The Chocolate War (1988)

Director:

Keith Gordon

Writers:

Robert Cormier (novel)
Keith Gordon (written by)

Release Date:

18 November 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Catholic | Chocolate | Headmaster | Student | Vigil

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

John Glover	...	Brother Leon
Ilan Mitchell-Smith	...	Jerry
Wallace Langham	...	Archie (as Wally Ward)
Doug Hutchison	...	Obie
Corey Gunnestad	...	Goober
Brent David Fraser	...	Emile Janza (as Brent Fraser)
Robert Davenport	...	Brian Cochran
Jenny Wright	...	Lisa
Bud Cort	...	Brother Jacques
Adam Baldwin	...	Carter
Ethan Sandler	...	Caroni
Wayne Young	...	Gregory Bailey
Kurt Bloom	...	Impressed Kid on Bus
Wyeth Orestes Johnston	...	Senior 'Environment' Kid
Landon Wine	...	Frank Bollo
Matthew Burke	...	Porter
Douglas A. Forsyth	...	Johnson
Peter Boyack	...	McClosky
Sean Hagerty	...	Perkins (as Sean K. Hagerty)
Colin Mitchell	...	Crane
Max Dixon	...	Coach
Rick May	...	Doctor
John Sudol	...	Priest
Roger Tompkins	...	Jerry's Father
Elizabeth Yoffe	...	Jerry's Mother
Robert Munns	...	Brother Eugene
Jason Hrdlicka	...	Young Jerry
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John English	...	Darryl (uncredited)

Directed by
Keith Gordon

Writing credits
Robert Cormier		(novel)
Keith Gordon		(written by)

Produced by
Ron Diamond	....	line producer
Jonathan D. Krane	....	producer
Simon R. Lewis	....	co-producer
William J. Rouhana Jr.	....	executive producer (as William Rouhana)
Susan Sprivak	....	associate producer (as Susan I. Spivak)

Cinematography by
Tom Richmond		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Jeff Wishengrad

Production Design by
David Ensley

Set Decoration by
Melissa Matthies		(as Melissa Mathies)

Costume Design by
Elizabeth Kaye

Makeup Department
Robin Knutson	....	assistant hair stylist
Robin Knutson	....	assistant makeup artist
Omi	....	hair stylist
Omi	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ron Diamond	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lynn Iffland	....	second assistant director
Ginger Montague	....	second second assistant director
Elisa Sansalone	....	second second assistant director
Michelle Solotar	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Kate Allen	....	storyboard artist
Charles Armstrong	....	construction coordinator
Antoinette A. Ensley	....	property mistress (as Antoinette Ensley)
Geoff Harper	....	carpenter
Thomas D.G. Johnson	....	swing gang
Lachlin Loud	....	painter
Jonathan Saturen	....	props assistant
Rob 'Rich' Taylor	....	painter

Sound Department
Sally Aberg	....	apprentice sound editor
Mark Berger	....	sound re-recording mixer
Mary Jo Devenney	....	sound mixer
Francesca Dodd	....	apprentice sound editor
Patrick Dodd	....	supervising sound editor
Steve Itano	....	boom operator
Mark Levinson	....	assistant sound editor
Douglas Murray	....	sound effects editor
Robert Shoup	....	sound effects editor
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley artist (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Martin Bosworth	....	electrician: best boy
Mike Commins	....	grip
Jim Hicks	....	grip
Mark Lorge	....	dolly grip
Shaun Madigan	....	gaffer
Matthew Neal McVay	....	still photographer
Richard Miller	....	first assistant camera (as Rich Miller)
Carl Morgan	....	key grip
Ryan Purcell	....	grip
Keehn Thomsen	....	best boy grip
Peter J. Vogt	....	electrician
Bob Webeck	....	second assistant camera

Casting Department
Rachel Griffin	....	special casting
Jeff Williams	....	extras casting assistant
Elizabeth Yoffe	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Deborah Barnes	....	seamstress
Destiny Itano	....	assistant costumer
Lynne Elann Morrow	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Anita Fendrich	....	color timer
Clara Frame	....	apprentice editor
David Frame	....	assistant editor
Tim Heyen	....	negative cutter
R. Orlando Duenas	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Virginia Bogert	....	production coordinator (as Virginia Berta Bogert)
Jim Bouvet	....	production assistant
Bradley Cox	....	production assistant
Lora Goncharoff	....	production assistant
Lynette Goto	....	production assistant
Rachel Griffin	....	assistant to director
Kelly Johnson	....	script supervisor (as Kellie Johnson)
Lynne Elann Morrow	....	craft service
Elijah Muied	....	security officer
Olivia Nagel	....	production auditor
Sally Oien	....	production assistant
Michael Perman	....	production assistant
Pete Rupert	....	production assistant
Cathy Sarkowsky	....	production assistant
Wade Smith	....	production assistant
Chriss Strauss	....	completion bond company representative

Thanks
Billy Van Zandt	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Management Company Entertainment Group (MCEG)

Distributors

• Cineplex-Odeon Home Video (1989) (Canada) (video)
• M.C.E.G. Virgin Home Entertainment
• MCA (1989) (Canada) (video)

Other Companies

• Albert G. Ruben and Company  insurance (as Albert G. Ruben & Co.)
• Completion Bond Company  completion bond (as The Completion Bond Company)
• Crest National Laboratory  color
• Filmlites Ltd.  production equipment
• MacB's  catering
• Mercer Titles & Optical Effects Ltd.  titles and opticals
• Rogers & Cowan  public relations (as Rogers and Cowan)
• Saul Zaentz Film Center  post production sound by (as The Saul Zaentz Company Film Center)
• William F. Hooper Inc.  insurance

Also Known As:

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:

Contrary to popular belief, this is not Doug Hutchison's first movie. He stated his film debut was as Sproles in Fresh Horses (1988).

Quotes:

Archie Costello:You've disobeyed the Viglis once already Jerry. This calls for punishment. Now, we the Vigils don't believe in physical violence, but we've found it necessary to have a punishment code. The punishment is usually worse then the assignment. We can make your life sad. But we're letting you off easy Jerry. Tomorrow, we're simply asking you to sell the chocolates.
Bill Carter:We're not asking Archie, we're telling!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Celluloid Closet (1995)

Soundtrack:

We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)

This ain't "Ferris Bueller"

Dark, strange, slightly amateurish yet oddly compelling, "The Chocolate War" is an excellent antidote to the happy-go-lucky teen films made popular by John Hughes in the 1980's. Based on the popular book by Robert Cormier, the story concerns Jerry Renault (Ilan Mitchell-Smith, "Weird Science"), a bright but sad young man coping with his mother's untimely death (which has also turned his father cold and distant). Jerry is a student a prep school known as Trinity, where he clashes with a sadistic "secret fraternity" known as the Vigils and the oh-so-slightly-mad acting headmaster Brother Leon (played to perfection by John Glover). At first by order of the Vigils, and then on his own, Jerry refuses to participate in the annual fund-raising chocolate sale, which not only angers Brother Leon but also causes an assortment of other problems. Yes, this is a rather simplistic summary, but going into great detail will not only take a lot of time but will also spoil the viewing experience.

"The Chocolate War" is the directorial debut of actor Keith Gordon ("Christine," "Back to School"), who also wrote the screenplay. The film is a fairly faithful adaptation of Cormier's novel, but the ending is changed significantly. Fans of the book argue that Gordon's ending for the film is too "tidy" or "happy," but in it's own way the film ends on a rather despairing note, with no easy answers or solutions.

Obviously filmed on a shoestring budget, "The Chocolate War" still boasts wonderful performances by its young cast. Mitchell-Smith is quite good as Jerry Renault, as well as the previously mentioned John Glover. Wally Ward (better known today as Wallace Langham of "Veronica's Closet") is very good as the Vigils' evil "assigner" Archie, and Bud Cort ("Harold and Maude") has a funny cameo as another teacher. Sometimes the pacing is slow, and sometimes the director attempts to be a little too "artistic" in his style; the film also suffers from a soundtrack that was dated even when the movie was made (the music comes from such new-wave dinosaurs as Yaz and Kate Bush). But "The Chocolate War" is a very thoughtful, well acted, compelling piece of work, and that is a cinematic rarity. Barely seen at the time of release and sometimes hard to find in video stores, "The Chocolate War" is well worth watching...and also well worth reading.