Sleepers (1996)

	Directed by: Barry Levinson	COUNTRY USA Genre Drama NORWEGIAN TITLE Sleepers RUNNING TIME 152 minutes
	Produced by: Steve Golin Barry Levinson
	Written by: Barry Levinson
	Based on the book by: Lorenzo Carcaterra

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Sean Nokes	Kevin Bacon
Father Bobby	Robert De Niro
Danny Snyder	Dustin Hoffman
Shakes’ Father	Bruno Kirby	½
Lorenzo, aka Shakes	Jason Patric	½
Michael Sullivan	Brad Pitt	½
Young Michael Sullivan	Brad Renfro	½
John	Ron Eldard	½
Tommy	Billy Crudrup
King Benny	Vittorio Gassman
Ferguson	Terry Kinney	½
Fat Mancho	Frank Medrano
Young Tommy	Jonathan Tucker	-
Young John	Geoffrey Wigdor	-
Young Shakes	Joseph Perrino	½
Carol	Minnie Driver	½

Review

Barry Levinson is daring in thematics, but not necessarily in angle or narrative with Sleepers, a film about sexual abuse of children in a youth correctional facility during the 1960s, and how the victims confront their perpetrators decades later. It's a slow-moving, elaborate and character-heavy film about an important subject. A message movie with a crystal-clear message and uneven acting performances, with some of the players in smaller parts delivering the best work, such as Terry Kinney as Ferguson and Joseph Perrino as Young Shakes. For an even better account on the same subject matter, check out the Canadian TV series The Boys of St. Vincent from 1992.