Louis Sachar's acclaimed teen adventure novel comes to dazzling life with this wildly entertaining adaptation. Stanley Yelnats (Shia LaBeouf) is an unassuming adolescent whose family has been cursed for generations. One day, after Stanley is falsely accused of stealing a pair of sneakers, he is sentenced to 18 months at Camp Green Lake. But when he gets there, he discovers that this camp is really more like a prison. Under the supervision of the fiery Mr. Sir (Jon Voight) and goofy Dr. Pendanski (Tim Blake Nelson), Stanley and his cohorts must spend each day digging holes in the desert, in order "to build character." Or at least that's what The Warden (Sigourney Weaver) says. When Stanley finally gathers up the courage to escape the camp, he and fellow escapee Zero (Khleo Thomas) stumble across a secret that will expose Camp Green Lake for the evil place that it is, and erase the Yelnats family curse forever. Director-producer Andrew Davis (THE FUGITIVE) performs a miraculous feat with HOLES, crafting a family film that is smart, funny, and engaging. Sachar's story teaches enormously valuable lessons about respect, teamwork, and honesty, making HOLES a must-see for individuals everywhere.
Theatrical release: April 18, 2003
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Digital 5.1 - French
Dolby Digital 5.1 - Spanish
THX Certified Audio
Additional Release Material:
Outtakes
Deleted Scenes
Music Video: Cast - "Dig It"
Making Of: THE MAKING OF HOLES
Audio Commentary:
1. Andrew Davis - Director, Louis Sachar - Screenwriter
2. Shia LaBeouf, Khleo Thomas, Jake M. Smith, and Max Kasch - Stars
Interactive Features:
Scene Access
Interactive Menus
Distributor Notes: Disney's Holes
The award-winning bestseller comes to life in this phenomenally fun, adventure-filled movie starring Emmy Award-winner Shia LaBeouf (Outstanding Performer In A Children's Series, Disney Channel's EVEN STEVENS, 2000). Dogged by bad luck stemming from an ancient family curse, young Stanley Yelnats (LaBeouf) is sent to Camp Green Lake, a very weird place that's not green and doesn't have a lake. Once there, he's thrown headlong into the adventure of his life when he and his colorful campmates -- Squid, Armpit, Zigzag, Magnet, X-Ray, and Zero -- must dig a hole a day to keep the warden at bay. But why? Through it all, Stanley and company must forge fast friendships as they try to unearth the mystery of what's really going on in the middle of nowhere. Filled with humor and heartwarming messages of friendship and teamwork, HOLES is a treasure everyone will dig.
Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
Stars
Shia LaBeouf: Actor, HOLES (2003)
Sigourney Weaver: American actress, ALIEN (1979), GORILLAS IN THE MIST
Jon Voight: Oscar-winning actor, MIDNIGHT COWBOY, COMING HOME
Patricia Arquette: American Actress; MEDIUM
Tim Blake Nelson: Actor/Director
Rick Fox:
Khleo Thomas: Actor, HOLES (2003)
Henry Winkler: Actor, HAPPY DAYS
Siobhan Fallon: American actress, MEN IN BLACK
Nathan Davis: Actor/"Dunston Checks In"
Eartha Kitt: Actress, singer, BATMAN (1966)
Director
Andrew Davis: Director, action thrillers, began as a Cinematographer
Producer
Lowell D. Blank: Producer, HOLES (2003)
Cary Granat: executive producer, SCARY MOVIE
Mike Medavoy: producer, THE SIXTH DAY
Teresa Tucker-Davies: Producer, HOLES (2003)
Andrew Davis: Director, action thrillers, began as a Cinematographer
Screenwriter
Louis Sachar: Screenwriter, HOLES (2003)
Composer
Joel McNeely:
Source Writer
Louis Sachar: Screenwriter, HOLES (2003)
Director of Photography
Stephen St. John: Director of Photography, HOLES (2003)
Review 1:
"...Faithful and highly entertaining....It's great to see an action-adventure family film with heart as well as humor, whimsy alongside wisdom, and a compelling narrative..."
Source: USA Today
p.13D 04/18/2003
Review 2:
"...The young actors play their roles with the relaxed focus of regular boys....Honoring the literary ground beneath it, spotted yellow lizards and all, the movie HOLES is easy to dig..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.128 04/25/2003
Review 3:
"...Comic as well as edgy....HOLES is successful finally for the most old-fashioned of reasons: It's got an involving, adventurous story to tell and the wherewithal to tell it correctly..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.C1 04/18/2003
Review 4:
"...The whole movie generates a surprising conviction....It doesn't condescend, and it founds its story on recognizable human nature....Davis has always been a director with a strong visual sense, and the look of HOLES has a noble, dusty loneliness..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.27 04/18/2003
Review 5:
"[T]here are well-judged performances from Sigourney Weaver, Tim Blake Nelson and Jon Voight..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.46-7 12/31/2003
Review 6:
"...It's a wonderfully inventive story....The performances are all fine, especially Jon Voight..."
Source: Box Office
p.58 06/01/2003
Review 7:
"...The tough, prickly camaraderie among the boys and their solidarity in the face of adult cruelty give the picture its heart and also its pedigree....The younger actors are appropriately boisterous and appealing..."
Source: New York Times
p.E14 04/18/2003
Review 8:
"...HOLES will no doubt speak clearly and appealingly to its intended teen audience..."
Source: Variety
p.22-30 04/21/2003
Review 9:
"...There's undeniable sweetness to HOLES..."
Source: Total Film
p.103 11/01/2003