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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Salesrank: 28099
Released: April 17, 2007 |
| Our Price: $2.92 |
| Used Price: $4.94 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Jerry did the one thing no one expected. He stood up for himself. The new boy at strict Catholic High School, Jerry Renault, is bullied into selling boxes of chocolates for the school's annual fund-raising event. The sadistic headmaster, Brother Leon, and 'The Vigils', a vicious gang of school thugs, make Jerry's life hell when he decides he won't be pushed around anymore.
Description of The Chocolate War:
After acting in literary adaptations like Christine, Keith Gordon returned to the well for his directorial debut. His smart and stylish adaptation of Robert Cormier's controversial youth novel marks him as a natural. Based in a frequently overcast Pacific Northwest, Jerry Renault (Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Weird Science) enters a Catholic boys' school in the wake of his mother's passing. The freshman already has enough worries, but then Brother Leon (a ferocious John Glover) instructs each student to sell 50 boxes of chocolates during Trinity's annual fundraiser. Jerry refuses. Leon is taken aback, but then he finds that Jerry's refusal--his assignment--was handed down by Machiavellian upperclassman Archie (CSI's Wallace Langham, then known as Wally Ward), head of the Vigils. The secret society also instructs Jerry to recant, but he sticks to his guns. At first, a few kids congratulate him on his stand, but then Leon and Archie, threatened by the iconoclast, turn the school against him. The climactic showdown between Jerry and Archie deviates from the book, but retains its cynical spirit. As Gordon explains in his DVD interview, "They both threaten the system, and in the end, the system is a much bigger problem than any one individual." Like his mentor Brian DePalma, Gordon aims more for emotional than visual truth, which translates into dramatic lighting and fantasy sequences (which are, at first, more confusing than illuminating), but the performances remain grounded in reality. Interestingly, Mitchell-Smith, who never overplays his hand, abandoned acting in the 1990s--for teaching. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
The Chocolate War Reviews:
Sort of Dissappointing 
2008-04-15 - Well, the book was wonderful really dark and the movie was not, I dont think it captured the characters in the book very well and the book is definetly more exciting, I mean I had to watch the movie in halves because the first time I ended up falling asleep. If you have read the book its nice to watch it but it will make you very angry at the end. They completely change the ending and in turn, I think, change the message and darkness of Robert Cormier's book. I really think that they traded in the moral of the story to please a crowd that likes happier endings.
Coming of age in a strict catholic school 
2008-04-08 - There are many coming of age movies but this one is definitely unique. Story is about all boys private school where many come from well off families and others are scholarship kids. No matter which social background they come from, they all try to blend in and feel accepted by their peers. It seems that most boys that crave popularity and accepatnace are members of the group called "Vigils". Their leader is cunning and handsome young man, yet mean. In a new year as freshman arrive, Vigils target most vulnerable one of the freshman for the membership where the acceptance is earned by rites of passage - surviving bulling by the other Vigils members. In order to get accepted in this fraternity type of (false) brothehood, our main character pledges not to sell any of the 50 boxes of chocolates intended for a school fundraiser for 10 days. When the pledge's 10 days elapse, everyone is stunned to learn that boxes continue not to sell by our young man who stubornly refuses to particiapte int he fundraiser sale. His seeming vulnerability (his mother died) is turning into rebellion that is admirable by other boys who realize that conformity is not always path to acceptance, respect and admiration. It is heartening to see how boys can be so hurtful to each other, but also wonderful to see that our hero does not waiver under pressure. He stands his grounds and becomes moral winner. They say that film was made from the book that was both controversional and banned. Now I really want to read that book! I have never heard about books banned in US - land of free speech.
Disappointing Chocolate War Movie
2007-12-11 - As a freshman English teacher I was very disappointed that the ending of The Chocolate War story was completely changed in the film. By allowing Jerry Renault to gain justice over Archie,The Vigils, and Brother Leon, the entire theme of the book was changed. I showed the movie to my class after we had read the book and we talked about how some writers and producers in the American entertainment industry cannot bear an unhappy or unjust ending of a story although we see this all around us in everyday life. The changed ending also takes away the powerful message in the book against the bullies of this world. Why would someone do this to a fantastic book? B. Elliott
Never received from Amazon. 1star for Amazon 
2007-05-07 - Ordered 11/19/2006. Shipment kept being delayed. I ended up cancelling the 11/19/2006 order today.
More than a Cult Classic 
2006-08-27 - With an excellent story line, great music by "Yaz" and superior photography, this movie should be a staple of anyone's collection. I was very glad to see that it is finally coming to DVD. I have never seen it on television or cable which is unfortunate because I think that its storyline has much universal appeal. The opposition of Jerry Renault to the dreaded secret society known as "the Vigils" would probably appeal to today's "DaVinci Code" crowd. The movie is full of symbols, intrigue and even a certain amount of violence. In my opinion, this movie has a little bit of everything for everyone and is one of the true "lost gems" of Hollywood.
