Genre: Drama.
Studio:
Warner Brothers (North America); PolyGram Films Intl (Intl.)
Production Company:
Propaganda Films/Baltimore Pictures.
Project Phase: Greenlighted.
Who's In It:
Kevin Bacon; Robert De Niro (Father Bobby); Brad Pitt (Michael Sullivan); Billy Crudup; Minnie Driver; Ron Eldard;
Vittorio Gassman; Dustin Hoffman; Jason Patric; Brad Renfro (Young Michael Sullivan).
Who's Making It:
Barry Levinson (Director, Screenwriter); Barry Levinson, Steve Golin
(Producers); Peter Giuliano (Executive Producer); Gerrit Van Der Meer
(Associate Producer); Miachel Ballhaus (Director of Photography); Stu
Linder (Editor); John Williams (Musical Score); based upon the novel by Lorenzo Carceterra.
Premise: Four reform boys are sent to a reform school, where they are sexually abused and mistreated by some of the guards. Years later, two of the boys, now grown men and hardended criminals, encounter one of the guards and kill him on-the-spot. At the murder trial, the prosecutor (who was also one of the boys abused) devises a plan to bring about justice to the abusers, and set the two murderers free.
Release Date: October 18, 1996.
Comments: None.
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
May 15, 1996... Pitt's character is the lawyer who defends the four inmates. [Scoop info and additional plot detail provided by 'Gazza'.]
May 16, 1996... [Additional information supplied by Maxim Savic and 'Sylvester'.]
June 4, 1996... [Musical score info submitted by 'Vexpen'.]
July 20, 1996... Robert De Niro plays Father Bobby, a priest who is a friend of the four boys. Minnie Driver plays Brad Pitt's ex-girlfriend and Brad Renfro plays the younger version of Brad Pitt. [Scoop sent in by 'D@isy'.]
July 27, 1996... We're told that Kevin Bacon plays Nokes, one of the abusive guards. As well, Brad Renfro had to wear colored contacts to make his brown eyes match Brad Pitts baby blues. [Scoop submitted anonymously.]
August 1, 1996... Micheal Sullivan does not defend the convicts (he's the prosecution), but makes an elaborate plan along with one of his friends to close the Wilkinson home for boys (the reform school). [Scoop mailed in 'nanalban'.]
August 3, 1996... This scooper tells us that like the book, the majority of the film takes place when all of the characters are young students. Therefore, most of the big-name stars (like Brad Pitt) are actually only in a relatively small portion of the movie. The story's emphasis was not changed from the book to give Pitt and the other major stars more screen time. It still focuses mainly on their traumatic childhood experiences. [Scoop submitted anonymously.]