“The book was better than the movie.” How many times have you said that over the years?
Once in a while, however, the film adaptation is on par with its source material — or even surpasses it, dare we say. On August 18, 2003 — 23 years ago — the big-screen version of Holes was released. Remember that Disney classic?
Avid readers who grew up in the 1990s certainly remember the book as well, by Louis Sachar. In fact, the award-winning novelist was later enlisted to write the screenplay for the movie, which would star big names like Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight and Shia LaBeouf.
It’s no wonder, then, that audiences were on board with the book-to-film adaptation, with fans in a Reddit thread a couple years back naming it “the greatest book to movie adaptation of all time.”
The late, great film critic Roger Ebert gave Holes an impressive 3 1/2 out of 4 stars in his review at the time, saying, “The whole movie generates a surprising conviction. No wonder young readers have embraced it so eagerly: It doesn’t condescend, and it founds its story on recognizable human nature. There are all sorts of undercurrents, such as the edgy tension between the Warden and Mr. Sir, that add depth and intrigue; Voight and Weaver don’t simply play caricatures.”
Here’s the imaginative film’s official synopsis, for those who need a refresher: Young Stanley Yelnats, dogged by bad luck stemming from an ancient family curse, is sent to Camp Green Lake, a very weird place that’s not green and doesn’t have a lake. Once there, he’s thrown headlong into the adventure of his life when he and his colorful campmates — Squid, Armpit, Zigzag, Magnet, X-Ray and Zero — must dig a hole a day to keep the warden at bay. But why? Through it all, Stanley and company must forge fast friendships as they try to unearth the mystery of what’s really going on in the middle of nowhere.
This story was originally published by Parade on Apr 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
