Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Sleepers (1996)
Sleepers
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Photos (see all 46 | slideshow) Videos
Sleepers (1996) -- 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.

Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   44,454 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 13% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Barry Levinson
Writers (WGA):
Lorenzo Carcaterra (book)
Barry Levinson (screenplay)
Contact:
View company contact information for Sleepers on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 October 1996 (USA) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama | Thriller more
Tagline:
When friendship runs deeper than blood more
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. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(3 articles)
Barry Levinson to Write and Direct Sixty-Six
 (From TheMovingPicture. 30 April 2009, 11:36 PM, PDT)

Actor Brad Renfro Dies at 25
 (From WENN. 15 January 2008)

User Comments:
Last third makes it worthwhile more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language, graphic violence and two scenes of strong sexual content.
Runtime:
147 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Kevin Bacon never actually met his co-stars Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman during the production because of the logistics of the shoot. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: After the trial, Mike enters the subway at the BMT Chambers Street station (under the Municipal Building). The station signs are of 1990s type, not from the early 1980s. more
Quotes:
Lorenzo: [narrating] Hell's Kitchen was a place of innocence ruled by corruption. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Mad About You: Outbreak (#5.7)" (1996) more
Soundtrack:
All Alone more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
49 out of 63 people found the following comment useful:-
Last third makes it worthwhile, 22 September 1999
7/10
Author: Sean Gallagher (naes@cgocable.net) from Oakville, Ont. Canada

Like the controversial book, the movie SLEEPERS is divided into three parts; before reform school, during, and after. But whereas the parts in the book all worked together into a satisfying(albeit disturbing) whole, the movie only really catches fire in the last third, which is enough to recommend it. Before I get to why, regarding on whether it really happened; that's irrelevant. It could have happened.

Part one of the book, like the movie, establishes our protagonists and their personalities, as well as draw out the supporting characters. We get to know and like them, and therefore the climax to the first part is quite disturbing. The movie, alas, relies too much on voice-over narration. A former friend once called movies like these "narration from hell" movies, and this one certainly qualifies. It tells us, rather than shows us, about the main characters. The four young actors are certainly appealing enough, but they're left with nothing to work with. Perhaps because it's so poorly written, Jason Patric, the one who narrates it, seems to do his job badly a la Harrison Ford in BLADE RUNNER. Or maybe he's just not good at it(he is a good actor). Only the supporting characters, like De Niro as the priest and the great Italian actor Vittorio Gassman as King Benny, come through.

Part II takes place at the reform school/prison, and it's the weakest part of the book, simply because it's all been done before, although this one is more sadistic than usual. What helps the movie, besides keeping DeNiro around, is the performances. Kevin Bacon is chilling as the head guard, and Terry Kinney, who usually plays weak-willed men, is surprisingly effective here as well.

Part III is the most controversial part of the book and movie, since it alleges a prosecutor threw a case, and a priest lied to help two murderers get off. Also, like A TIME TO KILL, it raises the question of whether revenge killing is justified. Unlike A TIME TO KILL, however, this movie and book don't take the easy way out, but look at both sides. You may not agree with what the priest character does, but you can't say it was easy for him, and like the book, the movie implies a little shame for having to ask him in the first place. And DeNiro's performance here is excellent; the look on his face when he hears for the first time what the boys went through in prison says a lot. The third part is where the movie finally comes alive, even though that annoying narration is still there, because the actors have something to work with, and they work with it. In addition to DeNiro and Gassman, I'm thinking in particular of Minnie Driver, Brad Pitt, and Dustin Hoffman. Driver and Pitt have to suggest earlier involvement, and they do in their powerful scene together in the subway when she reveals she now knows what went on at the prison(her reaction when she finds out is also powerful). As for Hoffman, one reason I am tired of courtroom movies and shows is the assertion that yelling is the only way lawyers examine people, and Hoffman resists the urge to overact. Watch him particularly when he destroys Kinney's character on the stand, with a low but probing voice that nicely plays against his questioning, rather than blow it up. And so, when the four main characters(along with Driver) come together for the last time, you really feel the moment, more than you'd suspect from the start. It's not a perfect movie, but stick with it and it is worthwhile.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Sleepers (1996)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
They should have beaten him up first!! Serena-Mc-kenna
Why is it called 'Sleepers?' mozart_lvr
Sleepers Book Quotes boricuadelight
Tommy and John's 'child' and 'adult' characters looked nothing alike! calz_666
The part that disturbed me the most rapnroc23
what happened to the black guard vin-bourke
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Godfather Once Upon a Time in America Fight for Your Life Goodfellas Wonderland
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Crime section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.