School Ties

This was pretty good. I'm not a big fan of Brendan Fraser, but he wasn't too bad. Pretty good cast overall and a good story. I didn't realize this was such an issue in the '50s, and it was interesting to learn about. more

In "School Ties," Brendan Fraser plays as David Greene, a Jewish football star who is attending a preparatory boarding school on a football scholarship. The majority of the people take a keen liking to him; he makes a lot of friends and falls in love with a certain girl, so his life is pretty much going along without hitting any bumps in the road. That is, until some people find out that he's Jewish and start turning against him, mainly Charlie Dillon (Matt Damon). David's life could completely fall apart, or something could happen and he could gain back respect and get back to where he... more

School Ties is a touching movie that is often compared to Dead Poets Society. While there are similarities (ie: teenage boys in a 1950s prep school setting), there are more differences. This is less of a movie about looking up to someone only to see them cut down before your eyes and the bonds and respect associated with that, and more of a story of the bonding and betrayal of friends. A young Brendan Fraser is stunning as David Green, a working class Jewish kid accepted to one of the most prestigious preparatory schools in the country. It would only be for one year, but what a year. With... more

This film might have seemed "strained and obvious" to some of the other reviewers here, but if you are Jewish and grew up in the 1950's, you'll relate to it very well. Especially the part about having to violate the Jewish holidays in order to play on the team -- a conflict that still arises for Jewish students today. I've used this film very successfully in high school discussions and in classes on antisemitism. And yes, things like this really did happen to Jews -- and still do. The question of whether or not to stay "in the closet" and "pass" or be yourself and get rejected is an issue... more

Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this? ) This movie is definitely made "the way they used to make 'em," as some would say - and most reviewers do not mention that Dick Wolf, of "Law and Order" fame, is the creator of the story, which concerns a Jewish high school boy getting the golden opportunity to excel in sports and academics at an elite boarding school. It's superbly made - the music by Maurice Jarre, one of the great film composers - is just one of the stand outs of this terrific film. The acting is genuine, heart felt, and strong. I wish Brendan Fraser had made more films like... more