Holes is based on the voluminous book by Loius Sachar. Excellent acting draws you into this peculiar desert world until more questions than resolutions arise. A juvenile detention center in the middle of a dry Texas lake is the setting for the exploits of teens condemned to dig holes there.
If Sachar also wrote the script, I'm confused why the story and movie diverge toward the end. Half of the movie has great impulse due to the vivid performances by the main prisoner Stanley, "Caveman," (youngest Shia LeBeouf), his dad Stanley Yelnats (Henry Winkler's comeback), Warden Walker (the ever sexy Sigourney Weaver in a rare bad role), caricature boss-man Mr. Sir, running the prison, (Jon Voight), and even Laker champion Rick Fox in cameo appearances. Prisoners dig holes, because the warden is bent on looking for a personal hidden treasure. The movie branches off into different timelines while engaging us with the colorful lives of the prisoners. Shia charms with his bad boy persona. While Stanley looks for the treasure, he must deal with a family curse that he has inherited, prison bullies, and corrupt prison staff.
The movie ends too abruptly with little fanfare amok its own tangents. In the story, Stanley's lawyer (Roma Maffia) takes a bigger role to make sure Stanley gains his release. In the movie, she just rushes babbling in and out. Stanley also makes sure that his lawyer is able to free his best friend "Zero" (Khleo Thomas). The movie omits that if Zero stayed, he was going to be killed, ignoring the urgency. In the book, it's a suitcase; not a pirate-like treasure chest. In the movie, it was not made clear that surviving on sweet onion juice is what kept the poisonous lizards away from Stanley and Zero when they were trapped inside a pit full of the lethal reptiles.
These 'holes' in the storyline are confusing, rushing to an ambiguous ending to a good thing. I leave this on the Winning 35 yd. Line.
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