The Chocolate War (1988)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Keith Gordon

Writers:

Robert Cormier (novel)
Keith Gordon (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 November 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A surreal portrait of a Catholic Private School and it's hierarchy. A new student must submit to the...

Plot Keywords:

Chocolate | Catholic | Student | Boy | Headmaster

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

John Glover	...	Brother Leon
Ilan Mitchell-Smith	...	Jerry Renault
Wallace Langham	...	Archie Costello (as Wally Ward)
Doug Hutchison	...	Obie Jameson
Corey Gunnestad	...	Goober
Brent David Fraser	...	Emile Janza
Robert Davenport	...	Brian Cochran
Jenny Wright	...	Lisa
Bud Cort	...	Brother Jacques
Adam Baldwin	...	Bill Carter
Ethan Sandler	...	David Caroni
Wayne Young	...	Gregory Bailey
Kurt Bloom	...	Impressed Kid on Bus
Wyeth Orestes Johnston	...	Senior 'Environment' Kid
Landon Wine	...	Frank Bolo

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Sammamish High School - 100 140th Avenue SE, Bellevue, Washington, USA

Company:

Management Company Entertainment Group (MCEG)

Trivia:

Doug Hutchison, who portrayed 16-year-old Obie Jameson, was 27 when this movie was filming.

Quotes:

Brother Leon: I'm warning you Archie, if the sale goes down the drain, you and the Vigils go down the drain. We all go down the drain together!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Celluloid Closet (1995)

Soundtrack:

Shepherd's Song

Not as great as the book but still an ok blast against conformity...

Sure this film doesn't compare to the classic Cormier book but, as it is, it's not a bad film about the abuse of power and the evils of conformity. I think the reason why the producers chose to change the ending is because, face it, the book made everything so hideously, slash-your-wrists-depressing (like all of Cormier's other books) that I don't think anyone would want to see it!

Despite the changed ending, director/adapter Keith Gordon manages to make the message clear. While this is a low-budget film with obvious limitations (the school looks like it has a total of 100 students at best), Gordon never lets the film drag and he got good performances from the actors (particularly from John Glover who steals the show as the evil headmaster and Bud "Harold and Maude" Cort in a great cameo as one of the priests). The "80's soundtrack" is impressive, with excellent cuts from Peter Gabriel, Yaz, Kate Bush and more. My rating: 7/10.