1996
Character: Michael Sullivan
Release Date: 18 October 1996
Directed By: Barry Levinson
Written By: Lorenzo Carcaterra, Barry Levinson
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Tagline: When friendship runs deeper than blood
MPAA Rating: R
Produced by: Baltimore Pictures, Polygram Filmed Entertainment, Propaganda Films, Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Budget: $44,000,000 (estimated)
Filming Dates: –
Cast:
…Kevin Bacon…Sean Nokes
…Billy Crudup…Tommy Marcano
…Robert De Niro…Father Bobby
…Vittorio Gassman…King Benny
…Minnie Driver…Carol Martinez
…Dustin Hoffman…Danny Snyder
…Ron Eldard…John Reilly
…Joseph Perrino…Young Lorenzo ‘Shakes’ Carcaterra (as Joe Perrino)
…Jason Patric…Lorenzo ‘Shakes’ Carcaterra
…Geoffrey Wigdor…Young John Reilly
…Brad Pitt…Michael Sullivan
Filming Locations:
Cafe Elysian – 1001 Washington St., Hoboken, New Jersey, USA (Murder Scene)
Fairfield Hills Hospital – Mile Hill Rd., Newtown, Connecticut, USA
Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
McHale’s – 750 8th Avenue at 46 Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA (murder scene)
Most Holy Trinity Church, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Yonkers Courthouse – 100 S. Broadway, Yonkers, New York, USA
Synopsis:
After a prank goes disastrously wrong, a group of boys are sent to a detention center where they are brutalized; over 10 years later, they get their chance for revenge
Trivia & Facts:
• Author Lorenzo Carcaterra has claimed that his book on which the film is based was 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 the discrepancy. His claims have been neither proven or disproven.
• Director Trademark: [‘Barry Levinson’ ] Ralph Tabakin (Warden) has appeared in every Levinson picture from Diner (1982) to Liberty Heights (1999).
• Kevin Bacon never actually met his co-stars De Niro and Hoffman during the production because of the logistics of the shoot.
• Devon Sawa was offered the role of Young Michael Sullivan, but passed because he was in production with Wild America (1997).
From the gallery
Quotes
Michael: You read the Count of Monte Cristo lately?
Lorenzo: I dunno, 10 years ago
Michael: I read a little bit every night. I read words like revenge, sweet, lasting revenge.
Michael: It’s payback time.
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?
Michael: You gotta get me one for our side.
Lorenzo: One what?
Michael: One witness. A witness who’ll put John and Tommy somewhere else on the night of the murder. A witness they can’t touch
Lorenzo: Don’t they got a name for that?
Michael: A judge would call it perjury.
Lorenzo: I see, and what are we calling it?
Michael: A favor.
Michael: Revenge. Sweet lasting revenge. Now it’s time for all of us to get a taste.
Michael: Do you still sleep with the lights on?
Michael: I just wish I could shut my eyes, and not see the places I’ve been.
External Links
…Official website
…IMDB
SB Store (US)
…Sleepers (DVD)
…Sleepers (Book)
SB Store (UK)
…Sleepers (DVD)
…Sleepers (Book)
