Movie Description Louis Sachar's acclaimed teen adventure novel comes to dazzling life with this wildly entertaining adaptation. Stanley Yelnats (Shia LaBeouf) is an unassuming adolescent whose family has been cursed for generations. One day, after Stanley is falsely accused of stealing a pair of sneakers, he is sentenced to 18 months at Camp Green Lake. But when he gets there, he discovers that this camp is really more like a prison. Under the supervision of the fiery Mr. Sir (Jon Voight) and goofy Dr. Pendanski (Tim Blake Nelson), Stanley and his cohorts must spend each day digging holes in the desert, in order "to build character." Or at least that's what The Warden (Sigourney Weaver) says. When Stanley finally gathers up the courage to escape the camp, he and fellow escapee Zero (Khleo Thomas) stumble across a secret that will expose Camp Green Lake for the evil place that it is, and erase the Yelnats family curse forever. Director-producer Andrew Davis (THE FUGITIVE) performs a miraculous feat with HOLES, crafting a family film that is smart, funny, and engaging. Sachar's story teaches enormously valuable lessons about respect, teamwork, and honesty, making HOLES a must-see for individuals everywhere.
| Credits | | Producer: | Andrew Davis, Cary Granat, Lowell D. Blank, Mike Medavoy, Teresa Tucker-Davies | | Cast: | Eartha Kitt, Jon Voight, Khleo Thomas, Nathan Davis, Siobhan Fallon |
Notes Theatrical release: April 18, 2003
Editorial Reviews "...The tough, prickly camaraderie among the boys and their solidarity in the face of adult cruelty give the picture its heart and also its pedigree....The younger actors are appropriately boisterous and appealing..." New York Times - A. O. Scott (04/18/2003)
"...Faithful and highly entertaining....It's great to see an action-adventure family film with heart as well as humor, whimsy alongside wisdom, and a compelling narrative..." USA Today - Claudia Puig (04/18/2003)
"...The young actors play their roles with the relaxed focus of regular boys....Honoring the literary ground beneath it, spotted yellow lizards and all, the movie HOLES is easy to dig..." Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (04/25/2003)
"...HOLES will no doubt speak clearly and appealingly to its intended teen audience..." Variety - Todd McCarthy (04/21/2003)
"...The whole movie generates a surprising conviction....It doesn't condescend, and it founds its story on recognizable human nature....Davis has always been a director with a strong visual sense, and the look of HOLES has a noble, dusty loneliness..." Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (04/18/2003)
"...It's a wonderfully inventive story....The performances are all fine, especially Jon Voight..." Box Office - Stephen Jared (06/01/2003)
"...Comic as well as edgy....HOLES is successful finally for the most old-fashioned of reasons: It's got an involving, adventurous story to tell and the wherewithal to tell it correctly..." Los Angeles Times - Kenneth Turan (04/18/2003)
"...There's undeniable sweetness to HOLES..." Total Film - Daniel Webb (11/01/2003)
"[T]here are well-judged performances from Sigourney Weaver, Tim Blake Nelson and Jon Voight..." Sight and Sound - Matthew Leyland (12/31/2003)
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