By: debbie lynn elias
Based on the award winning book by the same name, “Holes” is a fun filled adventure guaranteed to entertain both young and old alike. With a departure from the more intense, action adventure and psychological thrillers for which he is best known, such as “A Perfect Murder,” “Collateral Source” and “The Fugitive,” veteran director Andrew Davis now brings this young adult “teen” adventure story to the big screen with the same intensity and craftsmanship as his more adult films, but with a new found lightness, levity, and fantasy.
For all you adults out there that haven’t read Louis Sachar’s novel, “Holes” is the story of the palindromically named Stanley Yelnats, a good boy believed to have gone tragically bad when he is falsely accused of stealing a baseball star’s sneakers. Not surprised by this tragic event, as Stanley has long since accepted the repercussions of the ancient Yelnats family curse, he is shipped off to a Texas detention center called Camp Green Lake (so what if there’s no lake and no green) for rehabilitation and to serve time as penalty for his “crime.”
Under the direction of Warden Walker and her assistants, Mr. Sir and Mr. Pendanski, in a character building exercise, the boys sent to Camp Green Lake are forced to each dig a 5-foot deep hole on a daily basis. Despite the hot sun and hard labor (hey, you try digging holes in a dry Texas desert!), Stanley does have one bright spot, the friendships he establishes with the other boys in the camp – Armpit, X-ray, Zero, Squid, Magnet and Zigzag.
While pondering their individual plights and the seeming insanity of digging holes, second and third stories unfold which director Davis carefully weaves into Stanley’s tale. Flashing back to early 19th century Latvia, we meet up with Stanley’s great-great grandfather and learn of the beginnings of the Yelnats family curse. Seems great gramps broke a promise to an old gypsy woman and as well know from our childhood reading, gypsies love to put curses on families; in this case, one for eternal failure and misery for the Yelnats clan. We also get a little history lesson about Camp Green Lake and learn that some 150 years ago it was green and there was a lake. There was also the infamous bandit Kissin’ Kate Barlow and events which resulted in an almost biblical retribution with the lake drying up and the town dying.
Always the clever one, Stanley quickly realizes that the boys are not digging holes to build character. There is something out there tied into Green Lake’s wild west history that the warden wants – and wants badly – and its up to Stanley and his friends to find out what that is.
Never once “dumbed down”, “Holes” – like “Harry Potter” – truly treats its younger audience as adults thanks not only to director Davis, but to an absolutely stellar cast. Sigourney Weaver as Warden Walker and Jon Voight and Mr. Sir and Tim Blake Nelson as Pendanski, give bravura performances with a dark comic edge. Catering to the minutest of detail and nuance to provide full, well-rounded and intriguing characters, none is more effective than Voight. With a spit and slick style, Voight oozes comic menace. And let’s not forget one of everyone’s favorites, Henry Winkler, who gives an interesting comedic turn as Stanley’s father, a man obsessed with discovering the cure for foot odor. And for all you “oldsters” out there, we’ve even got Eartha Kitt – yes, the Eartha Kitt – as the old gypsy woman. She is simply purrrfeccttt. And kudos to the younger stars of this film whose comradery and sense of adventure and intrigue just leap from the screen, and none moreso than that between Shia LaBeouf as Stanley and Khleo Thomas as Zero who truly focus on what it means to be friends and the rigors of right and wrong.
Writer Louis Sachar remains faithful to his book with this script and does an excellent job of character development and cleaning up some loose ends necessary to the book, but not to the film, and throughout it all, retains the interesting undercurrents and backstories which have endeared the book to so many readers. Director Davis, capitalizing on his talent for strong visuals, follows through on Sachar’s story using the camera to fill in some of the holes created by the story adaption. Creating an almost fanciful feel, Davis thanks in large part to cinematographer Stephen St. John, seamlessly mixes the past and present storylines, all the while keeping the integrity and continuity of the story flowing.
Kid’s movie my foot! In the true Disney spirit, “Holes” is for the young and old alike. Substantive, well told, well executed. There is something here to satisfy the entire family – and that includes mine! See the movie. Read the book. Then go see the movie again. You won’t be sorry.
The Warden: Sigourney Weaver
Mr. Sir: Jon Voight
Kissin’ Kate: Patricia Arquette
Stanley: Shia LaBeouf
Dr. Pendanski: Tim Blake Nelson
Zero: Khleo Thomas
Squid: Jake M. Smith
Armpit: Byron Cotton
X-Ray: Brenden
Jefferson Stanley’s Father: Henry Winkler
Walt Disney Pictures presents a film directed by Andrew Davis. Written by Louis Sachar (based on his novel). Running time: 111 minutes. Rated PG
