“Holes” (Walt Disney Pictures)
The new Disney film “Holes” is based on the popular book by Louis Sachar. Teens and pre-teens have the plot to this story almost memorized so it was important that the filmmakers get it right on screen. Obviously they did from the reaction of the audience I saw the movie with a few nights ago.
The film follows the story of Stanley Yelnats IV (Shia LeBeouf). He is a teen-ager who gets into trouble through mistake. A pair of expensive tennis shoes sail over a bridge and hit him on the head. He picks them up and is then arrested by the police for having stolen them.
Stanley is sent to Camp Green Lake for eighteen months. There he is met by the guard known as Mr. Sir (Jon Voight), the Warden (Sigourney Weaver), and the Camp Doctor (Tim Blake Nelson). He also meets his fellow “campers”. All of the boys spend their days digging holes in the desert as there is no lake, just miles and miles of barren land. Mr. Sir says this is done to build their character.
Stanley’s closest friend at the camp is “Zero” (Khleo Thomas). There is some sort of connection between the two boys and it comes out as the movie progresses. It has to do with the “shoes” Stanley found as well as the years old curse on the men in Stanley’s family.
As the modern day story takes place we are also shown a story from a hundred years or more in the past. In this one a schoolteacher (Patricia Arquette) falls in love with a black man (Dule’ Hill) to disastrous results. Again there is a connection between this event and the endless “holes” the boys have to dig.
The acting in the movie is very good with Jon Voight’s being outstanding. He makes “Mr. Sir” the oiliest, most bizarre character seen on the screen in some time. LeBeouf also has some good moments as Stanley, and Eartha Kitt is memorable as the woman who puts the curse on the Yelnats men.
The movie is rated PG for mild violence and mild profanity.
“Holes” is a movie aimed at kids that can be enjoyed to some degree by adults. It’s a simple, likeable movie that sends you home feeling good. With Disney, what else did you expect!
I scored “Holes” a filled in 6 out of 10.
©2003 Jackie K. Cooper
