The Chocolate War poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

John Glover, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Wally Ward, Doug Hutchison, Adam Baldwin ... see more see more... , Brent David Fraser , Bud Cort , Robert Munns , Landon Wine , Jenny Wright , Elizabeth Yoffe , Robert Davenport , Corey Gunnestad

The independently produced Chocolate War marked actor Keith Gordon's directorial debut. Adapted from the popular novel by Robert Cormier (I Am the Cheese), it functions as a political allegory set in ... read more read more...a curricular context, in the same vein as Rene Daalder's Massacre at Central High (1976). In War, Ilan Mitchell-Smith plays Jerry, a new enrollee at the exclusive Catholic prep school St. Trinity. He attempts to fit in by joining the football team, but immediately runs head-first into Brother Leon (John Glover), a ruthless academician striving for a promotion to headmaster, and The Vigils, a underground student gang that wields a massive amount of power within the school. The abusive Leon attempts to goad as many students as possible into selling chocolates for the school fundraiser, but Vigil leader Archie (Wally Ward) has Jerry publicly refuse to sell any for ten days, as one of the annual 'hazing' rituals that the Vigils dole out to freshman enrollees. Jerry agrees, which turns him into a rebel hero among his fellow students, but he then extends his refusal beyond the week-and-a-half limit imposed by Archie, which puts him head-to-head with both Leon and the Vigils. However, instead of turning into an underdog story at that point, The Chocolate War remains realistic and cynical. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Flixster Users

70% liked it

939 ratings

Critics

82% liked it

11 critics

R, 1 hr. 35 min.

Directed by: Keith Gordon

Release Date: November 18, 1988

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: April 17, 2007

Stats: 90 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

The Chocolate War
Upload a Photo | View All The Chocolate War Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (90)

  • ajv2688
    March 12, 2011
    ajv2688
    I loved this surreal teenage drama, it's deep, and Ilan Mitchell-Smith is really cool in it.
  • irisheyes686
    September 1, 2009
    irisheyes686
    I'm glad I decided to watch this movie. It was very entertaining.
  • scrambledegg7
    April 8, 2010
    scrambledegg7
    It's very disappointing that with such a good story and some decent actors, that the director went ABSOLUTELY INSANE. And whoever was in charge of picking music. The flashback/dream sequences were so badly done and so out of place in the middle of this movie that I started giggli... read moreng every time it faded into one. It was like one person directed a solid drama and someone else came in and said, "Ya know what this film needs? MONTAGES SET TO RANDOM POP SONGS!" and threw a bunch in there for no reason. That's one flaw, but it was a MAJOR one, and it kept me from being able to enjoy the movie. Thus the low rating.
  • dfreebyrd59
    September 30, 2009
    dfreebyrd59
    I think some schools go too far and it's the children who end up having social problems bc and adult is doing bad. Not bad at all.

View All The Chocolate War Reviews

Critic Reviews

Nell Minow
December 28, 2010
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media

Fans of the book may enjoy this dark story. Full Review

Rob Gonsalves
April 21, 2007
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com

The story is a classic about grace under pressure and resisting conformity, and it's a noble first effort from a director who has never sold out. Full Review

Jeremiah Kipp
April 15, 2007
Jeremiah Kipp, Slant Magazine

The Chocolate War is reminiscent of another kind of movie that one wishes could be jump-started again: Angry Young Man films. Full Review

Scott Weinberg
July 26, 2002
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

Seriously underrated and annoyingly overlooked. Gordon delivers a great film in his very first try.

Dennis Schwartz
January 1, 2000
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The acting is superb. Full Review

Janet Maslin
August 30, 2004
Janet Maslin, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Desson Thomson
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

Click to read the article Full Review

Chuck O'Leary
October 5, 2005
Chuck O'Leary, Fantastica Daily

No review available.

Emanuel Levy
July 19, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

This list looks lonely.
Add a suggestion!

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Chocolate War : Watch Free on TV

The Chocolate War Trivia

  • Which author wrote the book based on the movie The Chocolate War?  Answer »
  • Work out the name of the Actor from the films below!!! _viator War of the Worl_ Ch_rlie and the Chocolate factory _ean Girls Herbie Ride_ Again Bring it on _gain _ightmare on Elm street The _ay after tommorow Live and _et Die Saving Privat_ Ryan Caspe_   Answer »
More The Chocolate War Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add The Chocolate War to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?