# " Holes" And "Bless The Beasts & Children" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 27, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holes-and-bless-the-beasts-children/171536 "2003-04-27T21:00:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holes-and-bless-the-beasts-children/171536/1 "2003-04-27T21:00:56Z")
Having seen the film **Holes** last weekend, I have spent the last 8 days or so thinking about [Bless The Beasts & Children](http://www.glendonswarthout.com/films/blessthebeastsfilm.htm). The parallels are just too overwhelming. While the novel **Holes** may not be inspired by the novel by Glendon Swarthout that is the basis of **Bless The Beasts & Children** , I keep having deja vu all over again. I need to go find that film on tape or DVD ( unlikely, considering it’s marginal at best cult status ) and watch it again. What I remember about it makes me feel as though **Holes** is a watered-down, Disneyfied version of the same tale. Yes, the plotlines are different but the supposed moral tale in **Holes** is so painfully similar to that of **BTB&T** that it is making me feel like we’re all being fed a mouthful of stolen storyline. Anyone else? I saw that film in the theatres when it was released. I was 10. Boy, it made a heck of an impression. I’m guessing my kids will have forgotten this movie in a year or less. Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![KinSaba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7bcc69/32.png) [@KinSaba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinSaba)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holes-and-bless-the-beasts-children/171536/2 "2003-04-27T22:20:08Z")
What I remember about Bless the Beasts and the Children is that the camp was an actual camp - not a prison. The kids were sent there by their parents to “macho” them up, or some such thing. And the way the camp did this was by having them shoot a herd of Bison. The kids decided this was cruel and tried to stop the slaughter and some of the kids got killed. Right? Now, I admit that Bless the Beasts came to my mind as I watched Holes, also, but I don’t think they are thematically similar or even close to a watered down version of the other. ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holes-and-bless-the-beasts-children/171536/3 "2003-04-28T00:29:40Z")
I’ve seen and read both books/films as well…and I can definitely see some parallels. I think _Holes_ is more light-hearted and whimsical…and more importantly, probably geared towards a younger audience. BTB&C is more of an “growing up” story, where as I see _Holes_ as a bit more of a modern fairy-tale. Granted, the one of the primary things I can remember about BTB&C is that the cast seemed to do a great deal in their underwear…like, they raided the other campers…in their underwear (yeah, we’ll blend into the trees better in our underwear, guys, camo)…or, they sat around in their tent, in their underwear…and, they went for a walk to the lake, in their underwear. It was odd. And funny, for an honors class of high-school freshmen wanting to relate everything to sex/nudity/and potential gayness. In any event, I don’t think _Holes_ is a watered-down version of BTBAC. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holes-and-bless-the-beasts-children/171536/4 "2003-04-28T01:02:57Z")
Now you’re got me extremely curious about the “moral tale” part of these films. I haven’t seen either movie, but I’ve read both books, and while they’re fairly similar in setting, I find them very different both in terms of style, and in moral themes. Speaking just of the books, the moral message (if you will) of _Holes_ is very tied up with ideas of fate and destiny. On the other hand, _Bless the Beasts and the Children_ is about affecting change both in terms of personal growth, and in the world at large. (this part might have thematic, but not detail-specific spoilers…) I confess I did think of _Bless the Beasts and the Children_ when I first picked up _Holes_, and I was very surprised when _Holes_ veered away from one of the most important elements of _Bless etc etc I can’t keep typing this out_ – that the boys in _BtBatC_ must unite themselves in order to overcome their challenges. I thought things in _Holes_ were moving in a similar direction, yet ultimately Stanley and Zero are pitted against the other boys as well as the adults. _BtBatC_ did make a HUGE emotional impression on me when I read it around age 11 or so. I didn’t read _Holes_ until I was an adult (obviously, because it wasn’t written when I was a kid) but I was very impressed with it. It’s always difficult for me to compare things on an emotional level when I came to one as a child and the other as a grown up person. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holes-and-bless-the-beasts-children/171536/5 "2003-04-28T04:05:32Z")
Wasn’t _Bless the Beasts…_ Bill Mumy’s only “tough teenager” role? Like he was trying to live down the whole “Danger Will Robinson!” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holes-and-bless-the-beasts-children/171536/6 "2003-04-28T13:37:11Z")
**Krokodil** , you are right. I wasn’t aiming for plot similarities- and so saying “Stolen Storyline” was inaccurate, but that whole " Make men outa ya while we abuse and humiliate ya " really rang a bell or two. I didn’t know about **Holes** until my son brought it home in the 5th grade. I didn’t read any of it till last year when I was Sub Teaching, and read a few chapters to a 5th grade class. I’m embarassed to admit here that I have not finished that book. Guess I need to. :rolleyes: I wonder if Blockbuster even has **BTB&C** …