Main Cast: Balthazar Getty, Chris Furrh, Danuel Pipoly, Badgett Dale, Edward Taft, Andrew Taft
Release Year: 1990
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Harry Hook directed this second screen adaptation of William Golding's cult novel about a group of British schoolchildren who revert to savagery when marooned on a deserted island. The new adaptation replaces British school children with a group of American military cadets and instead of a shipwreck, their plane crashes into the sea. The children swim ashore onto an island and try to fend for themselves, with the only surviving adult wracked with fever and crazed with pain. As the children get the feel of the island, the group separates into two different camps: Ralph (Balthazar Getty) and his followers prefer to act civilized and want to expand their efforts toward finding a way off the island; on the other hand, Jack (Chris Furrh) and his band revert to painting their faces, carrying spears and exploiting the island for survival. When the chances for rescue become less and less likely, the two factions go to war with each other, with tragic results. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
Bob Peck - Marine Officer; Bill Schoppert - Marine Petty Officer; Michael Greene - The Pilot; Gary Rule - Roger; Terry Wells - Andy; Braden MacDonald - Larry; Angus Burgin - Greg; Martin Zentz - Sheraton; Brian Jacobs - Peter; Vincent Amabile - Patterson; David Weinstein - Mikey; Chuck Bell - Steve; Everado Elizondo - Pablo; James Hamm - John; Charlie Newmark - Will; Brian Matthews - Tony; Shawn Skie - Rapper; Judson McCune - Luke; Zane Rockenbaugh - Tex; Robert Shea - Billy; Gordon Elder - Rusty; Michael Hirshenson; Jane Jenkins; Janet Hirshenson
Credit
Jennifer Chang - Art Director, Walker Stuart - Associate Producer, Michael Hirshenson - Casting, Jane Jenkins - Casting, Janet Hirshenson - Casting, David Lester - Co-producer, Doreen Watkinson - Costume Designer, Harry Hook - Director, Harry Hook - Editor, Peter Newman - Executive Producer, Lewis M. Allen - Executive Producer, Philippe Sarde - Composer (Music Score), Harry Rabinowitz - Musical Direction/Supervision, Douglas B. Arnold - Musical Direction/Supervision, Sarah Monzani - Makeup, Jamie Leonard - Production Designer, Martin Fuhrer - Cinematographer, Ross Milloy - Producer, Andrew Miller - Special Effects, John-Peter Dabdoub - Special Effects, Errol Dias - Special Effects, Warren Dunn - Special Effects, Frank Edge - Special Effects, Giorgio Ferrari - Special Effects, Logan R. Frazee - Special Effects, Terry Frazee - Special Effects, Albert McTaggert - Special Effects, Michael Meinardus - Special Effects, Clovis Nelson - Special Effects, Roland Vickers - Special Effects, Jerry Gatlin - Stunts, Jay Presson Allen - Screenwriter, Sara Schiff - Screenwriter, Tom Priestley - Supervising Editor, William Golding - Book Author
Lord of the Flies is a 1990film (filmed in 1988) adaptation of the classic novel Lord of the Flies written by William Golding. It is the second film adaptation of the book, the first being the 1963 film Lord of the Flies. Although the movie was a box office success, critics gave it mixed to average reviews. Despite that, it has gained a cult following.
Plot is different from that of the book (as indicated below), but it still is meant to illustrate the same themes, motifs, and symbols.
Differences between the film and the book
The film seems to take place in the late 1980's, whereas the book takes place during an unnamed war, possibly World War 3.
In the film, the boys are American military schoolboys, as opposed to British schoolchildren in the novel.
In the film, there is one school of boys; in the novel, there are two.
Ralph is always a friend Piggy in the film, but isn't all that nice to Piggy in the beginning of the book.
Owing to the response time of the American Marines, the transport they took to the island and the two helicopters, it implies that the crash may have been seen on radar, there was an Aircraft Carrier nearby, or mainland, whereas in the book there wasn't.
The boys don't use the phrases "Biguns" and "Littluns" for each other in this movie version.
In the book one of the boys dies (presumably) after the fire spreads out of control, but in the film this never happens.
In the book Ralph and Piggy emerge from the crashed aircraft on the island, and it is implied that the other boys do the same. In the movie, they are brought ashore by a life raft.
In the book, Sam and Eric join Jack's tribe by force. In the film, they join earlier and because Jack calls them "girls".
The only characters from the book that are in the film are Ralph, Jack, Piggy, the twins (Sam&Eric), Simon, and Roger. Although one of the boys strongly resembles Percival Weyms Madison.
In the film, the children are of differing ethnicity and creed, one boy wears a cross (indicating that he is a Christian), another wearing the Star of David (indicating a Jewish boy), and one boy is African-American while another is clearly Hispanic. In the book, they are all White British and their religious beliefs are not stated.
The characters in the film use harsher profanity than the characters in the book, and more frequently.
Like the 1963 version (which also implied that the events took place over a short period of time), the boys' hair never grew too long.
Instead of a dead parachutist playing the role of "the beast," Captain Benson plays it here, who was the only surviving adult, but was killed when he scared a boy exploring a cave.
Ralph, rather than Jack, discovers that Piggy's spectacles can make fire.
The Lord of the Flies never talks to Simon in the film, whereas the novel has Simon experiencing a hallucination in which it speaks to him.
In the book, the Lord of the Flies was safely away from the "beast", but in the film the Lord of the Flies is right next to it.
The killing of the mother sow is not shown, only the boys chasing and decapitating a pig.
Simon's death is much less violent in the movie where he is struck with spears, in the book he was bitten and clawed to death by the others.
In the book, Simon is shown to be much more mystical.
Jack does not insult Piggy as much as in the novel.
Simon has very few lines throughout the film.
When Jack leaves the tribe, the whole re-election scene is left out; instead, he just leaves the tribe and asks who wants to come with him.
Piggy is not as courageous as he is in the book.
In the film Sam or Eric names Piggy, whereas in the novel Ralph calls him Piggy after Piggy told him if he were to be called anything, he would not want to be called Piggy.
In the book the boys call the creature the "beast" but in the film they call it the "monster" instead.
In the film Piggy dies from the boulder thrown off of Castle Rock bludgeoning him, but in the book he falls off a cliff after being struck by the boulder.
In the film the conch is never shown being broken. In the book however, it shatters when Piggy is struck by the boulder, symbolizing the loss of order.
In the book, Ralph is described as having blond hair, Simon black hair, and Jack red hair. All three characters have different hair colors in this adaptation.
In the book the vote of the leader is very important, while in the film it is not. Also, Jack seems very upset by the loss of the election to Ralph while in the film he seems to laugh it off.
The reason Ralph is voted leader in the film is that 'he's colonel', whereas in the book it is because he is older and found the conch.
In the movie, Simon had a lizard as a pet. In the book, it was never mentioned.
In the movie, there is a "survival knife"; in the book, there isn't. Jack does have a knife, but it's his only and not referred to as a "survival knife." Jack and his tribe also never have to steal it from Ralph and Piggy because the knife is Jack's to begin with.
In the novel, all the adults have died in the plane crash. However, in the movie, the Captain survives for a while before he dies.
In the movie a helicopter went near the island, in the book it was a ship.
The boys were awake when a helicopter passed at night, in the book they were asleep and that was when the dead parachutist dropped down.
In the book, Jack broke Piggy's glasses by punching him. In the movie, Jack did not instead, they stepped on their shelter and possibly stepped on the glasses.
No glowsticks were shown in the book, while in the movie, Simon used the glowstick to see what was in the cave.
It was stated that Simon discovered the "beastie" in daytime instead of nightime.
When Ralph and Piggy was offered pork by Jack, only Piggy ate it. While in the book, both Ralph and Jack ate the pork.
Neither Ralph nor Piggy should be awake when Piggy's glasses were stolen, but in the movie, both were awake.
In the book, Ralph and Piggy did not find any musical instruments in the water. In the movie, Ralph saw it and both of them took it out from the water and Ralph faked to play it.
In the movie, one boy was bitten because he was accused for killing Simon. While in the book, boys were beaten up for no apparent reason.
In the book, it is stated that Ralph took the stick that was sharpened at both end from "Lord of the Flies" and defended himself with it. However, in the movie, Ralph left the sow's head as it is, and moved on.
All the boys in the book cried when they met the army officer that came to rescue them, but only Ralph cried in the movie when the officer saved them.
Critics' reviews were generally mixed to average and the film has a rating of 61% "Fresh" on the movie review site Rotten Tomatoes.[1]
Some cited that the novel in general is somewhat dated and unsuitable for a remake. Roger Ebert remarked in his review that, "events take place every day on our mean streets that are more horrifying than anything the little monsters do to one another on Golding's island."[2]
Barrie Maxwell of DVD Verdict commented that the color of the island creates a more superficial atmosphere than the stark black and white of the previous version.[3]
The movie made $13,985,225 domestically in 919 theaters from its $9,000,000 budget.[citation needed]
Despite the mixed reviews, the acting of the boys was generally praised and the movie has gone on to become a cult classic.
