Holes (film) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Holes
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Andrew Davis
Produced by	Andrew Davis Lowell D. Blank Mike Medavoy Teresa Tucker-Davies
Screenplay by	Louis Sachar
Starring	Sigourney Weaver Jon Voight Patricia Arquette Tim Blake Nelson Shia LaBeouf
Music by	Joel McNeely
Cinematography	Stephen St. John
Editing by	Thomas J. Nordberg Jeffrey Wolf
Studio	Walt Disney Pictures Walden Media Phoenix Pictures Chicago Pacific Entertainment
Distributed by	Buena Vista Pictures
Release date(s)	April 18, 2003 (2003-04-18) (United States)
Running time	117 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$20 million
Money made	$71.4 million

Holes is an exciting adventure comedy film from 2003. It was directed by Andrew Davis. The movie is based on the popular book Holes by Louis Sachar, who also wrote the movie's script.

The film stars famous actors like Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Patricia Arquette, Tim Blake Nelson, and Shia LaBeouf. It was made by Walden Media and Walt Disney Pictures.

Holes came out in the United States on April 18, 2003. It earned over $71 million around the world. Later, it was released on DVD and VHS for everyone to watch at home. The movie is dedicated to Scott Plank, an actor who passed away before the film was released.

Story of Holes

The Yelnats family in Texas has a long history of bad luck. They believe this is because their ancestor, Elya, broke a promise to a fortune teller named Madame Zeroni many years ago.

One day, a boy named Stanley Yelnats IV is wrongly accused of stealing a famous baseball player's sneakers. Instead of going to jail, he is sent to Camp Green Lake. This is a special camp for young people who have gotten into trouble.

Life at Camp Green Lake

When Stanley arrives, he finds that Camp Green Lake is a dry, dusty place. It is run by the strict Warden, Louise Walker, her assistant Mr. Sir, and a counselor named Dr. Pendanski.

The kids at the camp are known by their nicknames, like Zero, Zig-Zag, Armpit, Squid, X-Ray, and Magnet. Every day, they have to dig large holes in the desert. If they find anything interesting, they might earn a day off from digging.

One night, Mr. Sir saves Stanley from a dangerous yellow-spotted lizard. These lizards are very aggressive and their bite can be deadly.

Stanley's Discovery

Stanley later finds a small, golden tube of lipstick with the initials "K.B." on it. After this discovery, the other boys at camp start to accept him. They give him the nickname "Caveman."

When Stanley is blamed for another boy stealing sunflower seeds, he is taken to the Warden's house. There, he sees old wanted posters and newspapers. He realizes that "K.B." stands for Katherine "Kissin' Kate" Barlow. She was a school teacher who became an outlaw in the 1800s.

The Warden asks Stanley to get her box of nail polish. She mentions it contains rattlesnake venom. The Warden then scratches Mr. Sir's face with her nail polish for wasting her time. Stanley is allowed to go back to his hole.

The Past of Green Lake

The movie shows us what Green Lake was like in the past. In the 19th century, it was a beautiful town with a large lake. Katherine Barlow was a kind school teacher. She fell in love with Sam, an African-American man who sold onions.

A rich man named Charles "Trout" Walker was jealous because Katherine did not love him. He and other townspeople attacked Sam and burned down the schoolhouse. Sam was badly hurt and died.

In response, Katherine became an outlaw. She sought revenge on those who hurt Sam. She would leave a kiss on the cheeks of the people she robbed with her special lipstick. At one point, she stole a treasure chest of gold from Stanley Yelnats Sr., an ancestor of Stanley.

Years later, the lake dried up. The Walkers, who had lost all their money, found Katherine. They demanded she tell them where the treasure was. Katherine refused and told them to dig for it. She then died from a lizard bite. The Walkers began digging for the treasure, but never found it.

Stanley and Zero's Escape

Back in the present, Dr. Pendanski makes fun of Zero, whose real name is Hector Zeroni. Zero hits Pendanski with a shovel and runs away into the desert. After thinking about it, Stanley decides to go look for Hector.

The two boys struggle to survive in the hot desert without water. Stanley eventually carries the very sick Hector up a mountain shaped like a thumb, called "God's Thumb." There, they find wild onions and a source of water. Eating the onions and drinking the water helps them get strong again.

At the same time, Stanley unknowingly fulfills his ancestor's promise to Madame Zeroni. This breaks the Yelnats family curse! Hector then tells Stanley that he was the one who stole the sneakers. He threw them over a bridge to escape the police, and they accidentally hit Stanley.

Finding the Treasure

Stanley and Hector return to the camp. They investigate the hole where Stanley found the lipstick. They discover a treasure chest! Soon, the Warden, Mr. Sir, and Pendanski find them. They realize that the Warden, who is a descendant of Charles Walker, has been using the boys to find her family's lost treasure.

The adults cannot take the chest from the boys because the hole is full of yellow-spotted lizards. However, the lizards do not bother Stanley and Hector because of the onions they ate. The adults decide to wait until morning when the lizards will move into the shade.

The next morning, Stanley's lawyer and the attorney general arrive with police officers. The treasure chest Stanley found belonged to his great-grandfather, also named Stanley Yelnats. So, Stanley is allowed to keep it!

The Warden, Mr. Sir (whose real name is Marion Sevillo), and Pendanski (who was pretending to be a doctor) are all arrested. Stanley and Zero are set free. It rains at Green Lake for the first time in over 100 years!

The Yelnats family claims the treasure, which contains jewels and important papers. They share it with Hector. Hector uses his share to hire people to find his missing mother. Stanley's father finally invents his special shoe spray now that the family curse is gone. Both families live happily as neighbors, with plenty of money.

Cast

Music

The film's music helps tell the story and create the mood. It included the Grammy-winning song "Just Like You" by Keb' Mo'. Another popular song was "Dig It" by The D Tent Boys, who were the actors playing the kids at camp. This song even had a music video that played on Disney Channel.

The soundtrack also featured songs from many other artists like Eels, Moby, and Shaggy. The music score, which is the background music, was created by Joel McNeely.

Here are some of the songs from the movie's soundtrack:

• "Dig It" – D-Tent Boys
• "Keep'n It Real" – Shaggy
• "Mighty Fine Blues" – Eels
• "Honey" – Moby
• "I'm Gonna Be A Wheel Someday" – Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps
• "Just Like You" – Keb' Mo'
• "Everybody Pass Me By" – Pepe Deluxé
• "I Will Survive" – Stephanie Bentley
• "Shake 'Em On Down" – North Mississippi Allstars
• "Don't Give Up" – Eagle Eye Cherry
• "Happy Dayz" – Devin Thompson
• "Let's Make A Better World" – Dr. John
• "If Only" – Fiction Plane
• "Eyes Down" – Eels
• "Down To The Valley" – Little Axe

See also

In Spanish: Holes (película) para niños