MovieChat Forums > Sleepers (1996) Discussion > Another Small but Prominent Loose End

Another Small but Prominent Loose End


During the cafeteria fight scene at Wilkenson, after Nokes orders the boys to eat off the floor, the large African-American guard who relieves Nokes intervenes on the boys' behalf. The two guards exchange insults, and Nokes says something like "This ain't over." This seems to indicate that the good guard will play some larger role in the film, but he is never seen again. The makers of the film apparently wanted to make the point that SOME of the guards at Wilkenson were decent human beings, but there is little development there.

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The book explained it more. The black guards nickname was Marlboro because he smoked so much. He knew what went on with Nokes and the rapes but felt powerless to stop it. It would be going against the other guards. He would lose his job in a heartbeat. He felt bad but just reminded the boys that they would be getting out soon. At one point in the book during one of the rapes, John actually puts a knife to Ferguson's throat and Shakes talks him out of killing him because if he did, he would never be free of prison.

" Tell me mom...when your little girl's on the slab...where will it tickle you?"

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That explains a great deal, Airjordan. I'm now eager to read the book. Thanks!

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No problem. Im a big fan of the movie. Probably saw it 7 times before finally reading the book. Most of the dialogue from the movie is taken right from the book word for word

" Tell me mom...when your little girl's on the slab...where will it tickle you?"

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I too have never read the book but love the movie so would like to.

If the movie follows the book pretty faithfully, then that just validates what a great story Carcaterra wrote, whether true or not.



Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

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