2:31 | Trailer
A boy blackmails his neighbor after suspecting him to be a Nazi war criminal.
Director:
Bryan Singer
From metacritic.com
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Title: Apt Pupil (1998)
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6 wins & 6 nominations.
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Brad Renfro | ... | ||
| Ian McKellen | ... | ||
| Joshua Jackson | ... | ||
| Mickey Cottrell | ... |
Sociology Teacher
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| Michael Reid MacKay | ... |
Nightmare Victim
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| Ann Dowd | ... | ||
| Bruce Davison | ... | ||
| James Karen | ... | ||
| Marjorie Lovett | ... |
Agnes Bowden
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|
 |
David Cooley | ... |
Gym Teacher
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|
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Blake Anthony Tibbetts | ... |
Teammate
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| Heather McComb | ... | ||
|
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Katherine Malone | ... |
Student
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Grace Sinden | ... |
Secretary
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| David Schwimmer | ... | ||
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
Neighborhood boy Todd Bowden (Renfro) discovers that an old man living on his block named Arthur Denker (Mackellan) is Nazi war criminal. Bowden confronts Denker and offers him a deal: Bowden will not go to the authorities if Denker tells him stories of the concentration camps in WWII. Denker agrees and Bowden starts visiting him regularly. The more stories Bowden hears, the more it affects his personality. Written by Casey Ward <ward@citizen.infi.net>
Taglines:
If you don't believe in the existence of evil, you've got a lot to learn.Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for scenes of strong violence, language and brief sexuality | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Release Date:
23 October 1998 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
El aprendiz See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$14,000,000 (estimated)Opening Weekend USA:
$3,583,151, 25 October 1998, Wide ReleaseGross USA:
$8,838,938, 3 January 1999Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Todd Bowden: I want to hear about it.
Kurt Dussander: Hear about what?
Todd Bowden: The stories. Everything.
Kurt Dussander: What everything?
Todd Bowden: Everything they're afraid to show us in school. You were there. You did those things. No one can tell it better than you can.
See more »
Music by Leo Leux & Matthias Perl (as Matthias Perl)
Lyrics by Hans Hannes & Bruno Balz
Performed by Liane Augustin (as Liane) & The Boheme Bar Trio
Courtesy of Omega Record Group, Inc.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
In an interview around the time the film was released, Sir Ian McKellen said "I didn't like my character. He didn't seem very deep. He just seemed a representative of evil." See more »Goofs
When Todd gives Danker(Dussander) the uniform, he is wearing a blue sweater over a red shirt. Minutes later when Danker comes down stairs wearing the uniform, Todd's sweater is missing and he's just in the red polo. See more »Quotes
Kurt Dussander: What do you want? Tell me.Todd Bowden: I want to hear about it.
Kurt Dussander: Hear about what?
Todd Bowden: The stories. Everything.
Kurt Dussander: What everything?
Todd Bowden: Everything they're afraid to show us in school. You were there. You did those things. No one can tell it better than you can.
See more »
Soundtracks
Das Ist BerlinMusic by Leo Leux & Matthias Perl (as Matthias Perl)
Lyrics by Hans Hannes & Bruno Balz
Performed by Liane Augustin (as Liane) & The Boheme Bar Trio
Courtesy of Omega Record Group, Inc.
See more »
I was surprised at how good this movie was. The plot line seemed intriguing, but I was worried that it would eventually fall into one of the standard "bad Nazi war criminal found" plots where you always know the ending. This story was much more inventive.
At its core, the movie is about a high school student who discovers that an old man living in his community is a former Nazi war commander. Instead of turning him in, he approaches the man with a very unusual deal. He'll leave the man alone if he can hear first-hand about all the horrible things that were done. This was the plan at least.
The movie needed intense performances - and it got them from McKellen and Renfro. Both are incredibly captivating and scary in their own ways. Coupled with a suspenseful, unpredictable Stephen King story, the movie succeeds well.
If you're a Stephen King fan or simply enjoy thrillers, this movie is worth checking out.