School Ties (1992)

I just watched School Ties recently and I was quite impressed with it. The acting was excellent as 4 previously unknown actors made their big breaks, Brendan Fraser (pre-George Of The Jungle) is awesome as Jewish boy David Green. Chris O'Donnell (pre-Vertical Limit) plays the role of Reece with good convictions and Ben Affleck & Matt Damon (pre-Good Will Hunting) are great. Matt plays the role of jealous bigot Charlie with good character and conviction. It's just a shame that Ben Affleck didn't have much of a speaking role. For those of you who are fans of Fraser, Affleck, Damon & O'Donnell, this movie is worth checking out 8 out of 10 in my books

Fmovies: I watched this movie on video last night. First of all I want to say this... I find it absolutely irrelevant who played the characters in the movie, all the actors did ok (nothing special). Please don't write your reviews based on Damon or Fraser or the co... they're not what is important about the film. The film should make people realise what a disgusting, resentful quality anti-semitism is, and how much jewish kids have had to suffer not just in the 50s, but over a massive period of history. But I'm not going to go into a history lecture.

This movie touched me as this is a very familiar topic for me. Being born part Jewish in Russia I am well aware of the blunt, dumb prejudices that surround Jewish youth throughout school years, university admittance and army years. Fraser's character was lucky, he was physically strong... Let me tell you there are very few things in this life worse than being a victim of all these prejudices.

The story line is nothing special but one characteristic of it is important and truthful - Fraser's drive to succeed. Oh sure very few Jewish kids became football stars, most of them had to be become successful through books and study, but the point is, surrounded by prejudice, ignorance and hatred, that's the only choice Jews ever had... they had to strive to be the best or they had no hope of surviving with any dignity. Hence, David Green's drive to go to Harvard had nothing in common with that of his classmates. They wanted the high-life and were pushed by their proud, arrogant parents; David saw Harvard as a way to simply survive.

Some users have commented that there are more important issues in the world than this 'minor' bigotry case. Look, does that mean every movie should be about East Timorese getting slaughtered just because it's the most important issue of the time? This movie tries to show us how dumb, ignorant and blind anti-semitism is... and believe me there have been, there are and there will be millions of Jewish kids who would relate all too well to this movie. So please, instead of talking about the 'big' actors or sub-par story-line, think about the theme and make sure you're never the one immersed in stupid ignorance.

Every fine Eastern school has some old traditions. When selecting a college or University which will eventually become your Alma Matter, it become doubly prestigious. Therein, too are the seeds of bigotry, racism and often as not antisemitism. This story written by Dick Wolf and directed by Robert Mandel is a fine addition to so many others which bring out the often buried hatred of classmates whom we so often considered our most steadfast friends. This then is the story of David Greene (Brendan Fraser) who selected as his best friend Charlie Dillon (Matt Damon). Together they strive to make their way through the school year. However, even though they share the hardships and principals of the rigors of the school, theirs is also a tenuous friendship based on wealth and social standing. Both of which are prerequisites for social acceptance. When Dillion's envy of his best friend gets the better of him, he uses any means to right what he believes to be his share of the school popularity. Chris O'Donnell, Ben Affleck and Kevin Tighe round out the cast. The movie is exceptional for exposing what many schools lack the courage to do. Further, the combination of it's cast insure this will become a Classic, for the young actors. ****

School Ties fmovies. I am a huge fan of Fraser, and I own most of his movies. I have always enjoyed School Ties, although I never really appreciated it until I spent my first week in college. Feeling completely different and alone, I put the video in my TV/VCR combo and hermitted for two hours. I may not of faced the harshness that Greene felt, and I was not the victim of some anti-ethnic group, but I was pressured into doing a lot of stuff that I didn't feel comfortable doing, just like Fraser's character. They way he handled it made me realize that I shouldn't give in to anyone....I love you Brendan, you are my hero. Even if it was just a role.

I liked this movie the first time I watched it,which is probably why I have watched it twice since then.Seeing future stars in a small time movie was a bonus but it was the story that appealed to me.Anti-Semitism was once the "in-thing",just as lynching African Americans was once accepted and condoned.It's a sad and shameful part of our history,a part that we'd like to forget but we most definitely shouldn't...because if we do we just might repeat ourselves,and nobody wants to do that...do they?

I think "School Ties" gets the point across.Sure the script has its flaws,but which script doesn't?The story is an important one.Each time we watch it we"ll remember and that's a good thing,'cause we just might forget and that would be dangerous.

I've read the first 30 comments about this movie. Not once did anyone comment on the reasons why Greene (Fraser) never mentioned his religion -- the casual "joking" and "common knowledge" comments heard in the bathroom. Is it any less a matter of prejudice to use the phrase "I jewed him down" than it would be to use the term "kike"? Is telling a derogatory joke about homosexuals any more offensive than calling us "fag"? This is the only movie I can think of right off-hand other than "The Laramie Project" that makes the point that casual speech can be used as a form of maintaining prejudice. For this reason alone, "School Ties" is an important film. As a survivor of a 1964 prep school much like the one in the movie, I can tell you that the scenes and attitudes are accurately presented. I found the characters to be a little one-sided, yes. It's rare to meet any person who is as totally focused and determined as the Greene presented here. Nor is any prejudiced person or group normally so totally open in expression as the "good old boys" we see in this production. But, that's the most impressive way to show the public just how bad it is to be bigoted or to be the target of bigotry. For the production and acting values I'd give this film 6 on a scale of 10. For the "pre-star" status performances of Fraser, O'Donell, Damon, and, yes, even Affleck, I'd give it a 7.5 on a scale of 10. For the message I'd give it 9.5 on that same scale. "School Ties" is a movie that can be enjoyed by anyone who sees it. For "star followers", it has a cool four New Idols in "pre-star" roles to add to their tape collections. For the activists in the world it is a stark and dramatic example of how prevalent unrecognised bigotry is in our society.