Orphans

I saw this film about 100 times as a child and it forever stuck in our household as a classic to watch every Christmas.

The film is about 2 young boys, Treat, an angry young man who must make his living through petty thievery, and his house-ridden younger brother, Phillip, who never leaves the house from fear of "the toxic air outside" which apparently nearly killed him as a child. A third character, Harold who is supposedly a rich businessman,played by film veteran Albert Finney, comes into the lives of the two boys after they attempt to kidnap him and hold him for ransom. Little do they know that Harold has a thing or two to teach the boys about life, family, and how to become grown men.

Orphans is an old film, but is absolutely wonderful. I am saddened by the fact that it didn't make it into the mainstream to be regarded a classic along the lines of Casablanca, Gone with the wind, Titanic, etc.

I recommend this film for anybody who has a heart.

I love when I just stumble on to a movie like this late at night, I wouldn't have known the title if not for IMDb here. Modine and Anderson are great, believable brothers. Albert Finney is always good

I gave this 8/10 8)

This drama was very powerful in spots but I found it too uncomfortable in the long run. It was interesting but, frankly, I wouldn't want to see it again. Two young guys (at time time) - Matthew Modine ("Treat") and Kevin Anderson ("Phillip") - play characters that not always each to watch. It gets a little too mean-spirited, as the latter is mentally slow.

As interesting as those two guys are, the best character is played by Albert Finney. His role as "Harold" - nobody has a last name in this movie - is hard to figure at times. He is older than the other two guys, low-life mental cases, and he winds up being kidnapped by the younger guys. He, too, as it turns out, was an orphan and all three share a sad and somewhat sordid backgrounds. He winds up just about being a foster-type father to these kidnappers. However, there are strong homosexual overtones in this movie, too, which could lead to other conclusions. It's a bizarre story.

Whatever, this is extremely well-acted movie but too unpleasant for my tastes.

This movie has a power that many movies lack. The acting by all three main characters is super. It's about two orphan brothers who try robbing another orphan. Instead of robbing him, they end up working for him. An awesome movie that shouldn't be missed!

i saw this movie in the late 80's and it's only been equaled by one other movie (imho). when you watch the movie, you have to understand that it was a play adapted to a movie and plays tend to be acted a little "over the top"... which is needed to reach out and grab an audience that is physically all around you. however, don't let that steer you away from the incredible acting and story that is told. it's about a basic and fundamental need in all human beings, the need to be loved and cared for in naturing way. this movie is so raw in it's needs and emotions, it can be hard to watch. really, it can be painful and some people don't like that. sometimes we just want to be entertained. this movie can be entertaining at times, but if you want to watch something that will speak directly to your heart and not sugarcoat reality in any way, you can do no better than this film. all 3 actors are exceptional in this movie and for it to get no critical acclaim is criminal. i see 12 reviews on IMDb.com. wow. i know the movie is a bit obscure, but not that obscure... the actors are well known and do such an incredible job. please make every effort to watch this and you won't be disappointed. if you aren't affected by this movie, you aren't human.