Holes

A Juvie Camp Like No Other



Director: Andrew Davis

Release Date: 2003

Rating: PG

Running Time: 115 mins

Genre: Western/Drama/Adventure

Actors: Shia Lebeouf, Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voit, Henry Winkler

Louis Sachars novel turned screenplay still manages to have the same effect on me that it did ten years ago. Having watched this film religiously when I was younger, when it came to watching it the other day for the first time in ages, it only felt like about a week since I watched it last. There's something about 'Holes' that makes it stand out so well as one of those films you can't help but love no matter what your age is. The way the story is so cleverly intertwined with a series of flash backs, flash forward and memory sequences as well as set in the modern day it really stands out as quite a complex and well thought out story making it enjoyable for adults as well. I suppose in a sense 'Holes' was the first western-esc film I ever saw and it did make me develop a growing interest for late 19th century America.

Stanley Yelnats (Shia Lebeouf) has always been unlucky and his family blame a 150 year old curse that was put on all of them, so when a pair of stolen shoes fall from the sky and hit him on the head, it's just another day for Stanley. When he gets brought home by the police and accused of stealing them, he gets two options, jail or camp greenlake, a juvenile camp for young criminals, Stanley completely unaware of what he's getting himself into chooses camp and it's there he has to spend the next 18 months digging holes in the desert under the scorching hot sun. Stuck without anyway of escaping, Stanley has to cope with digging holes, his intimidating and threatening camp mates and worse of all, the camps warden (Sigourney Weaver).

I'd say that 'Holes' was one of the best films of my childhood and still stands out as an absolute favorite, after 'Even Stevens', it was good to see Shia Leboeouf take on a lead role in a film so well, especially seeing as he was still pretty young when it came out. It must be said that the acting in this, from everyone is fantastic, especially seeing as a lot of the cast were only teenagers. The layering of the film as well makes it one of those films that start of as hard to get your head around but what's so great is how it's all able to come together at the end. The acting, the soundtrack, the story, it's hard not to like this film, so it's definitely worth checking out.

7/10