Holes Movie Review:


5 feet wide and 5 feet deep. These are the dimensions of the holes that have to be dug daily by the boys of the teen juvenile correctional center
Camp Green Lake. The camp visually is nothing like its name, out in the middle of no where engulfed by hot weather, without a drop of rain, and sands as far as the eye can see. The teenage juvenile boys dig the holes to supposedly build their character and make men out of them. The real
reasoning behind the digging is for a hidden secret that resides in the facility’s hard-nosed Warden’s (Weaver) heart.

These are just a few of the elements that make "Holes" a wonderful and ambitious film that is based off the 1999 Newberry award-winning childhood novel. Along with the "Harry Potter" novels, "Holes" is another popular story with kids that has steadily maintained its rank on the bestseller’s list. The book now comes to life in the film version from Walt Disney Pictures. I myself have not read the novel or heard much about it before reading about the film production. However, I believe that if I asked any teenager about the novel they could give me the specific details. I feel
empty not having the novel as a reference with this review. After seeing the film, I plan to go pick up a copy of the book really soon.

The story actually centers on Stanley Yelnats IV, whose name is a palindrome, which means it is spelled the same backwards and forwards.
Stanley is a normal teenager that is falsely accused of a crime and sent to Camp Green Lake for 18 months. The film’s screenplay, which was actually adapted by the writer of novel Louis Sachar, has three story lines that eventually all make sense. One is the curse that is on Stanley and his family because of his pig stealing great-great grandfather. Another is the past life of a schoolteacher come-to-be outlaw named Kissin' Kate Barlow (Arquette) and the third is the present day story with Stanley at Camp Green Lake.

Most of the time I come to the idea of whom better to adapt a book into a screenplay, than the author of the novel. Sometimes this back fires, but
Sachar’s script for this film is impressive with its own tone. The story has a lot of different themes like destiny, coming-of-age drama, friendship,
comedy, adventure, mystery and all are blended together. The flashbacks to the three story lines take their time, but all come across as critical to the plot. The characters are bright and colorful, especially Jon Voight’s camp overseer Mr. Sir and all the kids that each have their own nickname like
"Caveman" and "Zero". The adult characters along with Stanley and Zero are well sketched, but I would have like to have seen more development and
background with all the other kids. Like why is Armpit at Camp Green Lake?
More attention to the supporting characters could have drawn out the story even more when there is already a lot of things going on.

Director Andrew Davis brings the story to screen with the visual essence that it calls for. Camp Green Lake is sandy, remote, and there is constant
sand dust on all of the diggers. Davis, who is a veteran director of action films like "The Fugitive" and "Under Siege", brings mature precision to
"Holes". Even though the cross-cutting story lines seem ridiculed at first, Davis does eventually balance them.

The whole acting cast of the film is sturdy and effective. Youngsters Shia LaBeouf and Khleo Thomas, who play Stanley and Zero respectively, shine and actually carry a good chunk of the story’s third act. The older cast, which includes Jon Voight, Sigourney Weaver, Tim Blake Nelson and Patricia
Arquette each contribute with their distinct roles. Voight, as the flower-seed crunching, lizard killing, crusty overseer is at times over the top, but for the most part amusing. Weaver is sour and somewhat mysterious as Warden Walker in the role that her daughter recommend her play. Nelson is
quirky as the camp’s questionable counselor and Arquette is competent as the outlaw Kissin' Kate Barlow.

"Holes" is a delightful film that already has a built in audience with the young fans of the book; most parents will probably become fans after seeing this film. It is a little movie that contains a lot of digging,
laughs and more than anything-good entertainment.

Report Card Grade: B+

04/21/03

Joseph Tucker

Stanley Yelnats (LaBeouf) was cursed. In fact his family had been cursed with bad luck for four generations. Stanley’s luck was so bad that when a pair of sneakers fall off a bridge and hit him on the head, the police arrest him thinking he has stolen them. As punishment he is sent to camp Green Lake, where The Warden (Weaver) has the young offenders digging holes in the desert as a character building exercise but Stanley discovers there is more behind the holes than the Warden is letting on.

Based on the best selling novel by Louis Sachar, Holes is very different from normal children’s movies.

Treating the viewer with a certain about of intelligence, this is a family film that is just as good for adults as it is for the kids. The multi-layered story flashes from present to the past, interweaving what Stanley is discovering and revealing how these events came to pass. It is very cleverly done, as it never gives too much away thus making you stay with the story as it unfolds.

Shia LaBeouf is a very likable lead, which children will have no trouble connecting with. He isn’t your normal, great looking usual teen lead but an ordinary boy with extraordinarily bad luck. He also has good support from Khleo Thomas as Zero, named for what his fellow inmates and camp councillor think his IQ is. He is also a character that you can connect with as he plays the one who does quite fit in but with a good friend and a boost in confidence he is much more than even he thinks he can be. The camp is filled with colourful characters all with nicknames like Armpit, Squid, X-Ray, Zigzag and Twitch, all played with great gusto by the relatively young cast.

The adults make take a supporting role but they play their parts with exemplary skill. Tim Blake Nelson plays Dr. Pendanski with a slight twist of evil by been supportive to who he like and down right mean to those he doesn’t. Jon Voight hams it up to create the camp commandant of sorts, Mr Sir. His attitude towards to boys is mean and offensive, making you boo him even more. Rounding off the dastardly adult trio is Sigourney Weaver as The Warden, whose moods change with how close the boys are to uncovering the secret of the holes. She proves again what a good actress she is, easily fitting into the villainess role. Patricia Arquette and Dulé Hill are also good in their flashback roles, that define the story.

While the ending is slightly overly sentimental and sugar coated in the extreme, the journey there is quite sour and definitely not your usual Disney movie. Finally studios are waking up to the facts that kids have brains and can follow an interesting, intelligent story for almost two hours. Now where is my shovel?

Star Rating = * * * *

Jamie Kelwick

Site Contents Copyright© The Z Review, unless used with permission.This site has no intention to infringe on the rights of the film owners of Holes and intellectual copyright holders of the movies mentioned herein & hold copyright over the movie, characters, merchandise & storyline.