USA Today talks about how Holes could be a big hit and how it is adapted from the children's book to film:
Two years ago, Walden Media, which co-produced the movie with Disney, polled teachers and found that Holes was their top pick of a book to become a movie. "What's captivated people is the triumph of the spirit," says Walden Media CEO Cary Granat.
Holes also deals with racism, literacy and homelessness.
"You get a lot of kid books that assume kids don't understand things," LaBeouf says. "How often do you see a Disney movie with a juvenile detention center as the core of the film?"
Taking a cue from the Potter franchise, the movie sticks to the book's basics.
Kids want the movie "to be exactly like the book," says Khleo Thomas, who plays Stanley's pal Zero.
Director Andrew Davis was adamant that Sachar write the screenplay. On a recent tour to promote the movie, the author was treated like "the Mick Jagger of children's literature," says Davis. "He's got a tremendous sense of how kids feel and treat each other."
Sachar did make a few minor changes in the translation to film. "Maybe huge fans will notice," he says. "But I've heard a lot of people say they like the movie better. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that."
The LA Times also talks to the kid stars of the film Shia LaBeouf, 16, and Khleo Thomas, 14.
"Holes" also features such veterans as Sigourney Weaver, Henry Winkler, Patricia Arquette and Tim Blake Nelson. The young actors especially took to Jon Voight, who obviously relished the comedic strokes of playing the crooked guard Mr. Sir.
"He gave me lots of hints," Thomas offers, "like on eye contact, where to focus when they're shooting a close-up and the person I'm supposed to be talking to isn't there. He said if you focus on something near you, you'll look away sooner, so it's better to look at something far."
LaBeouf added, "Sometimes he'd still be in Mr. Sir mode and give you acting advice. Advice from a cowboy -- 'You've got to have a manly walk there, boy.' "
Thomas hasn't landed his next movie role, while LaBeouf has finished roles in the upcoming "When Harry Met Lloyd: Dumb and Dumberer" and "The Battle of Shaker Heights."
As many 16-year-old boys likely would be, LaBeouf seems excited by his role in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."
"I swear to God I was going through puberty right there!" he jokes. "It was set up so I was sitting with Bernie Mac, and the three Angels were sitting all in a row right across from us. They're all in skirts, doing this," LaBeouf rather broadly crosses and recrosses his legs. "I tell you, it was the best experience."
From Comingsoon.net
Two years ago, Walden Media, which co-produced the movie with Disney, polled teachers and found that Holes was their top pick of a book to become a movie. "What's captivated people is the triumph of the spirit," says Walden Media CEO Cary Granat.
Holes also deals with racism, literacy and homelessness.
"You get a lot of kid books that assume kids don't understand things," LaBeouf says. "How often do you see a Disney movie with a juvenile detention center as the core of the film?"
Taking a cue from the Potter franchise, the movie sticks to the book's basics.
Kids want the movie "to be exactly like the book," says Khleo Thomas, who plays Stanley's pal Zero.
Director Andrew Davis was adamant that Sachar write the screenplay. On a recent tour to promote the movie, the author was treated like "the Mick Jagger of children's literature," says Davis. "He's got a tremendous sense of how kids feel and treat each other."
Sachar did make a few minor changes in the translation to film. "Maybe huge fans will notice," he says. "But I've heard a lot of people say they like the movie better. I'm not quite sure how I feel about that."
The LA Times also talks to the kid stars of the film Shia LaBeouf, 16, and Khleo Thomas, 14.
"Holes" also features such veterans as Sigourney Weaver, Henry Winkler, Patricia Arquette and Tim Blake Nelson. The young actors especially took to Jon Voight, who obviously relished the comedic strokes of playing the crooked guard Mr. Sir.
"He gave me lots of hints," Thomas offers, "like on eye contact, where to focus when they're shooting a close-up and the person I'm supposed to be talking to isn't there. He said if you focus on something near you, you'll look away sooner, so it's better to look at something far."
LaBeouf added, "Sometimes he'd still be in Mr. Sir mode and give you acting advice. Advice from a cowboy -- 'You've got to have a manly walk there, boy.' "
Thomas hasn't landed his next movie role, while LaBeouf has finished roles in the upcoming "When Harry Met Lloyd: Dumb and Dumberer" and "The Battle of Shaker Heights."
As many 16-year-old boys likely would be, LaBeouf seems excited by his role in "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."
"I swear to God I was going through puberty right there!" he jokes. "It was set up so I was sitting with Bernie Mac, and the three Angels were sitting all in a row right across from us. They're all in skirts, doing this," LaBeouf rather broadly crosses and recrosses his legs. "I tell you, it was the best experience."
From Comingsoon.net