Connor Loyd is a movie critic for the Samford Crimson. The views expressed in this opinion article do not necessarily reflect the views of the Samford Crimson or Samford University.
“Holes” is a 2003 movie directed by Andrew Davis and is based on the 1998 book of the same name by Louis Sachar. Its exact genre is deceptively difficult to pin down; the narrative could be described as part Western, part mystery, part coming-of-age story, but none of these genres on their own seem to be an accurate description. Its plot follows Stanley Yelnats, a teenage boy who’s wrongfully convicted of stealing and sent to a juvenile corrections camp out in the hot Texas desert. He and the other campers are forced to dig a hole a day “to build character.” But what are they really out there digging for?
The film is a personal favorite of mine, but it doesn’t seem to get talked about all that much. In my opinion, “Holes” has one of the best-plotted stories ever. Every little detail connects and gets tied up by the end, often in ways you aren’t at first expecting. It’s an absolute masterclass in set-up and payoff. Part of the reason the plot is so effective is the fact that the film’s screenplay was written by the book’s author, Sachar. As part of the writing process, the script was meticulously planned out on 3-by-5 note cards, each of which included specific time allotments that would be given to every individual scene.
For something that was so pre-planned and technical, one might expect a cold and efficient thought-experiment of a movie, something impressive to study but lacking in more human, emotional moments. But the movie is not heartless in the least; it’s actually really sweet. It also tackles some pretty heavy themes for a movie aimed at a family audience, including subjects like racism and homelessness. The film is particularly focused thematically on the concept of justice and how true justice does not always match (and is sometimes even in direct conflict with) the justice recognized by laws and general society.
One movie I could compare it to -not in terms of genre or content, but in terms of tone and structure- is “Back to the Future.” Both movies are excellent examples of how effective simple set-up and payoff can be when operating at a high level. And apparently, the star of “Holes,” Shia LaBeouf, was simultaneously filming his late ‘90s/early ‘00s sitcom “Even Stevens” while working on this movie, much like Michael J. Fox was splitting his time between the classic time-travel comedy and his popular sitcom “Family Ties.”
Beyond LaBeouf, who does a great job at portraying Yelnats, the movie’s lead, the film sports a great cast all around. The marquee is chock-full of big names, such as Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Dule Hill and Patricia Arquette. Each of actors brings their all to the roles they are inhabiting. The camp’s villainous counselors reveal themselves to be more and more sinister (and simultaneously more pathetic and petty) the longer they stick around, and watching them bicker and argue amongst themselves is a joy to watch. Arquette and Hill shine as romantic leads in an Old West-set backstory, the conclusion of which acts as the biggest emotional gut punch of the film. All of the child actors playing the various campers are very convincing in their roles, even when they have to tame down the kind of language a group of teenage convicts would undoubtedly be using amongst each other for the sake of maintaining the film’s PG rating.
The movie was directed by Andrew Davis. Interestingly enough, he also directed “The Fugitive,” another movie about an innocent person wrongfully convicted of a crime. When looking for someone to direct an adaptation of his novel, Sachar wanted somebody like Davis working on the project. He didn’t want someone looking to make a “fluffy children’s movie.” At that, he succeeded. “Holes” is anything but fluff; it’s an incredibly tight and well-told story that’s satisfying to watch time and time again. I highly recommend the film and the book it’s based on for anyone who hasn’t come across either before.
“Author Louis Sachar Digs Up Fond Memories Of ‘Holes’ Film Adaptation 16 Years Later”
“18 things you probably didn’t know about ‘Holes'”
Contributing Writer
