School Ties

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

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.

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.

The performance of Mr. Fraser is incredible he plays his role with a passion and precision I have seldom seen in other actors short of the Jack Nicholson's and Robert De Nero's of the world. It is a story of teenage troubles with "fitting in" and the search for identity mixed with the horrors of prejudice. The film does not get bogged down in useless scenes and dialog to dive home its point. It is an "issue" movie that is subtle enough that you may not even realize it was an "issue" movie until after it is over. The story line never slows down there is always something going on that is both attention grabbing and pertinent to the plots development. Without the use of blatant sex and violence this film showcases the talent of three rising young stars (Chris O'Donnell and Matt Damon also star) as actors, not the big box office stars or teen heartthrobs, that they all went on to become. This is a well written, beautifully directed and phenomenally acted film that anyone can enjoy and relate too.

It was well written, inspiring, revealing, and a reminder that we are still in 2013 only 60 years away from a time of great hatred and prejudice in America. Generations of bigotry are still yet to be undone. We need to create dialog and not make assumptions about any segment of society or pass judgement simply because they are different.

The film begins painting a picture, setting the stage, identifying the key players, there was inciting action, and the pacing was excellent. Moment by moment I was gently lead from one scene to the next, often with great suspense. In the end my own prejudices were re-examined and I began to think not just about anti antisemitism, but other forms of hate speech and discriminatory language that I might not even be aware of.

I also feel that the writers accurately portrayed their point of view with sensitivity and shared a beautiful story with the world . I'd highly recommend.