Sleepers (film)

Sleepers is a 1996 American legal crime drama film written, produced, and directed by Barry Levinson, and based on Lorenzo Carcaterras 1995 novel of the same name. The film starred Jason Patric, Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, Vittorio Gassmann and Kevin Bacon among others.

In the summer of 1967, their lives take a turn when they nearly kill a man after pulling a prank on a hot dog vendor. As punishment, Tommy, Michael, and John are sentenced to servetomonths at the Wilkinson Home for Boys in Upstate New York while Shakes is sentenced totomonths. There, the boys are systematically abused and raped by guards Sean Nokes, Henry Addison, Ralph Ferguson, and Adam Styler. The horrifying abuse changes the boys and their friendship forever. Out of shame, they urge their parents in letters not to visit during their stay at the home. Not even to Father Bobby, who insists on visiting, can they speak openly about these events.During the boys stay at the facility, they participate in Wilkinsons annual football game between the guards and inmates, and usually it is clear which team will be victorious. Michael convinces Rizzo, an intimidating black inmate, that this time the guards should not win out of fear of consequences if the boys withstand, but instead they should hit back as hard as possible. Rizzo agrees and the five and a few more fight on and beat the wardens in front of all others watching their disgrace. As a result of this, Shakes, Tommy, Michael, and John are all beaten and thrown into solitary confinement for several weeks, and some of the guards who lost including Nokes and his friends brutally beat Rizzo to death. ........

Source: Wikipedia