Meredith Herald
November 6,1996
8 ^ Campus Extras
Patric, Pitt make Levinson's Sleepers an eye-opener
Movie Review
By KeAnne Tomlinson
MOVIE: Sleepers
ACTORS: Brad Piti, Jason Patric, Robert
DeNiro, Kevin Bacon
DIRECTOR: Bany Levinson
If one plans to watch Sleepers based soJely
on the attraction of Brad Pitt, one is in for a
surprise, albeit a pleasant surprise. Pin appears
foroDlyahouroftbe two ajidatialf hour movie,
but one hardly misses him. Sleepers is the latest
film from Barry Levitison. and it is a powerful,
gripping story about a hoirifying topic—a film
well-worth seeing.
The movie’s plot revolves around the shat
tered innocence of four boys and the revenge
they seek to avenge that loss. At the heart of the
movie is the friendship between four boys:
Michael Sullivan, JohnReilly.TommyMarcano
and Lorenzo Carcatetra. Told in a series of
flashbacks through the adult eyes of Carcaterra
(Jason Patric), tlie movie can be divided into
two distinct parts.
The first half of Sleepers sets the stage for
the horror to come and depicts the lives of four
boys as they grow up in Hell’s Kitchen, New
York, in the 1960s. For tlie first hour, tbeir
teenage lives are the main focus, ajxl this glimpse
into their daily lives reveals their characters and
personalities, the importance of the Catholic
church in their lives and the environment in
which the four boys grow up. The audience sees
the boys in a Catholic school, playing pranks on
the nuns, and getting innocently involved with
King Betmy. the local mobsciU’, asinnocetttly as
anyone can who dallies with organized crime.
The four boys may not be perfect, but they are
as good as children can be growing up and
surviving in Hell’s Kitchen. It is fitting then ihal
it is a boyish prank on a hot dog vendor that
wevocably changes theirlives by sending them
to boarding school.
The second half of the movie shows their
lives in reform school in '.dl its darkness and
horror. It is there that the boys’ innocence in
shattered as they themselves are shattered by
the other boys and the guards. The guards abuse
the boy’s faith, bodies, self-esteem and souls. If
Hell’s Kitchen was bad. the tour boys sink into
the pit of Hell now. It is in reform school that
they sow the first seeds of revenge, inspired by
The ComtofMotile CrisioOMLonnioteiisio
the others. The movie then fastforwardsto 1981
when the boys are lost and broken adults, and
SeanNokes.asecurity guard from the school, is
killed. This starts the ball rolling for the rest of
their revenge. The rest of Sleepers focuses on
the brilliantly complex and ultimate revenge the
boys carry out.
The acting in Skepers is superb, and it is an
essentially ensemble cast. The actors playing
the four boys are relatively unknown with Brad
Renfrew (Michael), Geoffrey Wigdor (John),
Jonathan Tucker (Tommy) and Joe Perrino
(Lorenzo). These young actors steal the movie
away from tlieir more famous and experienced
elders. Each of them manages to convey the
friendship they feel, as well as the horror and
shame at the abuses in the reform school. They
seem like teenagers one minute and serious men
the next.
But it is Perrino who stands out exception
ally. He is incredible as he makes us love him
and the other boys. He cries with real emotion,
reveals mischeviousness. and shows fear, hurt
and defiance all seemingly without effort. He is
the quiet strength behind the group.
As Father Bobby, Robert DeNiro excels.
He gives the priest a dynamic, three-dimen-
sioualpersonality as the boy’steal fatherfigure.
Father Bobby is tough, loving and, tnost impor
tantly, imperfect. Hischaracterplays basketball
and undCTStands Hell’s Kitchen.
Minnie Driver is sadly underused in this
boy's film, but she shines in the scenes she is in.
Kevin Baconisappnjpriately disturbing, greasy
aud evil as Sean Nokes. Tlie four actors playing
the boys as adults are stellar as well. Ron Elliard
and Billy Cnidup give strong performances as
the adult John and Tommy. Pitt is very impres
sive as the adult Michael. His performance has
g^uine depth and emotion stronger than any of
bis other films. For the first time. Pitt explores
a number of different characteristics, and he
shows real talent as he endows Michael with
soul.
Patric, however, gives the most Impressive
performance as the adult Lorenzo. His voice is
heard from the beginning as he narrates, and be
is literally the voice of the film. Patric’s perfor
mance is low-key. but bottomless in its inten
sity. He reveals every subtle nuance, every
thought and every emotion from pain to awk
wardness. He is breathtaking to watch as his
intensity bums like a candle.
Sleepers excels technically also. Levinson
directs an aresting, moving fiUn that tells a
story at its own natural, appropriate pace. He
reveals himself to be a master story teller as
each detail is fleshed out lo importance. Tl>e
sound effects are wonderfully illustrative. The
movie begins with the four boys sunbathing on
a roof wile a Beach Boys’ surfer song plays in
ihe background, an interesting juxtaposition of
innocence with theharsh. steamy, seethingreal-
ity of Hell’s Kitchen. In tlie second half, the
main sound effects are haunting cries and
screams, sounds that seem to echo and haunt the
characters even when they are out of reform
school.
The style of the film is formalistic with the
occasional black and white shots and play on
light and dark. Sleepers also cleverly uses flash
backs to gain maximum emotional impact, such
as in the scene in the church when Patric prays
and remembers yet another demoralizing airoc-
iiy the guards brought about. The film also
shows irony in its flashbacks. At the end of tlie
movie, the boys are reunited and all bodes well.
However, Patric’s narration tells the audience
tliat is not so as he reveals what does happen.
Sleepers is as beautiful a film as it is hor
rible. It drains you. hurts you aud makes you
cry. 1 cried four times. You ache for these boys,
what they were and what they become because
of their experiences. The film is ultimately
about the bonds of loyalty and friendship, and
the final image in the film reveals the whole
meaning of the movie. A scene is shown of the
boys in Catliolic school, happy together and
triumphant, but as Patric’s voice speaks on, the
viewer knows the bitter truth to come. Their
Eden is gone, and so are they. You won’t sleep
through this film, which is good because it is
one film everyone should see.
DOLE: continued from page 1
June to pursue his campaign for presidency, she remembered how Republicans and Democrats alike
expressed respect for “his won! as his bond.”
The Dole-Kemp economic plan, she said, vows “to cut taxes and balaiKe tlie budget” in an effort
to give the money back to the American people in the form of a 15% tax cutacross the board and$500
per child tax credits. Combined, these would provide the average American family with $1,555.
“Money better spent by your family than by the government,” Dole said.
Dolealsomentionedherfatherplanstoenacta50% capital gains cut. whichshe hopes will mean
more jobs from the private business sector. This would enable businesses to create more jobs, an asset
particularly for young people.
She said her father is “committed to making schools safer and returning control of the schools
back to the local community, teachers and parents.” In addition he wants to provide parents with the
opporiunity to send their children to the school of their choice, she said. Dole said her father would
like to use the presidency as a chance to deter teenage drug use.
“I want with all my heart for my father to be president, but that will not elevate him in my eyes
for he could stand no taller than he does now. But 1 believe with all my heart that America will stand
taller economically, morally and militarily with Bob Dole as president,” she said.
Dole told the crowd of about lOOstudents and media how as achild her mother made red poodle
skirts for her and her friends during a campaign. Each skirt featured a blue elephant, but Robin’s
carried a special banner which proclaimed "I’m for my Daddy, are you?” “My message started out
that way and it’s still the same today,” said Dole,
Liz Denny, a 1992Meredith College graduate, accompanied Dole as her advance representative.
Denny routinely serves as Dole’s trip coordinator.
Angels for the Environment
By Katie Robinson
"Measure your health by your sympathy with morning and spring. If there is no response in you
to the awakening of nature.-if the prospect of an early morning walk does not banish sleep, if the
warble ofa bluebird does not thrillyou,-know that the morning and springofyourlife are past. Thus
may you feel your pii\st"{JouriwL February 25,1859, Heury David Thoreau)
The next AFE meeting will be November 15 at lOajnin 107 Hunter, Group pictures for the
yearbook will be on November 12 at 6:30pm in the Rotunda; we hope alt members will be able to
make it. Thank you to Carolyn Parnell, Sherry Miller. Amanda Sundstrom, Counuey Stallings.
DanielleMir, Nicole Farley and KatieRobinsonforhelpingplantfiowers on Saturday. October 26.
to beautify our campus, A special thanks to Harry Cadman. who prepared the site for us. We now
have pansies by tlie frontentrance to thecampus and Jones Auditorium to welcome the new autumn
season. The next project will be planting trees which will take place before Thanksgiving, when
the weatlier is colder.
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