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Kevin Bacon, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Billy Crudup, Bruno Kirby ... see more see more... , Jason Patric , Vittorio Gassman , Brad Pitt , Minnie Driver , Ron Eldard , Brad Renfro , Wendell Pierce , Aida Turturro , Terry Kinney , Peter Appel , Eugene Byrd , Ben Hammer , Michael P. Moran , James Pickens Jr. , Larry Romano , Tom Signorelli , Henry Stram , Jonathan Tucker , William Butler , John Slattery , Joe Urla , Saverio Guerra , Jeffrey Donovan , Frank Medrano , Dash Mihok , Joe Perrino , Geoffrey Widgor , Joseph Perrino

Barry Levinson directed this crime drama based on a controversial bestseller. Jason Patrick stars as Lorenzo, a New York reporter more commonly called "Shakes," a nickname courtesy of his three childh... read more read more...ood pals from Hell's Kitchen -- Michael (Brad Pitt), John (Ron Eldard), and Tommy (Billy Crudup). As kids, all four were sent to reform school after accidentally killing someone during a cruel prank. There, the boys were raped and beaten by several guards, including Sean Nokes (Kevin Bacon), a fact that they've kept secret into adulthood. Michael is now a rising star in the district attorney's office, while John and Tommy are founders of the Irish gang the Westies. When Nokes walks into John and Tommy's hangout, they kill him in cold blood and go on trial, defended by a drug-addicted lawyer (Dustin Hoffman). Michael and Shakes conspire with childhood friend Carol (Minnie Driver) and local priest Father Bobby (Robert DeNiro) to free their friends and get even with the surviving guards. Based on a true story chronicled by Lorenzo Carcaterra in his novel of the same name, Sleepers stirred controversy when the veracity of the book was challenged by reporters who could find no documentation of the events described. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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81% liked it

87,698 ratings

Critics

73% liked it

52 critics

R, 2 hr. 27 min.

Directed by: Barry Levinson

Release Date: October 18, 1996

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DVD Release Date: September 25, 1997

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Stats: 3,740 reviews

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Sleepers "Father Bobby" testifying Sleepers Sleepers "Shakes" in his room at the Wilkinson Home For Boys Sleepers Sleepers 4 friends on the day that forever altered their lives tommy Sleepers Sleepers (1996) Sleepers
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Flixster Reviews (3,740)

  • blkbomb
    December 12, 2011
    blkbomb
    Lorenzo: There are no clear pictures of the sexual abuse we endured. I buried it as deep as it can possibly go. 

    "When friendship runs deeper than blood"

    There is only one way to describe Sleepers and that is that it is a great movie. It comes with flaws, which I won't discuss ... read moreas they are very apparent and because I just can't take away from how great this film is. Sleepers is easily Barry Levinson's best film and features amazing performances from a variety of really talented actors like Dustin Hoffman and Robert De Niro. Those are the legends in the cast, but there are so many more like Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, and Jason Patric. That is just scratching the surface on all the great performances that came out of this movie.

    Sleepers begins with a great introduction to the life of four friends in the slums of Hell's Kitchen. Levinson does a tremendous job with the setting. He shows just how bleak existence is in Hell's Kitchen. From there we move into a childhood drama, where the four friends rob a hot dog vendor and end up almost killing someone by accident. Then the story moves into a juvenile facility where the kids are sent. The kids all go through hell there. That's as far into the story as I'm going to go. The last thing I'll add about it is that the movie skips ahead to when the four kids are in their twenties and the story resumes from there. 

    This film captures three different situations and make the movie feel like three shorts all combined into one. The first being a childhood drama, the second a prison drama and the third a courtroom drama. The first is very nostalgic and fun to watch until it ends in tragedy. The second is extremely hard to watch, but insanely well done. And both the second and third are very sad. Watching this again now is even harder, with the stories from Penn St and Syracuse dominating the news.

    Sleepers is a film that you won't forget after watching it. Despite not knowing if the story is really true(the author claims it is, but the juvenile facilities say it is not), you feel for the characters because even if this story isn't true, it still is. This is happening somewhere. As hard to watch as it is, it needs to be seen.
  • ironclad1609
    August 17, 2011
    ironclad1609
    Emotionally overwhelming drama about four kids whose life is thrown off track during their visit to a reform school, where they are abused and tortured. The movie sets up the situation of the boys in the late 60s really well, with the right soundtrack and the foreshadowing voice-... read moreover, that's not without pathos. Once the drama hits, there is no doubt that this movie won't end on a happy note, but it manages to keep you hoping otherwise anyway. It is quite amazing how the film captures the audience's attention and makes them abettors in the tale of revenge that's taking place 15 years later. While you know their plan is morally wrong, you still root for them. The acting is top notch, it is a pleasure to watch acting giants like De Niro and Hoffman in the same scene together. The ending is bittersweet but deeply satisfying, leaving you emotionally exhausted but glad you came along for the ride. Outstanding movie making.
  • moonrivers
    July 22, 2011
    moonrivers
    4 ghetto hoodlums ruin some innocent lives and are shocked when they get their comeuppances. Ahh, but the road to revenge (and that's what this film is about, delayed revenge) is a twisty one, as twisted as the morals of this twisted film, that portrays the perps as heroic victims.
  • clintervin
    March 23, 2011
    clintervin
    This is a deeply disturbing, well acted and directed film that exists as a crime drama on one level but goes deeper as well. Whether or not this story is all true doesn't matter to me, the message it conveys comes through and rings true regardless. The principle characters, the f... read moreour young boys, come from a world of senseless daily violence, are thrust into the sadistic grip of the institution, and then are released to make sense of it and cope with its horrors the rest of their lives.

    The film is stylized and idealized to be sure, yet I don't doubt that this version of Hell's Kitchen exists and the problems and moral questions posed are real. Sleepers is reminiscent of Stand By Me but less nostalgic. The movie tells at least 2 stories, and the legal concoction story was preposterous and began to lose me, but the film is redeemed by its constant emphasis on the boys and their undying friendship and loyalty. Also, Robert DeNiro as Father Bobby is believable, the lynch pin who holds the entire film together. The movie is too long; its almost laboring late in the film, but you're hooked by then. Its definitely worth watching on an emotional and philosophical level. What is justice? When is an act justice or simply revenge? And, what cost to your own soul do you pay for revenge? Barry Levinson poses these questions and more in a tale set in Hell's Kitchen, a setting all too real.
  • imrealgod
    April 9, 2010
    imrealgod
    True story or not, its definitely a great one & surely worth a watch. Not that its flawless; it surely does have its share of loose ends. But the loose ends weren't enough to put me off the hook. The movie boasts of a huge cast, & fortunately each one have given their best (or so... read more it seemed to me).

    As far as the controversy regarding it being based on real events is concerned, IMO its all as much real as The Blair Witch Project. Thankfully unlike TBWP, we had some intriguing story going on here & didn't have to put up with idiotic shaky camera work (that's not as much a problem though, if the proceedings are engaging as in [Rec]).

    Finally, though a bit flawed, it was surely worth my time. Go for it; see if it manages to get deep into your blood!!!
  • ythelastman89
    November 22, 2009
    ythelastman89
    An amazing film that is both perfectly cast and epicly told. Brad Pitt and Jason Patrick led a flawless cast that all gave tremendous performances. Kevin Bacon was especially disturbing. The mood of the film is what makes it so beautiful. All of the visuals reflect a dying city w... read moreith little hope, much like the lives of the four leads.
  • SirPant
    September 24, 2009
    SirPant
    Good film about a tricky subject. Dealt with very well with good acting. Watch De Niro as he is told about what really happened to the kids in the detention centre, puts a lump in my throat every time!
  • skactopus
    May 9, 2009
    skactopus
    Sleepers is a crime drama thriller from Barry Levinson with an interesting tale of revenge. There is some controversy on whether this is based off of a true story or not. In any case, it is a more than decent movie.

    The story is basically broken down into 2 parts, al

    ... read morethough some will say it has 3. No matter how many parts, the film is nearly 2 and a half hours. Just a bit too long in my opinion. The pacing is slow to moderate, however the fact that the story is broken up helps to relieve the boredom factor. The first half of the film focuses on the younger years of the 4 boys and the events that take place to setup the latter years, which is the focus of the second half.

    The fun happens early on, but it is no doubt that the latter is the better half, as this is where the more experienced and professional actors take the stage. The story is also more intriguing, as it involves a setup in court.

    The ensemble cast helps make this film as good as it is. Robert De Niro and Kevin Bacon carry the load for the first half. Bacon is really something. Brad Pitt, Dustin Hoffman, Minnie Driver, and Jason Patric step in for the second. All give good performances.

    While the film is a little slow and a little long, there is enough to make Sleepers a good watch for crime drama fans.
  • garyX
    January 5, 2009
    garyX
    A group of four friends are sent to a boy's reform school when a prank goes wrong, and suffer brutality and sexual abuse at the hands of the guards. Years later two of them encounter one of their tormentors and summarily execute him, setting in motion a plan to expose those invol... read moreved. Sleepers is based on a novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra who claimed that it is a true story. The highly contrived and convenient nature of the plot makes this seem highly unlikely, and so the claim actually undermines the story's credibility rather than vice versa. This is a shame, because it's actually an interesting spin on the courtroom drama presented by a quality cast. Kevin Bacon once again shows his characteristic bravery in selecting a part that is completely without sympathy, and he does a very good job, as does DeNiro in a supporting role as a priest with a crisis of conscience. It does lack a certain punch, probably because of Levinson's heritage in light entertainment. He is definitely more comfortable directing the scenes of rose tinted nostalgia than those of gritty violence and abuse and this sanitized, glossy edge compromises the harder edges of the story. I would also have to say that the courtroom section fizzled out a little because of the lack of interaction between the lead characters and it's all resolved a little too conveniently, but it is an intelligently told tale that leaves a lasting impression.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    November 16, 2008
    FiLmCrAzY
    sad but very interesting film really worth a watch fantastic performances

View All Sleepers Reviews

Critic Reviews

Richard Schickel
August 14, 2009
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

It is all legally preposterous. But Levinson is a slick craftsman, his actors are insinuatingly real, and cinematographer Michael Ballhaus casts a disarmingly believable light on these proceedings. Full Review

David Stratton
June 24, 2008
David Stratton, Variety

If audiences aren't bothered by this disturbing subtext, there's a lot to enjoy in this impeccably structured, handsomely produced saga. Full Review

Peter Stack
June 18, 2002
Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle

At times the images are agonizing to behold, men in their most desperate, hateful depths preying on children. The film, exceptional on many counts, ultimately is sad in a hopeless, haunting way. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Idealized? You bet. That's why the loss of this world must be avenged with the same broad strokes that you'd expect from the Count of Monte Cristo.

Kenneth Turan
February 14, 2001
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

In craft terms alone, Sleepers is considerably better than average filmmaking, but it's difficult to take this film as seriously as it takes itself. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

As entertainment, the movie functions successfully. But I don't believe the story is true -- not true to the facts, and not true to the morality it pretends to be about. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Despite protests from the Catholic Church (which whines about any movie that portrays priests as anything less-than-pure), Sleepers, which represents two and one-half hours of gripping entertainment, ... Full Review

January 1, 2000
USA Today

Engrosses if it doesn't fully convince.

John J. Puccio
August 16, 2011
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis

...it's more than a bit disconcerting to see how the narrative makes serious wrongdoers sympathetic. Therefore, a qualified success. Full Review

Peter Canavese
August 2, 2011
Peter Canavese, Groucho Reviews

Despite it all, just try to take your eyes off this movie: skillfully crafted by Levinson, Sleepers is eminently watchable, deeply emotional, and populated with top acting talent. [Blu-ray] Full Review

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Facts

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    • Lorenzo a.k.a. Shakes: [narrating about Father Bobby] I told him about the torture, the beating and the rapes. I told him about four frightened boys who prayed to Father Bobbys God for help that never came. I told him everything.
    • Carol: Mug me or marry me, Shakes. I'm too tired for anything else.
    • Carol: The man I know is not the boy you remember.
    • Lorenzo a.k.a. Shakes: None of us are.
  • One of the main characters, while he is a child in the reformatory, is reading 'The count of Montecristo', a novel which talks about revenge, the main issue in the film.
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Sleepers Trivia

  • Kevin Bacon played a prison officer who abused boys at juvinile dettention centre (the wilkinson home for boys) in which film?  Answer »
  • Name the actor that played the part of the murdered prison officer in 'Sleepers'?  Answer »
  • Robert Deniro and Dustin Hoffman have co-starred together in "Meet the fockers" and "Sleepers". Which other movie did they co-star in?  Answer »
  • Which film did not have both Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci in its cast?  Answer »
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