Sleepers (1996)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writers (WGA):

Lorenzo Carcaterra (book)
Barry Levinson (screenplay)

Release Date:

18 October 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

When friendship runs deeper than blood

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Haunted By Past | Rape And Revenge | Whistleblower | Ticket Stub | Teen Angst

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

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

Also Known As:

Sleepers (Austria) (Germany) [de]
Correction, La (Canada: French title) [fr]
Hijos de la calle, Los (Argentina) [es]
Kardes gibiydiler (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Katuvarpuset (Finland) [fi]
Pokoli lecke (Hungary) [hu]
Sentimento de Revolta (Portugal) [pt]
Sleepers (Sweden) [sv]
Sleepers (Slovenia) [sl]
Sleepers (Greece) [el]
Sleepers (France) [fr]
Sleepers (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Sleepers (Spain) [es]
Sleepers - A Vingança Adormecida (Brazil) [pt]

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

147 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Philippines:PG-13 | Australia:MA | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (bw) | Italy:T | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1997) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Cafe Elysian - 1001 Washington Street, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Baltimore Pictures

Trivia:

This was Billy Crudup's film debut.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the end of the film, when DeNiro's character hands the basketball tickets to Pitt's character in court, Pitt reaches for the ticket twice.

Quotes:

Lorenzo: I couldn't look at him. He might look right through the fear and the shame, right through to the truth.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Bill Pullman/New Edition (#22.3)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

Tainted Love (Where Did Our Love Go)

Disturbing, powerful, but lacking a certain something.

Disturbing drama about four kids sent to a juvenile jail where they were sexually abused, only for them to grow into men years later and seek vengeance on the man (Kevin Bacon) who abused them. A good effort on all accounts, but the film falls apart somewhere in the second half, and seems a bit too bent on making the audience cringe during flashbacks than really trust the story as it sits. Robert De Niro seems a bit held back as a priest, while Brad Pitt and Dustin Hoffman surprisingly hold one's interest more than anyone else.

3.5/5 stars -

John Ulmer