worth seeing again and again… And read the book too.

If there was one thing that bothered me about "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," it was this: the story was great, the characters were great, and for the most part the style was good. But occasionally Dito Montiel would thrown in some gimmick of filmmaking–some use of sound (or absence of sound), or some camera trick, or most noticeably breaking the fourth-wall–and it didn't entirely work. It seemed… amateurish. Then again, this was Dito's film debut. I'll keep an eye on "Fighting," see if he improves. He has great potential, I feel.

Oh, and another tiny annoying thing was the profanity. Did anyone else find it odd that the F-word was used on an average of two or three times a sentence? I am not even joking here. Here's an actual quote from the movie:

Laurie: You want it straight? 'Cause I'm the only fucking one who's gonna tell you for some fucking reason. You killed him. You killed your father when you left. Are you hearing me? You fucking killed him. You left a trail of blood when you left. So forget me, forget all this shit, forget it, alright? You killed your mother, and you killed your father. And for the past fucking 20 years, he's been dying — just waiting for you to come home. Say 'Daddy, you fucked up.' 'Daddy, I fucking hate your guts.' Daddy whatever the fuck you need to get out of your angsty little fucking head..
Dito: Touch my head one more fucking time I'm gonna go nuts..
Laurie: Go ahead, go fucking nuts. Go fucking nuts. Let it out. Stop fucking running away. You think you're a fucking man, that's just a fucking tail between your legs. Go home and take care of your mother. Go home and take care of your father. *That’s* going to make you a fucking man. That's all you got left. 'Cause if you don't do that shit, it's too fucking late.

And that's basically how all the dialogue goes… the entire time. There's a certain point where swearing becomes gratuitous, and of course that point varies tremendously, depending on the motive for profanity and the skill of the filmmaker. "South Park, "Full Metal Jacket," and "Pulp Fiction" are all noted for their copious amounts of profanity, yet they did things right. It's sort of hard to define, but you can just feel when too much is too much. In "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," it's too much.

But as I said, that's a small complaint (for me, that is). Overall, it was a good film and worth checking out.