Overlay: Improvised scenes in the film Holes (2003)

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Errors	Missing	Unverified	Supported
1	1	0	3

How were these counts calculated?

Errors (1)

Mr. Sir's sunflower seed addiction is a specific detail from Louis Sachar's novesource-confusion

Missing (1)

Louis Sachar's Cameo Improv: The summary missed that Louis Sachar (the author) iomitted-detail

#Q ORIGINAL QUESTION

Regarding the film Holes (2003), are there any scenes that were improvised by the actors, and if so, which ones?

#M ANNOTATED LLM RESPONSE

While the film Holes (2003) stayed remarkably faithful to Louis Sachar’s novel (largely because Sachar himself wrote the screenplay), several key scenes and character traits were improvised or heavily influenced by the actors' ad-libbing.

1. Stanley and Zero’s Backstory Conversation (God’s Thumb)

The most notable instance of improvisation occurs during the scenes on God’s Thumb, where Stanley (Shia LaBeouf) and Zero (Khleo Thomas) are resting and eating onions.

The Ad-lib: Actor Khleo Thomas recently shared that director Andrew Davis encouraged him and Shia LaBeouf to ad-lib their dialogue during the emotional scene where Zero tells Stanley about his mother and his life before Camp Green Lake.
The Detail: The director wanted the bond between the two boys to feel authentic and unscripted. Much of the quiet, conversational build-up in those mountain scenes was developed through the actors "seeing what builds from there" rather than strictly following every line in the script.

2. Jon Voight as Mr. Sir (The "It Ain’t" Line)

Jon Voight's portrayal of Mr. Sir was highly experimental, and he brought several improvised elements to the character to emphasize his "tough guy" overcompensation.

The Line: In the scene where it is revealed that Mr. Sir’s real name is Marion, one of the boys remarks, "I didn't know Marion was a man’s name." Mr. Sir famously replies, "It ain’t." This line is not in the original book and was a character-building ad-lib or script addition by Voight to highlight the character’s insecurity about his masculinity.
The Seeds: Voight also improvised the intensity of Mr. Sir’s sunflower seed addiction. While the seeds were in the book, Voight made the "expectorating" (spitting) of the shells into the boys' faces a core, aggressive part of his performance that wasn't fully detailed on the page.

3. Sigourney Weaver’s "Final Look" at the Treasure

While not an "on-the-spot" ad-lib during a take, Sigourney Weaver (The Warden) specifically improvised/suggested a change to the film's ending that wasn't in the original plan.

The Scene: In the final sequence as she is being taken away in the police car, she told director Andrew Davis, "You have to let her see what they found."
The Detail: She felt her character, who had spent her entire life digging for this treasure, deserved one moment of "rest" by finally seeing the contents of the suitcase. This brief, silent moment in the back of the car was a character choice Weaver championed.

4. The "D-Tent" Group Dynamics

The actors playing the boys in D-Tent (X-Ray, Armpit, Zigzag, etc.) were encouraged to bring their own "flavor" to their group interactions.

The "Dig It" Song: The cast actually wrote and performed the theme song "Dig It" themselves. This collaborative, improvised creative energy carried over into the scenes where the boys are lounging in the wreck room or digging in the holes, leading to various unscripted "jibes" and nicknames that were not in the original text but made the "juvie" atmosphere feel more lived-in.

Summary of Improvised/Actor-Led Details

Scene / Element	Actor(s)	Specific Detail
Zero’s Backstory	Shia LaBeouf & Khleo Thomas	Ad-libbed dialogue to build chemistry on God's Thumb.
"It Ain't" Line	Jon Voight	Improvised retort regarding his name, Marion.
Sunflower Seed Habit	Jon Voight	Amplified the aggressiveness of the spitting for character effect.
The Warden's Ending	Sigourney Weaver	Requested the addition of her seeing the treasure in the car.
D-Tent Banter	Group Cast	Various unscripted jokes and "attitude" during group scenes.

#F CORRECTION FEED (CLICK TO SEARCH)

[1] Khleo Thomas has explicitly stated in interviews (e.g., with People and on his own channels) that the director removed the script for the God's Thumb scene and instructed them to improvise the conversation about his mother.

[2] The line 'It ain't' is a famous quote from the movie that does not appear in the book's dialogue. While often cited as an ad-lib, some sources suggest author Louis Sachar (who wrote the screenplay) may have added it, or it was a collaborative addition. The 'Marion' name reveal itself is in the book.

[3] Mr. Sir's sunflower seed addiction is a specific detail from Louis Sachar's novel (he eats them because he quit smoking). Claims that Voight improvised the 'intensity' or spit them in boys' faces appear to be a conflation with cast interviews where they discussed *off-screen* sunflower seed spitting contests, which Voight reportedly did *not* participate in.

[4] Sigourney Weaver confirmed in a 2025 interview (and earlier commentary) that she specifically asked director Andrew Davis to let her character see the treasure before being taken away, as she felt the character deserved a moment of closure.

[5] The song 'Dig It' was written and performed by the cast members (The D-Tent Boys), including Khleo Thomas and Max Kasch.

#O MISSED POINTS & OVERSIGHTS

Low

Louis Sachar's Cameo Improv

The summary missed that Louis Sachar (the author) improvised his own line during his cameo as Mr. Collingwood ('My head feels like a cantaloupe' or similar reaction to the onion cream).

#C RELATED QUERIES

#01 Did Louis Sachar improvise his cameo line in Holes?

#02 What scenes were cut from the Holes movie?

#03 Did Shia LaBeouf really carry Khleo Thomas up the mountain in Holes?

#S SOURCES

wordpress.com reddit.com davesaysmoviesmatter.com watchmojo.com davesaysmoviesmatter.com quora.com washingtonpost.com cinemaretro.com scribd.com moviemistakes.com oapen.org enotes.com reddit.com

#R ORIGINAL AI RESPONSE

▼

While the film **Holes (2003)** stayed remarkably faithful to Louis Sachar’s novel (largely because Sachar himself wrote the screenplay), several key scenes and character traits were improvised or heavily influenced by the actors' ad-libbing. ### **1. Stanley and Zero’s Backstory Conversation (God’s Thumb)** The most notable instance of improvisation occurs during the scenes on **God’s Thumb**, where Stanley (Shia LaBeouf) and Zero (Khleo Thomas) are resting and eating onions. * **The Ad-lib:** Actor Khleo Thomas recently shared that director Andrew Davis encouraged him and Shia LaBeouf to **ad-lib their dialogue** during the emotional scene where Zero tells Stanley about his mother and his life before Camp Green Lake. * **The Detail:** The director wanted the bond between the two boys to feel authentic and unscripted. Much of the quiet, conversational build-up in those mountain scenes was developed through the actors "seeing what builds from there" rather than strictly following every line in the script. ### **2. Jon Voight as Mr. Sir (The "It Ain’t" Line)** Jon Voight's portrayal of Mr. Sir was highly experimental, and he brought several improvised elements to the character to emphasize his "tough guy" overcompensation. * **The Line:** In the scene where it is revealed that Mr. Sir’s real name is **Marion**, one of the boys remarks, "I didn't know Marion was a man’s name." Mr. Sir famously replies, **"It ain’t."** This line is not in the original book and was a character-building ad-lib or script addition by Voight to highlight the character’s insecurity about his masculinity. * **The Seeds:** Voight also improvised the intensity of Mr. Sir’s **sunflower seed addiction**. While the seeds were in the book, Voight made the "expectorating" (spitting) of the shells into the boys' faces a core, aggressive part of his performance that wasn't fully detailed on the page. ### **3. Sigourney Weaver’s "Final Look" at the Treasure** While not an "on-the-spot" ad-lib during a take, Sigourney Weaver (The Warden) specifically improvised/suggested a change to the film's ending that wasn't in the original plan. * **The Scene:** In the final sequence as she is being taken away in the police car, she told director Andrew Davis, "You have to let her see what they found." * **The Detail:** She felt her character, who had spent her entire life digging for this treasure, deserved one moment of "rest" by finally seeing the contents of the suitcase. This brief, silent moment in the back of the car was a character choice Weaver championed. ### **4. The "D-Tent" Group Dynamics** The actors playing the boys in D-Tent (X-Ray, Armpit, Zigzag, etc.) were encouraged to bring their own "flavor" to their group interactions. * **The "Dig It" Song:** The cast actually wrote and performed the theme song **"Dig It"** themselves. This collaborative, improvised creative energy carried over into the scenes where the boys are lounging in the wreck room or digging in the holes, leading to various unscripted "jibes" and nicknames that were not in the original text but made the "juvie" atmosphere feel more lived-in. ### **Summary of Improvised/Actor-Led Details** | Scene / Element | Actor(s) | Specific Detail | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Zero’s Backstory** | Shia LaBeouf & Khleo Thomas | Ad-libbed dialogue to build chemistry on God's Thumb. | | **"It Ain't" Line** | Jon Voight | Improvised retort regarding his name, Marion. | | **Sunflower Seed Habit** | Jon Voight | Amplified the aggressiveness of the spitting for character effect. | | **The Warden's Ending** | Sigourney Weaver | Requested the addition of her seeing the treasure in the car. | | **D-Tent Banter** | Group Cast | Various unscripted jokes and "attitude" during group scenes. |

#A DIRECT ANSWER (VERIFIED ANALYSIS)

▼

Several scenes in Holes (2003) involved improvisation. Most notably, Khleo Thomas (Zero) and Shia LaBeouf (Stanley) improvised the emotional dialogue on God's Thumb where Zero discusses his mother; director Andrew Davis instructed them to discard the script for that sequence to achieve authenticity. Sigourney Weaver (The Warden) also influenced the ending by requesting the unscripted moment where she is allowed to see the treasure in the police car before being driven away. Additionally, the cast members (the D-Tent boys) wrote and performed the credit song "Dig It" themselves. While Jon Voight's line "It ain't" is a famous movie addition not found in the book, the claim that he improvised his sunflower seed addiction is incorrect; that trait is drawn directly from Louis Sachar's novel.

OVERLAY REPORT