Holes (2003)

A wrongfully convicted boy is sent to a brutal desert detention camp where he joins the job of digging holes for some mysterious reason.

Director:

Andrew Davis

Writers:

Louis Sachar (novel), Louis Sachar (screenplay)

Stars:

Shia LaBeouf, Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight

3 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sigourney Weaver	...	The Warden
Jon Voight	...	Mr. Sir
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Dr. Pendanski
Shia LaBeouf	...	Stanley
Khleo Thomas	...	Zero
Jake M. Smith	...	Squid
Byron Cotton	...	Armpit
Brenden Jefferson	...	X-Ray
Miguel Castro	...	Magnet
Max Kasch	...	Zigzag
Noah Poletiek	...	Twitch
Zane Holtz	...	Barfbag
Steven Kozlowski	...	Lump (as Steve Kozlowski)
Ski Carr	...	Guard
Jim Wilkey	...	Bus Driver / Kissed Stage Coach Driver

Storyline

"But if you forget to come back for Madame Zeroni, you and your family will be cursed for always and eternity." Those were the exact words spoken to young Elya Yelnats the day he forgot to repay Madame Zeroni. From then on his family was cursed with bad luck. One hundred years later Stanley Yelnats IV is accused of stealing a pair of cleats from a major league baseball player and sent to Camp Green Lake (a dry lake bed in the middle of the desert). It never rains at Camp Green Lake, it hasn't for one hundred years. The secretive and mysterious Warden has each inmate spend every day digging one hole to "build character." But when an artifact from the famous "Kissin' Kate" Barlow is found in a hole, the Warden forces the boys to work double time leading Stanley to deduce they're digging because the Warden is looking for something. But what? And how is the mystery of Camp Green Lake connected to Stanley's family curse?

---

Plot Keywords:

hole | camp | digging | bad luck | curse | 

---

Taglines:

Some secrets are too big to keep hidden.

---

Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family | Mystery

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for violence, mild language and some thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 April 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Geheimnis von Green Lake

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,300,155, 20 April 2003, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$67,406,573

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$71,406,573

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Pictures,Walden Media,Chicago Pacific Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A CZ67 or CZ-70 gun has a gun hammer part number of zas-020 (which is the Texas license plate in the movie).

---

Goofs

Flipped shot: After Kate tries to get help from the sheriff and he tries to kiss her, she runs out into the town. The sign of the store that she runs past ("Guns & Powders") is printed backwards.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
[Barfbag walks towards a rattlesnake]
X-Ray: Hey, Barfbag. What are you doing?
[Barfbag takes his shoe and sock off and steps on the snake, which bites him]
Barfbag: [yells] Aaaaaah!

---

Crazy Credits

"In Loving Memory of Scott Plank" appears after the end credits.

---

Connections

Referenced in Eagle Eye (2008)

---

Soundtracks

Stranger
Written by Richard Davis (as Richie Davis) and Chris 'Hambone' Cameron
Performed by Davis, Lizik, Hines & Scott

User Reviews

one of the best book adaptations i have ever seen..

seriously i loved this film..i had started to read the book and i loved it...the way everything was set up and everything had a purpose...i think this film did so well was because Louis Sachar wrote the screenplay..and of course Andrew Davis directed it...Shia Lebouf gives a great performance for his first film...the storyline is very cool and interesting...there's humor, heart and intensity...it is very similar to the book..i find this film to be not the least bit boring...i absolutely loved it...and i encourage anyone to read the book..all in all this film is very well put together and carefully crafted...two thumbs up for me in every single way