Genres

Visitors Review

AEEd 2013-05-24 03:50:35

How can we miss the import of casual "joking"?

I've read the first 30 comments about this movie. Not once didanyonecomment on the reasons why Greene (Fraser) never mentioned hisreligion --the casual "joking" and "common knowledge" comments heard in thebathroom.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 jokeabouthomosexuals any more offensive than calling us "fag"? This is the onlymovieI can think of right off-hand other than "The Laramie Project" that makesthe point that casual speech can be used as a form of maintainingprejudice.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, Ican tell you that the scenes and attitudes are accuratelypresented.I found the characters to be a little one-sided, yes. It's rare tomeetany person who is as totally focused and determined as the Greenepresentedhere. Nor is any prejudiced person or group normally so totally open inexpression as the "good old boys" we see in this production. But, that'sthe most impressive way to show the public just how bad it is to bebigotedor to be the target of bigotry.For the production and acting values I'd give this film 6 on a scaleof10. 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 messageI'dgive 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 addtotheir tape collections. For the activists in the world it is a stark anddramatic example of how prevalent unrecognised bigotry is in oursociety.

niobe484 2013-05-23 11:38:50

Hey! Take a chance: This is a very decent coming of age movie

I just rented this and have to say that I enjoyed it very much. Ididn't know it existed and it was fun to see all these guys together ata younger age.I'm no film critic--just a film aficionado--so I won't pick this movieand the now-semi-famous cast apart. I'll just share my impressions.While the film was predictable, the characters were personable and dida good job portraying their respective points of view:social/moral/ethical. I liked Brenden's portrayal of the classicdilemma: to be loud, proud, (poor) and Jewish in the (very) short-runor suck it up, get the benefits of the Christian Yuppie establishmenteducation and kick ass in the long run. I thought he conveyed well thatthis was no easy thing for him and that it would be a win-lose to someextent no matter what he did.It was fun to see Matt Damon as a spoiled brat. And the cheatingepisode provided an excellent forum for exploring/exposing the valuesof the society these guys represented. No news, true. But a reminderthat we likely have't come any further today: would a similarclosed-session debate sound any different now you think? Doubt it. HopeI'm wrong.The only "weakness" in the film might be its ending. Yet it was savedfrom implausible sentimentality by David's "bargain." All in all, Ithink it's worth watching.

2013-05-22 21:02:27

School Ties

This review is from: School Ties (DVD) GREAT FILM, A terrific story about a prep school in New England in the late 50's. Quite a few good actors at the beginning of their careers. Wonderful cinematography!

2013-05-22 10:46:25

3 stars out of 4

The Bottom Line:School Ties sometimes feels episodic and not all of its scenes work (the bit with the evil French teacher falls particularly flat) but the core of the film is an interesting and well-told story about a Jewish boy in a Christian prep school; rarely less than engaging, if not riveting, it's a decent film.

Patrick Sullivan 2013-05-20 01:19:30

"Gentlemen's Agreement" goes to high school!

Very predictable story, but well done nevertheless. It's fun to seetoday'spopular actors when they were very young. Matt Damon proves what acompetent actor he is, playing a despicable character, yet he bringssympathy to the role. Brendan Frasier is wonderful, asalways.

2013-05-19 10:40:47

still loving cole

This was actually quite a good movie. Im a huge Cole Hauser fan which is why I watched it but it turned out to be pretty good. I probably would have been real p!ssed off it it had of been crap since he wasn't in it all that much. Some of it was pretty harsh though and could have been left out and by "some of it" i mean naked tussling in the shower. That could have been avoided.

bferg 2013-05-17 13:40:07

It got worse as it built toward the climax

The first hour was pretty good. However, Brenden Frasier was out preformed throughout, as he usually is. Furthermore, once his secret got out the writing and feel of the whole movie turned into something more fitting for television.

2013-05-17 01:30:11

a great film

a great film, altogether, i thought it was a great film, the acting was wonderful also, i thought the story was excellent too, and i saw it in school

2013-05-14 07:05:07

Very good movie.

This review is from: School Ties (DVD) This was a good chance to see these excellent actors when they were just getting started. I enjoyed it very much.

2013-05-13 08:34:59

Disgusted!

Anti-Semitism, an evil that has killed millions, is an extremely serious subject. That this silly film claims to deal with it, is disgusting. All this is, is a cute little story of good-looking young American boys in their perfect American world. And more than that, it was just an excuse to have some soft erotica in the completely non-sequitir and perplexing nude shower fight. (Are men who are militantly proud of their heterosexuality really going to hold each other naked in the shower?)

Jemzie 2013-05-11 13:18:35

Great Movie

This movie is amazing, I haven't seen it all, we were shown it in RME, butit is really gripping. We were all mad at the teacher for turning it off.Itis scripted extremely well, and i would recommend it to anybody. If youknow where I can get me a copy, or want to chat, please contactme.

2013-05-10 18:35:18

A Nice Film!

School Ties started out a bit slow, but the more into the movie, the more I got into the storyline and the more I wanted to know about the characters. I thought this film was filled with many up-and-coming stars that did great in this film, and that went on to do great things. I definately recommend you see School Ties, its a good movie with good morals.Enjoy the movie!!!

2013-05-08 12:17:32

surprising good film

The film "SCHOOL TIES" is about a jewish boy who gets the chance to go to an elite prep school; it is set in the 1950's.He has one "problem"- he is a JEW!At first he fits in easily and the others like him because he is really nice and cooperative.So he decides to keep this an secret...This goes on until a jealous boy forces it out in the open.Since this happened everything has been changing- only because of his jewish background!The act is actually quite simpel.Someone with a secret comes to a new school.Afterwards the secret makes a big and finally everyone bully him...But it is absolutely not boring,this film is really good made!Good actors, interesting dialogues, many wordly wisdoms etc....The movie covers subjects which concerm us all- old and young people- like the problem with racism, ostracism of minorities, schemes and other bad things.

sy19det 2013-05-07 17:41:35

Loved it!

I have watched this movie probably close to 100 times since purchasing backin 1993 or so. I absolutely love this movie. I think that the moviepresents a serious topic wonderfully. I also like watching all of the wellknown actors (Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris O'Donnell,etc)before they had really made a name for themselves. I would recommend thisfilm to anyone who likes any of these actors.

helfeleather 2013-05-05 20:23:29

Waiting for the Prequel

There's a great scene at the beginning of the film, where BrendanFraser'scharacter David is confronted by a gang of three hoods in leatherjackets. iwas really disappointed to see Kocus and his gang disappear from the filmafter that.Considering the film dealt so well with persecution in the school. maybethey could do a prequel dealing with persecution in David's hometown.

Loraine 2013-05-05 12:12:16

A must see

This movie gives a clear view of the difficult one faces as a minority in a white christian society. It would teach acceptance of all cultures and also shows that other Jewish or other minority teens are not alone in thier feelings. I would recommend this film to all.

2013-05-04 14:42:48

A Gem! Smart and spirited...

Films like this just don't get made anymore. It's a shame.

Ryan Harder 2013-05-03 21:21:20

Great Movie, Great Actors

I just watched School Ties recently and I was quite impressed with it. Theacting was excellent as 4 previously unknown actors made their big breaks,Brendan Fraser (pre-George Of The Jungle) is awesome as Jewish boy DavidGreen. Chris O'Donnell (pre-Vertical Limit) plays the role of Reece withgood convictions and Ben Affleck & Matt Damon (pre-Good Will Hunting) aregreat. Matt plays the role of jealous bigot Charlie with good character andconviction. It's just a shame that Ben Affleck didn't have much of aspeaking 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 mybooks

Luke Scott 2013-05-03 04:01:33

interesting

"School ties" is a movie which is quite unique in its way. Of course thethought of kids in a private school (Dead Poets Society) is not originalbutthe fact that there is prejudice against Brendan Fraisar character. Itdealt with it very well, espically how Matt Damon chracter seemed to notmind Jews. But then used it to his advantage on the waydown.I bought this film from the net just becasue im a huge Matt Damon fan, butidid very much enjoy the film. Also this is good film Brendan, at themomenthe is being critised but this shows he can act.I give the film a 7 out of 10 just loved to see Matt in a evil role foronce. But HOW did Ben Allek get on the front cover??

jrm23july@aol.com 2013-05-02 18:09:48

Athletics, Adolescence, and Anti-Semitism

People don't normally associate anti-Semitism with post World War IIAmerica. After all, we are the great nation that defeated Hitler.School Ties shows that anti-Semitism existed in America long afterWorld War II ended, even in schools for gifted students.David Greene (Brendan Fraser) is a gifted student and an all-Americanhigh school football player; but he is also Jewish. He is admitted intoa Catholic school for the academically talented, for the purpose ofgiving them a winning football team and giving himself almost certainadmittance into Harvard. David's father wants him to know his roots andhonor his religion, but the administrators at the school want to keephis religious affiliation private.Can Matt Damon play the villain and play him well? You bet he can.Going back in the day before the world knew who he was Damon plays ajealous, raging anti-Semite named Charlie Dillon, the supportingcharacter in this film. He and the other students at the Prep Schoolare pleasant for a time, except for the occasional wisecracks aboutJews, and Dillon takes a liking toward David, but is jealous of hisabilities. David takes Charlie's spot as the "go to guy" on thefootball team and carries the team past St. Lukes in he big game. Laterhe falls in love with Charlie's girl.Charlie, looking for revenge, discovers that David is Jewish, and letsthe world know, turning everyone against David. Charlie, once David'sfriend, is now the ringleader behind every anti-Semitic prank played onhim.David, now ostracized by his peers, has a chance at redemption when hesees Charlie cheating on the midterm exam. Drama mounts. "School Ties"is not a movie of adventure or comedy, but it sends a strong messageabout the evils of bigotry. For those who like movies from the pastthis one is poignant, intense, and formidable.