...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Sleepers

554 statements
108 feature instances
37 referencing feature instances

Sleepers	type	TVTItem
Sleepers	label	Sleepers
Sleepers	page	Sleepers
Sleepers	comment	Sleepers is a 1996 crime thriller directed by Barry Levinson and featuring an All-Star Cast. It was adapted from the 1995 novel of the same name by Lorenzo Carcaterra.It tells the story of four boys who grow up together under tough circumstances in New York City's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood during The '60s. The group is composed of Michael, John, Tommy, and Lorenzo (called "Shakes", short for Shakespeare since he loves to read). Despite the rough conditions of the neighbourhood and their growing ties to mobster King Benny (Vittorio Gassman) the four boys mostly stay out of trouble, partially through the guidance of the local priest, Father Bobby (Robert De Niro). They also have a close bond with Michael's girlfriend Carol. One day the boys pull a prank that goes horribly wrong, severely injuring an old man and leaving another man deprived of his business, and the four friends are sent to Wilkinson's Home for Boys for a period of a year (Shakes) and eighteen months (the other three). At Wilkinson's, the four boys soon become targets for a group of sadistic guards who beat, torture, and sexually molest them in an increasingly brutal fashion.The story then jumps forward to 1981, with the foursome now in adulthood. Shakes (Jason Patric) and Michael (Brad Pitt) have rebuilt their lives, working as a newspaper clerk and a lawyer respectively. John (Ron Eldard) and Tommy (Billy Crudup), however, were too heavily traumatized by their experiences and chose a life of crime in order to always be able to feel in control. When the two of them come across Nokes (Kevin Bacon), the leader of the guards who abused them, they kill him and are soon arrested for the murder. Michael takes the case against them and begins, with the help of Carol (Minnie Driver), Shakes, King Benny, and alcoholic defense attorney Danny Snyder/O'Connor (Dustin Hoffman), to run a secret play to get John and Tommy free and expose the atrocities that went on at Wilkinson's.Carcaterra, the author of the original novel, claims the story is factual but that names, places, and dates have been changed. His claims have been heavily challenged.
Sleepers	fetched	2024-02-06T11:59:27Z
Sleepers	parsed	2024-02-06T11:59:27Z
Sleepers	processingComment	Dropped link to AnAesop: Not a Feature - IGNORE
Sleepers	processingComment	Dropped link to Foil: Not a Feature - IGNORE
Sleepers	processingComment	Dropped link to Mentor: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
Sleepers	processingComment	Dropped link to SmurfettePrinciple: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
Sleepers	processingUnknown	Mentor
Sleepers	processingUnknown	SmurfettePrinciple
Sleepers	isPartOf	DBTropes
Sleepers / int_10dcbe05	type	Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other
Sleepers / int_10dcbe05	comment	Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Fat Mancho may sound like he barely tolerates the boys, but it's evident that he deeply cares for them, seeing as how he helps them run their highly illegal play in the last third of the film. The book mentions that Shakes is one of the few people that Fat Mancho has absolute trust in.
Sleepers / int_10dcbe05	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_10dcbe05	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_10dcbe05
Sleepers / int_1235f055	type	Dirty Coward
Sleepers / int_1235f055	comment	Dirty Coward: Nokes only targets scared young kids who are trapped under his supervision and his sadism and arrogance vanish when John and Tommy make clear that not only are they not afraid of him as adults but intend to kill him right then and there, only making a pitiful attempt as a justification for his actions, that he was trying to make them harder.
Sleepers / int_1235f055	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_1235f055	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_1235f055
Sleepers / int_18d15922	type	Title Drop
Sleepers / int_18d15922	comment	Title Drop: Shakes explains the title of the movie at one point:
Sleepers / int_18d15922	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_18d15922	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_18d15922
Sleepers / int_1badfb3a	type	The Heart
Sleepers / int_1badfb3a	comment	The Heart: Carol, by virtue of not being a sleepernote old slang for someone who was sent to a juvenile reformatory at some point in their life. She's been a friend since childhood to all of them and the girlfriend of at least two of them — Michael when they were kids and John as adults. Her undying loyalty to the boys may have helped make their rough post-Wilkinson's lives that little bit happier if nothing else.
Sleepers / int_1badfb3a	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_1badfb3a	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_1badfb3a
Sleepers / int_1c445e86	type	Poor Communication Kills
Sleepers / int_1c445e86	comment	Poor Communication Kills: Michael's and Carol's relationship ended because he wouldn't let Carol close beyond a certain point. During the trial when Carol found out about the abuse, she says maybe things could've been different if he told her. Given she's a social worker and almost certainly would've seen similar behavior from others who'd been abused in her job, it's perhaps a slight case of Idiot Ball that she didn't appear to consider even the possibility. Or not since there's a reason social workers are not allowed to work on the cases of people close to them — the emotional bond understandably makes them prone to bias.
Sleepers / int_1c445e86	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_1c445e86	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_1c445e86
Sleepers / int_1c8e096e	type	Childhood Friend Romance
Sleepers / int_1c8e096e	comment	Childhood Friend Romance: Carol and John were friends in their youth but became a couple as adults.
Sleepers / int_1c8e096e	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_1c8e096e	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_1c8e096e
Sleepers / int_1dfd19f9	type	Papa Wolf
Sleepers / int_1dfd19f9	comment	Papa Wolf: Father Bob to the four boys. He encourages them to keep on the straight path and threatens to harm the boyfriend of John's mother after said boyfriend hit John. He ultimately decided to lie in court in order to get justice for both John and Tommy.
Sleepers / int_1dfd19f9	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_1dfd19f9	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_1dfd19f9
Sleepers / int_1fe9e22	type	Childhood Friends
Sleepers / int_1fe9e22	comment	Childhood Friends: The four boys stay friends as adults, even if they go down different paths.
Sleepers / int_1fe9e22	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_1fe9e22	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_1fe9e22
Sleepers / int_2472c017	type	Abuse Discretion Shot
Sleepers / int_2472c017	comment	Abuse Discretion Shot: Several households in the film are described as being abusive, with fathers abusing their wives and their children, with abuse only being described by the narrator and some characters.
Sleepers / int_2472c017	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_2472c017	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_2472c017
Sleepers / int_2bdb6280	type	The Big Rotten Apple
Sleepers / int_2bdb6280	comment	The Big Rotten Apple: Played with. Hell's Kitchen looks the part and is a hotbed of crime, domestic violence, and relative poverty but the boys had a happy, even pretty safe childhood there. And some of its more 'rotten' aspects (a mob boss ruling the community and the presence of Dirty Cops) helped them carry out their revenge as adults.
Sleepers / int_2bdb6280	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_2bdb6280	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_2bdb6280
Sleepers / int_2e5e04c0	type	Must Make Amends
Sleepers / int_2e5e04c0	comment	Must Make Amends. Implied. Michael was the one to come up with the idea to prank the hotdog vendor by holding his cart at the top of some stairs. The situation went haywire and an elderly man was hit by the heavy cart when it slipped from the boys' hands. As a result, the foursome was sent to Wilkinson's Home for Boys and suffered sickening abuse at the hands of the guards. Michael is also the most obsessed with revenge (marked by the fact he has apparently read The Count of Monte Cristo several times since) and had it meticulously planned before Nokes' murder. It's possible that, along with all of his hatred, he also felt guilty of condemning himself and his friends to such a terrible fate in the first place.
Sleepers / int_2e5e04c0	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_2e5e04c0	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_2e5e04c0
Sleepers / int_2fd7200b	type	Dead Guy Junior
Sleepers / int_2fd7200b	comment	Dead Guy Junior: Zigzagged. Carol names her son after the four boys, but two end up dead (including the father) and two are still alive.
Sleepers / int_2fd7200b	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_2fd7200b	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_2fd7200b
Sleepers / int_33c2b1e2	type	Best Served Cold
Sleepers / int_33c2b1e2	comment	Best Served Cold: The The Count of Monte Cristo is invoked at least thrice through the film and each time the characters allude to the eponymous character's path of well-prepared, long-awaited revenge that is all the more satisfactory because of it. In the case of the sleepers, they sustained horrific psychological, physical, and sexual abuse from four reformatory guards with no means of retaliating nor defending themselves. Thirteen years later, two of the sleepers fortuitously find the leader of the guards (Nokes) with the roles inverted. Nokes is unarmed and defenseless against two very armed, merciless, hardened mafia killers. Then it's revealed a third sleeper has been compiling compromising files about their tormentors and has become a lawyer with the express purpose of exposing the abuse and putting the former guards into jail. He takes advantage of the opportunity his two friends provided to avenge the four sleepers. The fourth sleeper happily agrees to play along and collaborate with the scheme. However, it has to be noted that despite the relief and gratification the revenge provided them, it didn't heal their trauma nor make them better men.
Sleepers / int_33c2b1e2	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_33c2b1e2	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_33c2b1e2
Sleepers / int_34e89418	type	A Birthday, Not a Break
Sleepers / int_34e89418	comment	A Birthday, Not a Break: It was Shakes's 14th birthday when he and his friends were first raped by the four guards.
Sleepers / int_34e89418	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_34e89418	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_34e89418
Sleepers / int_38d02d44	type	Batman Gambit
Sleepers / int_38d02d44	comment	Batman Gambit: The Count of Montecristo-inspired revenge (i.e., waiting and preparing before making a move) of the Sleepers against their abusers heavily relies on people behaving in expected ways. The trial scheme hinges upon King Benny's influence on the community of Hell's Kitchen and the loyalty within to fool the authorities and hide/obtain key information until the time has come. And also, to obtain a semi-competent lawyer who will follow the script without questioning. The revenge against Addison depends on Rizzo's older brother, a drug lord, avenging his death after finding out the truth.
Sleepers / int_38d02d44	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_38d02d44	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_38d02d44
Sleepers / int_3b113b7	type	Character Development
Sleepers / int_3b113b7	comment	Character Development: As a result of their plights in the juvenile center, the four sleepers are very different in adulthood than they were in their childhood. All of them are heavily traumatized but express it in different ways. John and Tom took violent crimes (paid or for fun) and drugs as outlets. Michael became obsessed with evening out the field against their abusers to the point of compiling compromising information about them for years and going to Law School only for this purpose. Shakes seems to be the most successful at reintegrating into society but is no longer outgoing and playful and no longer wants to be a priest. Character development, however, stops here and there. Despite their victory, Shakes narrates they were unchanged, returning to the same personal problems they had before the trial in the following weeks.
Sleepers / int_3b113b7	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_3b113b7	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_3b113b7
Sleepers / int_3f11ef74	type	Parental Substitute
Sleepers / int_3f11ef74	comment	Parental Substitute: Father Bobby acts as a positive, paternal figure to the four boys, encouraging them to think of a life beyond Hell's Kitchen.
Sleepers / int_3f11ef74	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_3f11ef74	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_3f11ef74
Sleepers / int_40cc0c7e	type	Bittersweet Ending
Sleepers / int_40cc0c7e	comment	Bittersweet Ending: Lorenzo and Michael (with the help of Fat Mancho, Carol, King Benny, and the testimony of Father Bobby) finish what John and Tommy started and get revenge against the three other guards. They also expose the atrocities that went on at the Wilkinson home for boys. However, John and Tommy resume their life of crime and die a few years after their acquittal. Michael quits law and leaves New York for the English countryside and lives in relative seclusion. Lorenzo, the narrator, is the only one left to speak for them.
Sleepers / int_40cc0c7e	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_40cc0c7e	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_40cc0c7e
Sleepers / int_443b78cd	type	Tranquil Fury
Sleepers / int_443b78cd	comment	Tranquil Fury: John and Tommy in the scene where they murder Nokes.
Sleepers / int_443b78cd	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_443b78cd	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_443b78cd
Sleepers / int_46c1dc8e	type	Someone to Remember Him By
Sleepers / int_46c1dc8e	comment	Someone to Remember Him By: Carol has a child with John, a son she names after the father, Michael, and Tommy. Her pet name for her son is Shakes.
Sleepers / int_46c1dc8e	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_46c1dc8e	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_46c1dc8e
Sleepers / int_479d4e5a	type	Would Hurt a Child
Sleepers / int_479d4e5a	comment	Would Hurt a Child: On-screen, the sleepers' molesters. Psychological, physical, and sexual abuse are hinted to be pervasive at the youth detention center, so the trope may apply to several other guards as well.
Sleepers / int_479d4e5a	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_479d4e5a	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_479d4e5a
Sleepers / int_4e34d653	type	See You in Hell
Sleepers / int_4e34d653	comment	See You in Hell:
Sleepers / int_4e34d653	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_4e34d653	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_4e34d653
Sleepers / int_50b05d30	type	Disproportionate Retribution
Sleepers / int_50b05d30	comment	Disproportionate Retribution: Everything that happened to the boys while at Wilkinson's, not to mention Rizzo. To clarify, the four sleepers ended up in jail because of a prank gone wrong — they were careless, but they definitely weren't violent and didn't want to injure anyone. And Rizzo, whose only crime was to be black and win a football game against the guards. It's mentioned that John once shot a man for cutting in front of him in a line.
Sleepers / int_50b05d30	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_50b05d30	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_50b05d30
Sleepers / int_52989fee	type	Narrator
Sleepers / int_52989fee	comment	Narrator: Shakes narrates the entire movie.
Sleepers / int_52989fee	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_52989fee	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_52989fee
Sleepers / int_5313c266	type	Bookends
Sleepers / int_5313c266	comment	Book Ends: The movie opens with shots of the four boys dancing at a school contest with Shakes narrating about their friendship. It closes by showing the full dance scene and Shakes, again, narrating about their friendship.
Sleepers / int_5313c266	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_5313c266	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_5313c266
Sleepers / int_537dd8fe	type	Affably Evil
Sleepers / int_537dd8fe	comment	Affably Evil: Even after John and Tommy became bandits, they have their affable moments. Despite clearly disagreeing with two Republican bar patrons, they buy them a drink on the condition that they drop all talk of politics. They also apologize to the bar staff after murdering Nokes and pay for their meal before leaving.
Sleepers / int_537dd8fe	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_537dd8fe	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_537dd8fe
Sleepers / int_5466745d	type	Clear Their Name
Sleepers / int_5466745d	comment	Clear Their Name: Inverted. Tommy and John did commit the crime (Nokes's murder) and their friends (Michael, Shakes, and King Benny) set out to help them literally get away with murder. However, the murdered man tortured and molested them when they were preteens, so he more than deserved to be killed and is a very controversial topic whether such retaliations (victims against their abusers) are true, and thus punishable, crimes.
Sleepers / int_5466745d	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_5466745d	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_5466745d
Sleepers / int_54f999c	type	AlternateCharacterInterpretation
Sleepers / int_54f999c	comment	Alternate Character Interpretation: In-universe. Ralph Ferguson appears as a model citizen who helps people by virtue of being a social worker who has been called merely as a character witnessnote Character witnesses can testify on behalf of another as to that person's positive or negative character traits and the person's reputation in the community. To the four sleepers (John in particular), however, he is a sadistic monster and a rapist. As it turns out, he's also a huge coward who runs away rather than face justice for his actions. Exploited by lawyers Michael and Snyder/O'Connor during the trial. Ferguson is brought in as a character witness for Sean Nokes. Ferguson genuinely believes the description he makes of Nokes as the best friend anyone can have — someone who was always there for you and who you could talk to about everything. As Snyder/O'Connor questions him and the truth begins to come out, an entirely different picture is drawn. The end of the interrogation more or less can be seen as this trope put into words.
Sleepers / int_54f999c	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_54f999c	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_54f999c
Sleepers / int_590eb583	type	Domestic Abuse
Sleepers / int_590eb583	comment	Domestic Abuse: Shakes's father is shown on more than one occasion slapping his wife (Shakes's mother) or whipping her with his belt for just pissing him off or for very petty reasons. Surprisingly he doesnâ€™t beat Shakes. Or, at least, he's not shown doing so and Shakes never mentions or hints at abuse from him. He's still very emotionally neglectful towards his son — after Shakes told Father Bobby and Carol about his plights in the juvenile center, he tried opening up about it with his father, who brusquely interrupted him twice and merely asked him if he was doing good (presumably, in his life). It's also implied that he suffered similar abuse from guards like Nokes as a young man too but is still unable to talk about it.
Sleepers / int_590eb583	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_590eb583	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_590eb583
Sleepers / int_599f943f	type	Karma Houdini Warranty
Sleepers / int_599f943f	comment	Karma Houdini Warranty: Sean Nokes, Adam Styler, Henry Addison, and Ralph Ferguson get away with sexually abusing the kids for years until the events of the movie, where Nokes is murdered and the trial leads to the abuse being exposed. As a result, Addison gets killed in a Vigilante Execution, Styler is imprisoned for corruption and murder, and Ferguson becomes The Atonernote he's the one to spill the beans, loses his wife and kids, and ends his days a broken shell of his former self.
Sleepers / int_599f943f	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_599f943f	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_599f943f
Sleepers / int_63d861f8	type	Even Evil Has Loved Ones
Sleepers / int_63d861f8	comment	Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Nokes and Ferguson were revealed to be genuine friends, although Ferguson choked on the question of whether he would allow Nokes to be alone with his young son.
Sleepers / int_63d861f8	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_63d861f8	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_63d861f8
Sleepers / int_64713b04	type	Pedophile Priest
Sleepers / int_64713b04	comment	Pedophile Priest: Father Bobby is an inversion of this trope. He and the church serve as a heaven for the kids of Hell's Kitchen. Initially in the sense as a reprieve and a career alternative to crime, but later on, as a place to get (illegal) help and solace from sexual abuse.
Sleepers / int_64713b04	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_64713b04	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_64713b04
Sleepers / int_648fe274	type	But for Me, It Was Tuesday
Sleepers / int_648fe274	comment	But for Me, It Was Tuesday: When Tommy and John encounter Nokes years later, he doesn't remember who they are, even when Tommy tells him "Take your time, it'll come to you." After they identify themselves, Nokes remembers and mocks them for it, resulting in him getting killed.
Sleepers / int_648fe274	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_648fe274	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_648fe274
Sleepers / int_69681e01	type	Big Brother Instinct
Sleepers / int_69681e01	comment	Big Brother Instinct: Addison is killed by Rizzo's older brother after said brother learned that Addison was one of the people who murdered him and covered it up.
Sleepers / int_69681e01	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_69681e01	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_69681e01
Sleepers / int_6a6760fa	type	The Power of Hate
Sleepers / int_6a6760fa	comment	The Power of Hate: While Tommy and John encountered their former molester only by sheer dumb luck and shot him to death in a fit of rage, Michael has been planning his revenge for possibly more than a decade. From going to Law School to slowly gathering incriminating information about their abusers to pit them against the Public Justice system or a drug lord. Shakes is a downplayed case since he didn't obsess about revenge (noted by the fact he hasn't read The Count of Monte Cristo in years) but only needed a little convincing to join Michael's schemes in a patient and devoted fashion.
Sleepers / int_6a6760fa	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_6a6760fa	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_6a6760fa
Sleepers / int_7012424f	type	Stealth Hi/Bye
Sleepers / int_7012424f	comment	Stealth Hi/Bye: Carol and Michael's behind-the-back conversation on the train ends with Carol talking only to turn around and see he's no longer there.
Sleepers / int_7012424f	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_7012424f	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_7012424f
Sleepers / int_71598ac8	type	Internal Affairs
Sleepers / int_71598ac8	comment	Internal Affairs: Internal Affairs cop Davenport is an ally of the heroes and helps them bust their former rapist, Styler, a Dirty Cop protecting drug dealers for money and murdering them when they won't play ball. Davenport is described as eager to make busts to further his career, but he's professional, friendly, and doesn't act on the claims against Styler until he has reliable evidence.
Sleepers / int_71598ac8	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_71598ac8	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_71598ac8
Sleepers / int_729c69f3	type	Politically Incorrect Villain
Sleepers / int_729c69f3	comment	Politically Incorrect Villain: If you didnâ€™t think Nokes being a rapist and abusive scumbag was bad enough, then let's be known he's also very racist. He calls a fellow guard who is black and appears to be in his mid-to-late 40s a â€œboyâ€� just for telling him that itâ€™s time for them to switch shifts and for ruining his blatant abuse of power towards the boys in the lunchroom. Moreover, during the coin toss before the Football game, he calls Rizzo â€œsamboâ€�. Also, considering the rest of the guards helped Nokes beat Rizzo to death, this trope could also apply to them as well note the four sleepers are white and were also tortured, but ultimately left alive.
Sleepers / int_729c69f3	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_729c69f3	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_729c69f3
Sleepers / int_733e007a	type	Unwitting Pawn
Sleepers / int_733e007a	comment	Unwitting Pawn: Danny Snyder/O'Connor, the official lawyer of Tommy and John, didn't know at first what was going on. From his point of view, King Benny threatens him one day to take on the defense of two of his hitmen in a trial that would usually be a can't-miss case for the prosecutor. He was handed a script with questions for him to ask in court and ordered to play along and put on the effort to be at least a tad competent. As the trial progressed, it's possible he figured out the defending position had help from the inside, but it's never shown nor implied anyone revealed the truth to him.
Sleepers / int_733e007a	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_733e007a	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_733e007a
Sleepers / int_758c3034	type	Prison Rape
Sleepers / int_758c3034	comment	Prison Rape: One of the most disturbing cases in movie history since it was done against four pubescent boys by full-grown men.
Sleepers / int_758c3034	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_758c3034	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_758c3034
Sleepers / int_7b666ad	type	Filching Food for Fun
Sleepers / int_7b666ad	comment	Filching Food for Fun: The four sleepers were taking a sunbath on the roof of a building when one of them decided he was bored and that, anyway, it was time for lunch. The foursome then sets to steal some hotdogs from a very strict immigrant vendor. Shakes is the designated diversion as he has to order a hotdog and fly without paying to get the vendor to run after him. In the meanwhile, the other three boys serve themselves a small buffet. Seeing Shakes is taking too much time, Michael decides to prank the vendor by holding his cart at the top of the subway entrance's stairs until he arrives so as to prevent him from chasing after them. Shakes joins them and they enact the plan, but the cart proves too heavy for the four boys and it crashes against an elderly man, nearly killing him.
Sleepers / int_7b666ad	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_7b666ad	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_7b666ad
Sleepers / int_7dbc1788	type	A Place Holds Memories
Sleepers / int_7dbc1788	comment	A Place Holds Memories: Shakes is chatting with Fat Mancho about the ongoing plot to get John and Tommy acquitted for the murder of Nokes and bring attention to the child molestation going on at Wilkinson â€” only to find himself distracted by the sight of a broken-down fire hydrant. He then flashes back to his childhood when he, John, Tommy, and Michael would play around the same hydrant, back before the four of them were sent to Wilkinson and put on the downward spiral that left them in their current predicament.
Sleepers / int_7dbc1788	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_7dbc1788	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_7dbc1788
Sleepers / int_7eb73553	type	Bullying a Dragon
Sleepers / int_7eb73553	comment	Bullying a Dragon: The football game the inmates won over the guards with the help of Rizzo (a black boy). The guards then beat Rizzo to death and severely beat the boys and threw them into solitary confinement while denying them immediate healthcare for their injuries.
Sleepers / int_7eb73553	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_7eb73553	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_7eb73553
Sleepers / int_805deb6e	type	Small Role, Big Impact
Sleepers / int_805deb6e	comment	Small Role, Big Impact: Deconstructed. The boys only wanted a hot dog on a hot summer day and decided to steal some. However, their actions inadvertently led to a man being hospitalized. Shakes narrates and shamefully laments how the boys also caused trouble to the vendor: A Greek immigrant trying to make money to bring his wife and child to the country.
Sleepers / int_805deb6e	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_805deb6e	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_805deb6e
Sleepers / int_819b6384	type	Sympathetic Murderer
Sleepers / int_819b6384	comment	Sympathetic Murderer: Given what Tommy and John went through, who could blame them for giving Nokes his well-deserved karma?
Sleepers / int_819b6384	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_819b6384	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_819b6384
Sleepers / int_84c5ec0b	type	Free-Range Children
Sleepers / int_84c5ec0b	comment	Free-Range Children: Either due to their parents being too preoccupied with making meets end (fighting with each other as a result) or their parents having the security the neighborhood takes care of its own people (especially the children), the four sleepers have ample freedom to wander around. They even do illegal, dangerous jobs for King Benny without consequences.
Sleepers / int_84c5ec0b	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_84c5ec0b	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_84c5ec0b
Sleepers / int_8591611a	type	Shameful Strip
Sleepers / int_8591611a	comment	Shameful Strip: Ordering the boys to do this was the first look at Nokes's perverted behavior.
Sleepers / int_8591611a	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_8591611a	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_8591611a
Sleepers / int_87572663	type	Wrong Side of the Tracks
Sleepers / int_87572663	comment	Wrong Side of the Tracks: Hell's Kitchen is of the Modern Ghetto flavor.
Sleepers / int_87572663	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_87572663	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_87572663
Sleepers / int_8767b1f3	type	Black-and-Gray Morality
Sleepers / int_8767b1f3	comment	Black-and-Gray Morality: Lorenzo and Michael involve Carol and rely on the amoral Fat Mancho and King Benny to carry out their illegal plan to acquit John and Tommy of a crime they are guilty of. This is all an effort to give the guards who abused them their well-deserved comeuppance as well as expose the atrocities that went (and presumably continue to go on) during the four boys' stay at the juvenile center.
Sleepers / int_8767b1f3	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_8767b1f3	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_8767b1f3
Sleepers / int_8970d739	type	The One That Got Away
Sleepers / int_8970d739	comment	The One That Got Away: Carol to Michael, as they later couldn't explain to her the trauma he endured, and they broke up. The ending shows he still has feelings for her.
Sleepers / int_8970d739	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_8970d739	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_8970d739
Sleepers / int_8a817c2a	type	Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil
Sleepers / int_8a817c2a	comment	Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil: The reason why the Johnny and Tommy are Sympathetic Murderers is that their victim used to rape them when they were children. Not only are their loved ones extremely sympathetic toward them (and their friends Michael and Shakes who were also molested) when they are told about the abuse, but one of them goes as far as to perjure himself to help them. Additionally, their plot of revenge hinges on this trope. By uncovering the rapist's true nature in court and exploiting that nobody really saw Johnny and Tommy kill Nokes, they get the judge horrified and disgusted enough to acquit them.
Sleepers / int_8a817c2a	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_8a817c2a	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_8a817c2a
Sleepers / int_8aa496df	type	Rape Discretion Shot
Sleepers / int_8aa496df	comment	Rape Discretion Shot: The rapes of the boys are never seen, the audience only hears their screams of pain while it is horrifically described by Shakes.
Sleepers / int_8aa496df	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_8aa496df	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_8aa496df
Sleepers / int_8ed5c6e4	type	Asshole Victim
Sleepers / int_8ed5c6e4	comment	Asshole Victim: Nokes completely deserved to be murdered in such a cold-blooded manner.
Sleepers / int_8ed5c6e4	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_8ed5c6e4	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_8ed5c6e4
Sleepers / int_8f612013	type	Token Good Teammate
Sleepers / int_8f612013	comment	Token Good Teammate: The unnamed black guard at Wilkinson's. Unlike the others, he doesn't abuse his power against the boys and silently admonishes Nokes for doing so.
Sleepers / int_8f612013	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_8f612013	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_8f612013
Sleepers / int_90d44f44	type	Karmic Death
Sleepers / int_90d44f44	comment	Karmic Death: Nokes is murdered by two boys he used to sexually abuse and torture. Rather fittingly, the first bullet hits him in the crotch. Addison is murdered by the older brother of the black boy he helped beat to death.
Sleepers / int_90d44f44	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_90d44f44	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_90d44f44
Sleepers / int_90f6d157	type	Confessional
Sleepers / int_90f6d157	comment	Confessional: Young Shakes and John liked to sneak into confession booths impersonating priests. It's played for laughs here because the woman who gives the confession says 'thanks for listening, boys' at the end of it.
Sleepers / int_90f6d157	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_90f6d157	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_90f6d157
Sleepers / int_95b7c400	type	Faux Affably Evil
Sleepers / int_95b7c400	comment	Faux Affably Evil: Nokes is a reprehensible bastard who uses a mask of charm and affability to further humiliate the boys at Wilkinson's.
Sleepers / int_95b7c400	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_95b7c400	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_95b7c400
Sleepers / int_96b89043	type	Not So Above It All
Sleepers / int_96b89043	comment	Not So Above It All: The young Shakes keeps to himself a nun's clacker (what they use to indicate to their students when to stand and when to sit) he found in the hallway. While in Mass, he uses it to wreak havoc. Father Bobby immediately figures out what's going on, gets in the pew behind Shakes, and quietly but firmly asks Shakes to give him the clacker, which he does. Father Bobby then uses the clacker, to Shakes' astonishment.
Sleepers / int_96b89043	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_96b89043	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_96b89043
Sleepers / int_9838d681	type	DudeMagnet
Sleepers / int_9838d681	comment	Dude Magnet: Carol gained the attraction of Michael, Shakes, and John at various points.
Sleepers / int_9838d681	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_9838d681	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_9838d681
Sleepers / int_98ff7254	type	Long-Haired Pretty Boy
Sleepers / int_98ff7254	comment	Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Tommy. This effect was probably unintentional as, though he looks like he's led a hard life of crime, severe trauma, and substance abuse, it doesn't change the fact that he's played by Billy Crudup in all his youthful glory.
Sleepers / int_98ff7254	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_98ff7254	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_98ff7254
Sleepers / int_9dfb8296	type	This Is Gonna Suck
Sleepers / int_9dfb8296	comment	This Is Gonna Suck: Shakes before his sentencing cries to Father Bobby out of fear to face his punishment.
Sleepers / int_9dfb8296	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_9dfb8296	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_9dfb8296
Sleepers / int_a1b141f4	type	My God, What Have I Done?
Sleepers / int_a1b141f4	comment	My God, What Have I Done?: The moment at the top of the stairs after the cart has crashed.
Sleepers / int_a1b141f4	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_a1b141f4	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_a1b141f4
Sleepers / int_a4c37cbe	type	Mood Whiplash
Sleepers / int_a4c37cbe	comment	Mood Whiplash: Up until the cart incident, the film is a fairly lighthearted look at their imperfect but adventurous young lives in Hell's Kitchen with only Shakes' knowing narration giving any sign of the trials that would await them.
Sleepers / int_a4c37cbe	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_a4c37cbe	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_a4c37cbe
Sleepers / int_a95961ec	type	KidAnova
Sleepers / int_a95961ec	comment	Kidanova: Michael was a Pretty Boy Chick Magnet who became a boyfriend to numerous girls, including Carol.
Sleepers / int_a95961ec	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_a95961ec	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_a95961ec
Sleepers / int_ad1db87c	type	Oh, Crap!
Sleepers / int_ad1db87c	comment	Oh, Crap!: The expression on Nokes' face is a perfect example of this trope when he suddenly realizes that the two-armed men he's talking to are the boys he used to rape and torture and that both of them remember him and are in no way in a forgiving mood.
Sleepers / int_ad1db87c	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_ad1db87c	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_ad1db87c
Sleepers / int_ad9fbc1e	type	Pyrrhic Victory
Sleepers / int_ad9fbc1e	comment	Pyrrhic Victory: The boys win the tag football game, but a vengeful Nokes and his guards beat up the boys and lock them up. And the guards also murder Rizzo. Shakes laments how it was foolish of them to think winning a game would make everything okay.
Sleepers / int_ad9fbc1e	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_ad9fbc1e	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_ad9fbc1e
Sleepers / int_b11ac9f5	type	Abusive Parents
Sleepers / int_b11ac9f5	comment	Abusive Parents: Downplayed, as its John's mother's boyfriend. The aforementioned boyfriend hit the young John so hard, he punctured the latter's lung and he nearly died.
Sleepers / int_b11ac9f5	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_b11ac9f5	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_b11ac9f5
Sleepers / int_b2af79fb	type	Leave the Camera Running
Sleepers / int_b2af79fb	comment	Leave the Camera Running: The extended shot of Father Bobby's face (and Carol's during a shorter span) as Shakes tells him of the abuse.
Sleepers / int_b2af79fb	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_b2af79fb	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_b2af79fb
Sleepers / int_b2e94341	type	Based on a Great Big Lie
Sleepers / int_b2e94341	comment	Based on a Great Big Lie / Based on a True Story: Lorenzo Carcaterra claims the majority of the story is factual, with names, dates, and locations changed in order to protect those involved. Many sources have challenged this fact. There are some claims against the story that are actually addressed in the book itself (the book states that the location of the murder trial was not Manhattan, the records of the boys being at Wilkinson were destroyed after seven years, and measures were taken to fix the books so that no one would know the four boys had been absent from school for a year) — while others are harder to explain away. Some argue that it doesn't matter if the details of the story actually happened to Carcaterra and his friends because what the book and film want to shine a light on (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse carried out by guards against inmate boys) has very likely happened on several occasions throughout the country, throughout the years, and that the truth of the theme is what's most important. Others feel that such claims actually hurt the cause the story is trying to fight for. Carcaterra himself stands by the story to this day.
Sleepers / int_b2e94341	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_b2e94341	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_b2e94341
Sleepers / int_b77808f2	type	"Where Are They Now?" Epilogue
Sleepers / int_b77808f2	comment	"Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: For John, Tommy, Michael, and Carol in the movie. The book includes many more characters, including Father Bobby, Fat Mancho, and Marlboro, the one guard who stood up for the boys at Wilkinson.
Sleepers / int_b77808f2	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_b77808f2	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_b77808f2
Sleepers / int_b7c312ff	type	Cacophony Cover-Up
Sleepers / int_b7c312ff	comment	Cacophony Cover Up: When Rizzo's older brother, Little Caesar, orders the execution of one of his little brother's torturers and murderers under the pretense of the former guard owing him 8000 dollars, the deed is done near an airport so the overwhelming noise of a landing airliner will drown out the sound of the many shots they fire.
Sleepers / int_b7c312ff	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_b7c312ff	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_b7c312ff
Sleepers / int_be0ad6b7	type	Used to Be a Sweet Kid
Sleepers / int_be0ad6b7	comment	Used to Be a Sweet Kid: While mischievous and nonchalant about getting money by doing jobs for mob leader King Benny, the four sleepers were good, cheerful boys. Shakes and John, in particular, were the kindest of them all and wanted to be priests in a neighborhood where the only career option was being a criminal. After their time in the youth detention center, John and Tommy turned into violent, addicted-to-drugs killers, while Michael and Shakes lost their faith in the Legal System and police officers. Hence, the foursome's ability to take revenge via illegal means, namely outright murder and corruption.
Sleepers / int_be0ad6b7	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_be0ad6b7	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_be0ad6b7
Sleepers / int_beb9a361	type	Anti-Hero
Sleepers / int_beb9a361	comment	Anti-Hero: Both Michael and Shakes do illegal actions to get both John and Tommy off on the murder they are responsible for. However, the victim was one of the four men who repeatedly tortured, beat, and raped them.
Sleepers / int_beb9a361	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_beb9a361	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_beb9a361
Sleepers / int_c313d43a	type	True Companions
Sleepers / int_c313d43a	comment	True Companions: Shakes, Michael, Tommy, and John. Shakes even opens the narration by saying "This is a true story about friendship that runs deeper than blood. This is my story and that of the only three friends in my life that truly mattered". Carol and Father Bobby can also be considered part of the group since they loyally remained by the boys' side despite everything.
Sleepers / int_c313d43a	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_c313d43a	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_c313d43a
Sleepers / int_c5249b29	type	Nice Guy
Sleepers / int_c5249b29	comment	Nice Guy: Father Bobby is kind, compassionate, and honorable, representing the best of the church.
Sleepers / int_c5249b29	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_c5249b29	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_c5249b29
Sleepers / int_c75df49a	type	Shout-Out
Sleepers / int_c75df49a	comment	Shout-Out: Shakes talks about obsessing with The Count of Monte Cristo and its tale of jailbreaking and cold-served revenge.
Sleepers / int_c75df49a	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_c75df49a	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_c75df49a
Sleepers / int_c868a42a	type	Freudian Excuse
Sleepers / int_c868a42a	comment	Freudian Excuse: Implied to be the reason both Father Bobby and King Benny help carry out Michael's plan. Father Bobby did time at Wilkinson himself and King Benny is implied to have had similar experiences in his youth. In the movie, Nokes says that, in his house, there were rules and there were discipline thanks to his father. While abusing the boys, he often says they need rules and discipline. John and Tommy. Given what they went through, it's not surprising at all that they became seriously troubled adults who have no issue committing murder for money.
Sleepers / int_c868a42a	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_c868a42a	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_c868a42a
Sleepers / int_c9a71d47	type	Innocence Lost
Sleepers / int_c9a71d47	comment	Innocence Lost: The torture, beatings, and rapes that were inflicted on the boys greatly traumatizes them.
Sleepers / int_c9a71d47	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_c9a71d47	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_c9a71d47
Sleepers / int_cbd2bfa3	type	Glory Days
Sleepers / int_cbd2bfa3	comment	Glory Days: The film ends with a flashback to their childhood days, and Shakes's final words relay how bright the future seemed for them back then.
Sleepers / int_cbd2bfa3	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_cbd2bfa3	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_cbd2bfa3
Sleepers / int_cf231d54	type	Cool Teacher
Sleepers / int_cf231d54	comment	Cool Teacher: Shakes' English teacher at Wilkinson's gives him a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo in thanks for being one of the few students who really listens in his class as evidenced by his outstanding essay on the aforementioned book.
Sleepers / int_cf231d54	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_cf231d54	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_cf231d54
Sleepers / int_d03fc3f1	type	Good Shepherd
Sleepers / int_d03fc3f1	comment	Good Shepherd: Father Bobby is this trope incarnate. He goes out of his way to look after Hell's Kitchen's children, providing them with understanding words and solid advice while never invalidating their feelings. His caring even goes to the point of lying in court for the sleepers after discovering the horrific abuse they endured.
Sleepers / int_d03fc3f1	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_d03fc3f1	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_d03fc3f1
Sleepers / int_d08595d3	type	Broken Bird
Sleepers / int_d08595d3	comment	Broken Bird: The boys all become this in various ways through the events at Wilkinson's.
Sleepers / int_d08595d3	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_d08595d3	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_d08595d3
Sleepers / int_d0f0a80d	type	One-Word Title
Sleepers / int_d0f0a80d	comment	One-Word Title: Sleepers. On a related note, the term sleeper is old slang for a person who was sent to a juvenile reformatory, just like the four main characters, Father Bobby (who is the boys' mentor), and Shakes' father. It has a double meaning in that in espionage, a "sleeper agent" is one who remains out of sight (figuratively asleep) until an opportunity presents itself.
Sleepers / int_d0f0a80d	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_d0f0a80d	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_d0f0a80d
Sleepers / int_d24c24ed	type	Backfire on the Witness Stand
Sleepers / int_d24c24ed	comment	Backfire on the Witness Stand: Invoked by Michael. In regard to the trial scheme, a great deal of Michael's plan relied on tarnishing Nokes' reputation without giving away John and Tommy's admittedly righteous motive to murder him. As Michael is acting as the prosecutor, he needs a witness to "backfire" on him in the defendant's favor. He manages to convince the judge to allow him to call a character witness to ostensibly frame the victim in a positive light and, consequently, make the defendants look like criminals who randomly kill people because they felt like it (which they are, truth be told, but not in this case). Snyder/O'Connor is ordered to ask compromising questions about Nokes's and, by extension, Ferguson's activities as guards at Wilkinson's. When he's done with Ferguson, now the jury and the judge are aware of how much of an Asshole Victim Nokes is and why someone, who might be unrelated to the defendants, would want to dispose of him.
Sleepers / int_d24c24ed	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_d24c24ed	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_d24c24ed
Sleepers / int_d52d28b6	type	Hypocrite
Sleepers / int_d52d28b6	comment	Hypocrite: Nokes has the temerity to tell John and Tommy that they are "going to hell". Yes, the violently abusive, child molester actually thinks he has the right to lecture anyone.
Sleepers / int_d52d28b6	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_d52d28b6	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_d52d28b6
Sleepers / int_d62dd556	type	The Chessmaster
Sleepers / int_d62dd556	comment	The Chessmaster: Michael was the one to concoct the entire plan to get Tommy and John freed and get revenge on the four guards who brutalized them.
Sleepers / int_d62dd556	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_d62dd556	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_d62dd556
Sleepers / int_d848560f	type	Unusual Euphemism
Sleepers / int_d848560f	comment	Unusual Euphemism: If the alcoholic lawyer Snyder/O'Connor doesn't do his part in the trial, he will "go down for the dirty nap". Snyder/O'Connor himself even lampshades he's never heard that expression.
Sleepers / int_d848560f	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_d848560f	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_d848560f
Sleepers / int_dbe5bf70	type	Juvenile Hell
Sleepers / int_dbe5bf70	comment	Juvenile Hell: The Wilkinson's Home for Boys is a detention center filled with hardened young men, many of whom have been there multiple times before and show no interest in changing. That's not even getting into the physical and sexual abuse inflicted by the guards on inmates, resulting in one being outright killed.
Sleepers / int_dbe5bf70	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_dbe5bf70	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_dbe5bf70
Sleepers / int_dc031fde	type	Inelegant Blubbering
Sleepers / int_dc031fde	comment	Inelegant Blubbering: Ralph Ferguson, on the stand when confronted by the defenders' lawyer about his friend Sean Nokes's "experiences" (read torture and sexual abuse) with underaged boys.
Sleepers / int_dc031fde	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_dc031fde	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_dc031fde
Sleepers / int_dc057cf3	type	Adaptation Name Change
Sleepers / int_dc057cf3	comment	Adaptation Name Change: Danny O'Connor becomes Danny Snyder in the movie.
Sleepers / int_dc057cf3	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_dc057cf3	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_dc057cf3
Sleepers / int_dc8ecfda	type	Futureshadowing
Sleepers / int_dc8ecfda	comment	Futureshadowing: A badly beaten Shakes is seen thrown into solitary confinement before the reason is shown.
Sleepers / int_dc8ecfda	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_dc8ecfda	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_dc8ecfda
Sleepers / int_dcbe8a6e	type	Chekhov's Gunman
Sleepers / int_dcbe8a6e	comment	Chekhov's Gunman: Rizzo is initially just another prisoner who helps the boys win a football game, then is murdered by the guards. Significantly later in the movie, it turns out that his older brother is a gangster, and what happened to Rizzo causes him to help Michael and the others get revenge.
Sleepers / int_dcbe8a6e	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_dcbe8a6e	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_dcbe8a6e
Sleepers / int_de7b7cbf	type	Drugs Are Bad
Sleepers / int_de7b7cbf	comment	Drugs Are Bad: Deconstructed. Both John and Tommy are drug-addicted killers as adults but it's clear they are using drugs to deal with the abuse and trauma they suffered as children.
Sleepers / int_de7b7cbf	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_de7b7cbf	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_de7b7cbf
Sleepers / int_df80e640	type	Not Proven
Sleepers / int_df80e640	comment	Not Proven: Downplayed. What both lawyers successfully pull off in the trial. By carefully orchestrating the questions Snyder/O'Connor (the defendants' official lawyer) should ask the two witnesses, Michael manages to highlight that they didn't really see John and Tommy shooting at Nokes. One of them had his back turned and the other one only saw them pass by and heard the shots, but she was distracted when the first bullet was fired, and when the rest bullets followed, she, along with the other witness, sheltered themselves under their table and closed their eyes, praying to be spared. There's also the fact the female witness could be considered drunk (and thus, her testimony dubious) by the time the crime happened. Granted, this stunt was not enough to acquit John and Tommy but was the necessary setup to rend Father Bobby's perjured testimony all the more believable.
Sleepers / int_df80e640	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_df80e640	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_df80e640
Sleepers / int_e1acc872	type	From Nobody to Nightmare
Sleepers / int_e1acc872	comment	From Nobody to Nightmare: John and Tommy go from regular and friendly boys to famous, cold-blooded killers as adults.
Sleepers / int_e1acc872	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_e1acc872	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_e1acc872
Sleepers / int_e2db9ef	type	Multiple Gunshot Death
Sleepers / int_e2db9ef	comment	Multiple Gunshot Death: To two of the abusive guards, Nokes (by John and Tommy) and Addison (by Rizzo's older brother).
Sleepers / int_e2db9ef	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_e2db9ef	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_e2db9ef
Sleepers / int_e567510d	type	Determinator
Sleepers / int_e567510d	comment	Determinator: Michael goes to law school for the sole purpose of getting back at the guards and exposing Wilkinson's atrocities. Then, when the opportunity arises, he crafts an intricate plot to fulfill his mission.
Sleepers / int_e567510d	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_e567510d	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_e567510d
Sleepers / int_e9505dd1	type	Crusading Lawyer
Sleepers / int_e9505dd1	comment	Crusading Lawyer: Zigzagged. The Anti-Hero Michael becomes a lawyer as an adult and uses many illegal means (with Shakes's help) to free Tommy and John and condemn the guard who abused them.
Sleepers / int_e9505dd1	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_e9505dd1	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_e9505dd1
Sleepers / int_eaf5a1ac	type	Groin Attack
Sleepers / int_eaf5a1ac	comment	Nokes is murdered by two boys he used to sexually abuse and torture. Rather fittingly, the first bullet hits him in the crotch.
Sleepers / int_eaf5a1ac	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_eaf5a1ac	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_eaf5a1ac
Sleepers / int_f0fe7e80	type	But Now I Must Go
Sleepers / int_f0fe7e80	comment	But Now I Must Go: Michael departs for a quiet, solitary life in the English countryside after the events of the film. Shakes's narration states that Michael is still afraid of the past and unable to let it go.
Sleepers / int_f0fe7e80	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_f0fe7e80	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_f0fe7e80
Sleepers / int_f909b16b	type	Dark Secret
Sleepers / int_f909b16b	comment	Dark Secret: The boys come to an agreement to keep the abuse they suffered at Wilkinson's a secret only to them.
Sleepers / int_f909b16b	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_f909b16b	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_f909b16b
Sleepers / int_f914cae5	type	Post-Rape Taunt
Sleepers / int_f914cae5	comment	Post-Rape Taunt: When Nokes remembers John and Tommy, he cruelly states he was trying to "toughen" them up.
Sleepers / int_f914cae5	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_f914cae5	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_f914cae5
Sleepers / int_fb3576b2	type	The Dog Bites Back
Sleepers / int_fb3576b2	comment	The Dog Bites Back: The premise of the plot revolves around this trope. The four sleepers endured so much trauma and abuse that, when presented with the opportunity to bite back, they eagerly jump at the chance and damn the consequences. One of them was preparing his revenge long before that.
Sleepers / int_fb3576b2	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_fb3576b2	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_fb3576b2
Sleepers / int_fccd06b6	type	Beware the Nice Ones
Sleepers / int_fccd06b6	comment	Beware the Nice Ones: Father Bobby is a very kind man who looks out for the boys as a mentor and father figure. However, he also makes clear that he isn't to be messed with, openly telling John's stepfather that if he touches John again, he'll have to answer to Father Bobby who isn't going to be pushed around. He also used to be involved in petty crime and served in a juvenile detention center in his youth.
Sleepers / int_fccd06b6	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_fccd06b6	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_fccd06b6
Sleepers / int_fd4f8299	type	Well-Intentioned Extremist
Sleepers / int_fd4f8299	comment	Well-Intentioned Extremist: Nokes makes a pitiful effort at framing himself as this, claiming he was only trying to make the boys tougher. John and Tommy are unsurprisingly not convinced.
Sleepers / int_fd4f8299	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_fd4f8299	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_fd4f8299
Sleepers / int_fea42091	type	Badass Preacher
Sleepers / int_fea42091	comment	Badass Preacher: As Shakes puts it, Father Bobby is just as comfortable sitting on a barstool as standing at an altar. He also states that Father Bobby lived a life of petty crime before his calling, which implies the priest knows his way among the scoundrels and he's just as tough as everybody else in the neighborhood. He also has no issue threatening John's abusive stepfather after he puts the kid in the hospital due to a punctured lung. Even King Benny thinks that Father Bobby would have made a good hitman.
Sleepers / int_fea42091	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_fea42091	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_fea42091
Sleepers / int_fed93e1b	type	Dark and Troubled Past
Sleepers / int_fed93e1b	comment	Dark and Troubled Past: The boys when they become adults. They each are troubled in their own ways because of the severe abuse they suffered as children. Implied with Father Bobby. He was sent to Wilkinson's in his youth and possibly experienced troubles there. King Benny had his teeth taken from him and became involved in gang life, and it's implied he may have been sexually abused as a child. Shake's father was sent to prison for murdering his first wife.
Sleepers / int_fed93e1b	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_fed93e1b	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_fed93e1b
Sleepers / int_name	type	ItemName
Sleepers / int_name	comment
Sleepers / int_name	featureApplicability	1.0
Sleepers / int_name	featureConfidence	1.0
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sleepers / int_name
Sleepers / int_name	itemName	Sleepers

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

Sleepers	hasFeature	A Place Holds Memories / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Abuse Discretion Shot / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Backfire on the Witness Stand / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Badass Preacher / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Based on a Great Big Lie / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Best Served Cold / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Cacophony Cover-Up / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Confessional / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Dueling Dubs / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Films of 1995â€“1999 / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Had to Come to Prison to Be a Crook / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Internal Affairs / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Multiple Gunshot Death / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Narrator / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Not Proven / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Not So Above It All / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Offing the Annoyance / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Pedophile Priest / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Post-Rape Taunt / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Prison Rape / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Pyrrhic Victory / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Rape Is a Special Kind of Evil / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	See You in Hell / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Someone to Remember Him By / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Sympathetic Murderer / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	The '60s / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	The '80s / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	The '80s / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	The One That Got Away / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	The Power of Hate / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	This Is Gonna Suck / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Thriller / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Token Good Cop / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Unnecessary Roughness / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Unwitting Pawn / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Used to Be a Sweet Kid / int_b6018a9
Sleepers	hasFeature	Wrong Side of the Tracks / int_b6018a9

Copyright of DBTropes.org wrapper 2009-2013 DFKI Knowledge Management. Imprint. - Thanks to Bakken&Baeck for hosting. Contact.
Copyright of data TVTropes.org contributors under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.