Sleepers

1996
12
2h 27m

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

244K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:13

Prison Drama Teen Drama Crime Drama Thriller

A reporter and a District Attorney help childhood friends who killed a sadistic guard.A reporter and a District Attorney help childhood friends who killed a sadistic guard.A reporter and a District Attorney help childhood friends who killed a sadistic guard.

Director
- Barry Levinson
Writers
- Lorenzo Carcaterra
- Barry Levinson
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

244K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

721

385

Director
- Barry Levinson
Writers
- Lorenzo Carcaterra
- Barry Levinson
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 win & 5 nominations total

Videos2

Photos319

+ 313

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Author Lorenzo Carcaterra has claimed that his book, on which the movie is based, is a true story of his childhood. When the New York legal community went on record stating that no cases resembling the events of his book could be found in any court records, Carcaterra refused to discuss it. Carcaterra's school attendance records show he couldn't have been in prison for as long as he said, and he couldn't have been in prison at the dates given for certain events in the book. David Stout, a New York Times reporter who did a story on the controversy, said in an interview that he could find nothing in the newspaper's extensive library, or anywhere else, that resembled the case. Carcaterra claims that names and locations were changed to avoid legal issues and stands behind his story. Many people from his youth came forward to say nothing like this happened to him.

Goofs
The narrator reports the summer of 1968 as "the Summer of Love." This was actually a hippie-reference nickname given to the summer of 1967.

Quotes
Lorenzo: Mike, are you sure you wanna go this way? I mean we buried this a long time ago.
Michael: You still sleep with the light on?

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Chamber/The Ghost and the Darkness/The Long Kiss Goodnight/Looking for Richard/Freeway (1996)

Soundtracks
Walk Like A Man
Performed by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio (as Robert Gaudio)
Courtesy of The Four Seasons Partnership
By arrangement with Warner Special Products

User reviews376

Featured review

9/10

A powerful, epic drama

Being a big classic De Niro fan I can't believe I missed this movie for so long. Sleepers is a powerful drama that chronicles the story of four boys who are the victims of horrible abuse. When they grow into broken men facing their trauma, the story shifts gears to a revenge story about manipulating a trial to get true justice and closure. The arc of the movie takes you through a litany thoughts and feelings that affect sexual abuse victims over the course of their lives in a powerful way. The courtroom plot is also very compelling, albeit not exactly rife with external conflict. The struggles take place in the characters hearts and minds and the film conveys it beautifully.

If I had to be super critical I'd say the ultimate fates of the four leads lacks punch because we know it from the outset. It's a small complaint though because the road to get there is so compelling. Sleepers is a powerful, sweeping drama that everyone should see at least once.