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- "Holes", the movie |
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Holes – movie review
review by Tom Gilbert
Building character: we have all heard how important that is. As
a child perhaps you were told your punishment for wrongdoing
would do just that, build character.
This was often hard to swallow. Who likes to do hard
and menial tasks, especially as punishment? Maybe all
it built was resentment.
The movie “Holes”, based on the best-selling
Newbery Medal winning children’s novel by Louis
Sachar is an outstanding morality story. It takes the
premise of unfair conviction and punishment and combines
it with the redemptive power of suffering, compassion
and endurance. Building character is something that
happens, but not in the way we're first led to expect.
Young Stanley Yelnats (newcomer Shia LaBeouf) is the protagonist. His family has
endured years of bad fate and the latest is being falsely convicted of stealing
a pair of baseball cleats donated to an orphanage by
a famous ballplayer. His choice is jail or Camp Green
Lake. Stanley has never been to camp before so naturally
he opts for the latter. He quickly discovers this is
no idyllic summer camp. It’s hot, dusty, and
the lake dried up a long time ago. The camp is punishment
for an assortment of juvenile delinquents and their
days are passed by the hard labor of digging holes – one
a day, everyday, five feet wide and deep.
Why they are digging the holes and the story behind the cruel and greedy warden
(played with suitable aplomb by Sigourney Weaver) is a big part of the plot, but
the real story is the relationships formed by the various
boys. Of particular importance is the friendship between
Stanley and Hector Zeroni (Khleo Thomas). Hector is
known as “Zero”, so dubbed not because
of his last name but rather he’s considered mentally
defective. As camp counselor Dr. Pedanski relates, “there’s
nothing going on between the ears”.
Zero can’t read, however he digs holes like nobody else. Despite his diminutive size he always
finishes first and even helps dig Stanley’s holes in exchange for reading lessons. The boys bond but
eventually Zero runs away from the camp and the tale’s climax occurs as a result of Stanley’s pursuit
and rescue.
Mean spirited adults like the Warden, Pedanski (Tim Blake Nelson), and especially a malicious
man known only as “Mr. Sir” (John Voigt in another terrific over-the-top character role) relish their
power over the boy prisoners. The youth are a wild breed of hooligans, each with descriptive and often
appropriate nicknames (“X-Ray”, “Barf Bag”, “Zig Zag”, “Armpit”)
and their camp society has its own pecking order that puts each newcomer at the bottom. Stanley (dubbed “Caveman”)
learns the ropes quickly enough and even lies to cover for another, perhaps to ingratiate himself with the “juvie” leadership.
An ancient family curse on the Yelnats clan, the past history of the lake, a Wild West robber known as “Kissin’ Kate
Barlow”, and themes of bigotry, greed and poetic justice are all weaved through the tapestry of “Holes” storyline.
The flashbacks, special effects, poisonous lizards and the various power plays by the characters make
for colorful entertainment. This is a movie that the whole family can enjoy, but even better, can discuss
afterwards. The opportunity to explore spiritual themes should not be missed.
It’s good to see Disney team up with Walden Media
on this effort to create a movie with substance that
is contemporary in movie-making technique yet doesn’t
stoop to the typical shallowness of so much of Hollywood’s
typical youth fare. The success of this film should bolster
credibility for Walden’s “Chronicles
of Narnia” (C.S. Lewis’ famed fantasy series).
The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe is currently
in production and you can find out more about Walden
Media’s
projects at their website, www.walden.com.
More on the movie “Holes” at the official
website at www.holes.com.
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Scripture taken from the Holy
Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright ©
1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights
reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International
Bible Society.
NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered
trademarks of International Bible Society. Use of either
trademark for the offering of goods or services requires
the prior written consent of International Bible Society.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy
Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996. Used
by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton,
IL 60189, USA. All rights reserved.
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