Sleepers (1996)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

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:

Guard | Prank | Revenge | Humiliation | Sexual Abuse

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

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

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:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Iceland:16 | Philippines:PG-13 | New Zealand:R16 | 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:

The code name "Edmund" that is used in the paper to notify Micheal that he needed to contact Shakes is the name of the main character, Edmund Dantes, from "The Count of Monte Cristo".

Goofs:

Anachronisms: In the scene where the boys are lying on the roof right before they steal the hot dog cart, the One Penn Plaza skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan is seen behind Michael. This building was not built until 1972, five years after the scene takes place.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lorenzo: This is a true story about friendship that runs deeper than blood. This is my story and that of the only three friends in my life that truely mattered. Two of them were killers who never made it past the age of 30. The other's a non-practicing attorney living with the pain of his past - too afraid to let it go, never confronting its horror. I'm the only one who can speak for them, and the children we were.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Early In The Morning

4 childhood friends set out for petty prank that changes their lives forever.

"Sleepers," is a captivating, taut, ride. It's well-crafted visually and storywise, keeping my attention from the first plot point to the last, which is hard to do, as I see dozens of movies each week. I can't believe I missed this back in '96. It must have been the pedestrian title, but at any rate, the performances were top-notch and the story, both intriguing and heart-wrenching. One seemingly harmless lifting of a hot dog, places four lives in a juvenile system that rips their promise apart. Wow. Who cares if the story is true, the movie is entertaining and a fun ride!