Movie: "Holes"
Jun. 28th, 2009 10:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
timepiececlockJust watched Holes. I'd seen the first half hour once before on a botched couch date (my memory of the evening is more "I should finish that movie someday" than "I should call that guy", funny enough), and so when I had the opportunity and the whim hit me, I bumped it to the top of my Netflix list. I'd heard good things about the cast and the story.
Overall, I give it an A! An excellent YA film, one that fits in with classics like The Sandlot, The Mighty Ducks, The Goonies, and Adventures In Babysitting. It's a touch dark, like Stand By Me, but has the same whimsical, almost fantasy storytelling of The Sandlot. I liked the variety of characters presented in the boys and in the adults, and I really appreciated how all the storylines tied together in the end. It was only as the final scenes were happening did I realize the scope of the various relationships within this community--from the past to the present, from neighbor to nemesis to descendant. Absolutely delicious use of storytelling devices and anecdotes to advance plot and link people together.
The way that various adult members of the cast chewed the scenery was a hoot too--perfect performances from the main three camp-keepers, just the right level of caricature for this kind of film. Sigourney Weaver's character could have been the seventh member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad , except without the ninja skills. Just with supreme nastiness. The cast of kids was great; they all did splendid jobs and I'm curious if I'll recognize any of them in current movies beyond the obvious protagonist. And Dule Hill can feed me onions any day.
Overall, I give it an A! An excellent YA film, one that fits in with classics like The Sandlot, The Mighty Ducks, The Goonies, and Adventures In Babysitting. It's a touch dark, like Stand By Me, but has the same whimsical, almost fantasy storytelling of The Sandlot. I liked the variety of characters presented in the boys and in the adults, and I really appreciated how all the storylines tied together in the end. It was only as the final scenes were happening did I realize the scope of the various relationships within this community--from the past to the present, from neighbor to nemesis to descendant. Absolutely delicious use of storytelling devices and anecdotes to advance plot and link people together.
The way that various adult members of the cast chewed the scenery was a hoot too--perfect performances from the main three camp-keepers, just the right level of caricature for this kind of film. Sigourney Weaver's character could have been the seventh member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad , except without the ninja skills. Just with supreme nastiness. The cast of kids was great; they all did splendid jobs and I'm curious if I'll recognize any of them in current movies beyond the obvious protagonist. And Dule Hill can feed me onions any day.
