Sleepers (1996)

After a prank goes disastrously wrong, a group of boys are sent to a detention center where they are brutalized; over 10 years later, they get their chance for revenge.

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writers:

Lorenzo Carcaterra (book), Barry Levinson (screenplay)

Stars:

Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Jason Patric

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Bacon	...	Sean Nokes
Billy Crudup	...	Tommy Marcano
Robert De Niro	...	Father Bobby
Ron Eldard	...	John Reilly
Minnie Driver	...	Carol Martinez
Vittorio Gassman	...	King Benny
Dustin Hoffman	...	Danny Snyder
Terry Kinney	...	Ralph Ferguson
Bruno Kirby	...	Shakes' Father
Frank Medrano	...	Fat Mancho
Jason Patric	...	Lorenzo 'Shakes' Carcaterra
Joseph Perrino	...	Young Lorenzo 'Shakes' Carcaterra (as Joe Perrino)
Brad Pitt	...	Michael Sullivan
Brad Renfro	...	Young Michael Sullivan
Geoffrey Wigdor	...	Young John Reilly

Storyline

Four boys growing up in Hell's Kitchen play a prank that leads to an old man getting hurt. Sentenced to no less than one year in the Wilkenson Center in upstate New York, the four friends are changed by the beating, humiliation and sexual abuse by the guards sworn to protect them. Thirteen years later and a chance meeting lead to a chance for revenge against the Wilkenson Center and the guards.

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Plot Keywords:

guard | revenge | boy | prank | friend | 

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Taglines:

Four friends have made a mistake that will change their lives forever.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, graphic violence and two scenes of strong sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Levinson.com

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 October 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Los hijos de la calle

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$44,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

ITL 10,597,781,000 (Italy) (15 November 1996)

Gross:

$53,300,852 (USA) (24 January 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Baltimore Pictures, Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Propaganda Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

147 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Devon Sawa was offered the role of Young Michael Sullivan, but passed because he was in production with Wild America.

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Goofs

When the boys are being driven to the detention center, the road is shown painted with double yellow road stripes and yellow 'dashed' center stripes. Dashed center markings were still white until the early 1970s. While many roads still used white solid center markings, double yellow lines had been introduced in the 1950s so they 'may' have been on that road in the mid 1960s.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Lorenzo: This is a true story about friendship that runs deeper than blood. This is my story and that of the only three friends in my life that truely mattered. Two of them were killers who never made it past the age of 30. The other's a non-practicing attorney living with the pain of his past - too afraid to let it go, never confronting its horror. I'm the only one who can speak for them, and the children we were.

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Connections

Referenced in Entourage: Pie (2008)

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Soundtracks

"I'll Never Stop Loving You"
Performed by Doris Day
Written by Sammy Cahn and Nicholas Brodszky
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

User Reviews

All star cast does not disappoint

This is one of the only films that I can watch time after time and still be highly entertained. The film has many layers and a great cast of fantastic actors. It also has a wealth of superbly drawn minor characters. Bruno Krby is excellent as always as Shakes' dad. A man apparently typical of the community in Hells Kitchen. Proud but ruling his wife in particular with a iron fist. He is portrayed far more favourably than in the book where it is clear he is a lousy father and husband. But it is the ever excellent Kevin Bacon who threatens to steal the show as the deeply disturbing Sean Nokes. He is pivotal to the 4 boys descent in to hell and his evil in the bar scene where he meets his demise sets the wheels in motion for the revenge in the 3rd part of the movie. De Niro is superb as always but has great support in Brad Pitt, Jason Patric, Minnie Driver and Dustin Hoffman. A Must see if you like films of this genre.