Search - Swing Kids

In 1939 Hamburg, Germany, a group of teenagers express their rebellion against Adolph Hitler's Nazi regime through their affection for American swing music, British fashion, and Harlem slang. American and British big-band jazz records are among those banned by the Fuhrer, but the young men secretly get together with their friends to listen and dance to the music. As their escapades become increasingly bold, they each get into trouble with the authorities. Robert Sean Leonard stars as Peter, who ends up being forced -- by a prank -- into having to join the Hitler Youth with his friend Thomas (Christian Bale). They are both engineering students at the university, where Thomas' father was taken away for defending his Jewish colleagues. With Arvid (Frank Whaley), they pretend to be Nazi supporters by day while rebelling with the swing music by night. Kenneth Branagh, in an uncredited appearance, is a glib Nazi Gestapo chief who makes matters more difficult. Each of the boys must choose among family, safety, friendship, and freedom as politics impinges on their youthful exuberance, and the Nazis set them against one another. The movie was shot in Prague, directed by Thomas Carter from a script by Jonathan Marc Feldman, and released by Disney. Barbara Hershey appears as Peter's mother. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

Robert Sean Leonard - Peter
Christian Bale - Thomas
Frank Whaley - Arvid
Barbara Hershey - Frau Muller
Kenneth Branagh - SS Official

Thomas Carter's tale of Hitler Youth and dancing, Swing Kids, comes to DVD with a widescreen anamorphic transfer that preserves the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Surround. There are no subtitles, but the soundtrack is closed-captioned. There are no supplemental materials of any consequence, making this inexpensive Disney/Buena Vista release difficult to recommend to anyone but a fan of the performers involved in the production. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

These movies have the touch and feel of Swing Kids...
S	Choices (13 & Up)
22	Fearless (R)
1	The Best of Friends
3	3 Women [Criterion Collection] (PG)
These movies have the subject or theme of Swing Kids...
7	Gas Food Lodging (R)
97	Footloose (PG)
15	Johnny Be Good (R)
7	Shout
33	American Graffiti [Collector's Edition] (PG)
2	Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. (R)
2	The Mambo Kings (R)
18	Little Man Tate (PG)
74	The Sound of Music [Special Edition] (G)
4	Smooth Talk (PG-13)
26	Girls Just Want to Have Fun (PG)
5	Foxes (R)
These movies share cast/crew with Swing Kids...
27	Newsies [Widescreen] (PG)
9	Peter's Friends (R)
15	Henry V (PG-13)
49	Much Ado About Nothing [Widescreen/Fullscreen] (PG-13)
21	Empire of the Sun (PG)
S	Ironweed (R)
S	Fortunes of War
59	The Doors (R)
3	Tune in Tomorrow (PG-13)
5	Hoffa [Special Edition] (R)
14	Hannah and Her Sisters (PG-13)
55	Hoosiers [Widescreen] (PG)
28	The Freshman (PG)
63	Falling Down (R)
S	Crooked Hearts (R)
2	Splitting Heirs (PG-13)
These movies are similar to Swing Kids...
3	Europa Europa (R)
31	Memphis Belle (PG-13)
S	The Harmonists (R)
43	Flyboys [Blu-ray] (PG-13)