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Whenever anyone decides to make a film based from a book, there’s
a little hesitation from some who don’t want their favorite story
destroyed by Hollywood and its marketing machine. We’ve seen countless
films where scenes have been expanded or deleted for the sake of
keeping the viewer interested. Disney, known for its family oriented
films, has put a wholesome winning film in “HOLES”. Adapted by Louis
Sachar from his award winning novel, the film comes with many positive
messages that will bring fans of all ages and be quite entertained.
Stanley Yelnats 4th (LeBeouf) is a teenager walking along a curb
when a pair of sneakers lands atop his head. Suddenly he’s being
chased by the cops and caught for having "stolen" the kicks. When
he can’t explain the circumstances of how he ended up with them
and the fact that his house is filled with lots of sneakers, courtesy
of his father, his situation worsens. Stanley is then sentenced
to 18 months to juvenile camp. His parents believe their misfortune
has something to do with a curse placed on the family generations
ago. While at Camp Green Lake, Stanley is quickly picked on by the
older boys ZigZag, X-Ray, and Squid. The one person who befriends
him is Zero (Thomas). Rather than mop the floors, clean up and learn
their lesson for their crimes, the Warden (Weaver) has the boys
digging holes in the desert everyday. It’s only a matter of time
before anyone figures the reason behind the “holes”. Helping the
warden are Mr.Sir (Voight) and Dr. Pendranski (Nelson). Meanwhile,
flashbacks go back to the early days to illustrate the killing of
Sam (Hill) who was the catalyst for everything that is going on.
Director Davis (The Fugitive) has managed to weave in several stories
in this film without making it seem convoluted. Screenwriter Sachar
was a good choice to adapt to his own story, for he knew what needed
to be illustrated on screen and not lose the focal point of the
story. LaBeouf, in his first starring role, holds his own amongst
a bevy of talent. All of the kids give exceptional performances.
It’s good to see Weaver, Voight, and Nelson take on roles that don’t
put them in the spotlight as they are merely supporting characters,
with Weaver menacing in her role. There are several messages
of love, teamwork, friendship, and trust that make this film very
enjoyable and a pleasure to watch.
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