BEHIND THE SCENES

Holes: A Talk with the Cast

By Gorman Woodfin
The 700 Club

CBN.com – The main story line is about Stanley Yelnats, who is sent to a correctional boys’ camp out in the middle of the desert. The boys have to dig holes every day as a character building exercise.

The strong, all-star cast includes Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight and Patricia Arquette.

Weaver plays the tough but sweet camp director known only as "the warden."

"Our daughter fell in love with this book named Holes by Louise Sacher," says Weaver. "She came running up to me and she said, 'Mommy, you should play this awful person—the warden in Holes. I sort of glanced at it, and I read her making the boys dig holes in the desert. She stood there, this sort of shapely redhead."

Veteran film star Jon Voight stars as the warden’s right-hand man, Mr. Sir. He explains the challenges of playing this character.

"The courage to do the right thing is part of the theme of the picture. And part of the right thing for me to do was to be ridiculous as he is and not be afraid to be out there and that goofy, o be brave enough to go into areas that make myself look quite unattractive," says Voight.

You’ve seen him in the hit Disney Channel series Even Steven. Shia Labouf plays the unusual young hero of the film, Stanley Yelnats. Labouf was excited to hear that many who saw the preview for the film broke into applause.

"It makes me feel like we did our job," he says. " Our job was to make the best movie we could make as a group, and you’re telling us people were clapping? That’s awesome!"

This movie deals with some interesting moral issues. There is the vivid portrayal of greed and how it affects all those around you, strong lessons of standing up for the meek, and the breaking of generational curses.

"This is such a wonderful story for kids and grown-ups," says Weaver. "The idea that this boy ends up in this terrible place and after trying to help a friend and believing in his own instincts manages to bring this whole group of people out of this terrible situation into a situation of hope."

Holes is rated PG for mild language, violence, and for some dark thematic elements.