Orphans

Two ignorant, semi-depraved brothers, dead-end kids abandoned by their parents and living (so to speak) in a condemned house near Newark, New Jersey, kidnap a drunken Irish dandy and hold him for ransom, but get more than they bargained for after daylight and sobriety transforms their prisoner into a cunning thief (and surrogate father). Director Alan J. Pakula makes little attempt to open up the stage play that inspired the film, and the artificial theatricality of the setting and dialogue doesn't translate well to the big screen. But the often absorbing dynamics between each of the three high-caliber actors is enough reason to recommend the play itself, if only to stage buffs.

Yeah a complete 10. Hard but excellent. As you follow along it draws you in. The story is good, I even step back and notice the slow camera work. So So intimate, like you get to experience a private showing of a great play right in your living room.

....I wish to mention one review above by ccthemovieman...it speaks of homosexual issues. I only hope you are young or from some other perspective...because this emotional charged story is just about " a little encouragement , a squeeze of the shoulder" really nothing more , no overtones , or other issues. It is just caring. Human caring and encouragement. Very simple, very pure. Remember this was a while ago when it was OK for males to touch and not get arrested or whatever. Society's...people's loss that that has gotten so cloudy/avoided.

So no I feel there is no homosexual suggestions or whatever in this story. ....perhaps has to do with the eye of the beholder?? I remembered this when saw it prob 25 yrs ago ....just finally found and bought it. Just as powerful as I recall.

I saw this film about 100 times as a child and it forever stuck in our household as a classic to watch every Christmas.

The film is about 2 young boys, Treat, an angry young man who must make his living through petty thievery, and his house-ridden younger brother, Phillip, who never leaves the house from fear of "the toxic air outside" which apparently nearly killed him as a child. A third character, Harold who is supposedly a rich businessman,played by film veteran Albert Finney, comes into the lives of the two boys after they attempt to kidnap him and hold him for ransom. Little do they know that Harold has a thing or two to teach the boys about life, family, and how to become grown men.

Orphans is an old film, but is absolutely wonderful. I am saddened by the fact that it didn't make it into the mainstream to be regarded a classic along the lines of Casablanca, Gone with the wind, Titanic, etc.

I recommend this film for anybody who has a heart.

Difficult to define it. Because the themes and the acting are more significant than the story itself. Because it is a fine manner to explore the importance of fatherhood for two boys living alone, separated by comunity, orphans, each of other representing entire family, both animated by fears and attempts to have his refuge.

The performance of Kevin Anderson is just splendid, like the fine work of Matthew Modine - in the his case, my subjectivity is significant after I saw Birdy or Full Metal Jacket, not ignoring Flowers for Algernon.

Albert Fienney is great but this is only a truism. The gift proposed by film - special emotion, sustained by admirable cinematography.

This drama was very powerful in spots but I found it too uncomfortable in the long run. It was interesting but, frankly, I wouldn't want to see it again. Two young guys (at time time) - Matthew Modine ("Treat") and Kevin Anderson ("Phillip") - play characters that not always each to watch. It gets a little too mean-spirited, as the latter is mentally slow.

As interesting as those two guys are, the best character is played by Albert Finney. His role as "Harold" - nobody has a last name in this movie - is hard to figure at times. He is older than the other two guys, low-life mental cases, and he winds up being kidnapped by the younger guys. He, too, as it turns out, was an orphan and all three share a sad and somewhat sordid backgrounds. He winds up just about being a foster-type father to these kidnappers. However, there are strong homosexual overtones in this movie, too, which could lead to other conclusions. It's a bizarre story.

Whatever, this is extremely well-acted movie but too unpleasant for my tastes.