Summer 1967, After a prank gone wrong, four friends from Hell’s Kitchen are sentenced to the Wilkinson Center for Boys, where they suffer continuous humiliation, beatings, and sexual abuse at the hands of the guards on duty. Thirteen years later, the boys are all grown up, and a chance encounter gives them the chance to finally exact revenge for all the haunting events they had experienced at the Wilkinson Center.
A 1996 tale of revenge written and directed by Barry Levinson and based on a 1995 novel of the same name by author Lorenzo Carcaterra.
The cast is notable in this film with performances from Brad Renfro, Kevin Bacon, Robert de Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Brad Pitt, Jason Patric, and Minnie Driver.
I remember first watching this film way back during my younger years and it was haunting really. I got the chance to relive this tale and this time actually appreciate it for what it is – a good film. Set for the most part behind the walls of a youth juvenile center, where the plot mainly develops, as we are witness to the boys traumatic experiences during their stay. The abuse is more suggestive than it is graphic, but nevertheless, you know whats going on. Kevin Bacon is convincingly good as guard Sean Nokes, and you actually feel hate for this character. After all the abusive drama at the Wilkinson Center, comes a long build up to the films close where Brad Pitt, Jason Patric, Billy Crudup, and Ron Eldard are revealed to be the abused boys all grown up. This stretch is mostly courtroom scenes and watching the much awaited revenge take place.
A pretty good classic viewing for me. The film ran a tad bit too long, but everything unfolds at a kind pace.