Rating: 
Summary: Prejudice at a 1950s boarding school
Review: "School ties" is the story of David Green (Brendan Fraser), a working-class Jewish boy from PA who wins a football scholarship to a prestigious New England prep school during the 1950s.
David is smart, hard-working, and tries to fit in with his wealthier, privileged, well-connected classmates. He studies, makes friends, helps the football team defeat a rival, wins a girlfriend from a neighboring girls' boarding school, and does it by being himself, except that he hides his Jewish faith.
A rival teammate, Charlie Dillon (Matt Damon), discovers that David is Jewish, and everything changes. Friends (including his girlfriend) drop him, there are anti-Semitic slurs, including finding a Swastika hanging on his wall. Only his roommate (Chris O'Donnell) shows signs of maturity and of accepting him.
An infraction of the school's honor code during an exam bring the whole issue to a head, and David is the likely scapegoat. Honor (and honesty) does prevail, and the irony of the whole matter is that David is by far the best representative of the boarding school's values, far better than any of his wealthier, Christian classmates.
Excellent story, cast, and acting. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Everything and Nothing
Review: "School Ties" provides an excellent tale of the truth about the nostalgic past--about the polite and not-so polite hostility towards those perceived as inferior, dressed up in elegant as well as not-so-elegant surroundings. It is a story dealing mostly with people who appear to have every advantage in life and every opportunity for generosity towards others, but who are empty and bigoted. They choose to hate and to influence others in their circle to rail against the object of their hatred.
Through it all Brendan Fraser carries himself with grace and dignity. He plays David Greene, a poor Scranton, Pennsylvania kid who is given a rare opportunity to better himself at a Massachusetts prep school in 1955. The film begins with a view of his tough neighborhood, and an alleyway brawl between himself and a few local anti-Semites. Soon afterwards, with last-minute advice from his father he arrives at St.Matthew's, a calm and stately academic environment where he becomes fast friends with the popular students, which include a congenial Chris O'Donnell as Chris Reece, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck in an early joint appearance as Charlie Dillon and Chesty Smith, Andrew Lowrey as the vulnerable McGivern, Cole Hauser as the charismatic Jack Conners, Randall Batinkoff as the courageously honest Rip Van Kelt, and the cold and distant Anthony Rapp as Richard "McGoo" Collins.
The boys enjoy music, football games, and playing pranks on the French teacher together(An early scene of Fraser making noises like an ape during one such prank seems to have paved the way for him to play George of the Jungle a few years later) . But Greene is soon exposed to his classmates' feelings about Jews, as well as those of Headmaster Dr. Bartram, played by Peter Donat, who barely covers his feelings with polite and restrained turns of phrase.
David proves to be a worthy classmate and student, standing up for his friends when they are wronged, even by authority figures, winning friends with his unprentiousness and wit, helping his team win football games, and winning the heart of Charlie Dillon's friend, Sally Wheeler.
An ethereal and angelic Amy Locane, who has the classic looks of a '50s model, has this part. During her initial appearance at a school dance, her striking beauty stands out from that of the other girls, and she is definitely at her most radiant and most demure in her scalloped off-the-shoulder velvet dress, dancing at a country club to a Rodgers and Hart (not Rodgers and Hammerstein, of course) tune . But in a way, her role is one of the most tragic because she leaves one with the sense that she might have been willing to accept David or anyone who has earned the right to be liked, regardless of origins, but has to surrender a potential love interest because of the predjudices of her family and friends. If we had to imagine a future for her, we might find her in a loveless marriage with someone whose religious background met her family's approval rather than a happy marriage with someone whose religious denonimation they were vehemently against.
We see the academic pressure put on these students and how their strong desire to live up to their families' expectations results in their stooping to subterfuge. David suffers various setbacks after he is exposed as a Jew, which happens partially because the envious Charlie Dillon lashes out in frustration. He challenges his schoolmates to face up to their real feelings about him, inspiring some of them to overcome their predjudices, and standing up to one authority figure who covertly and not so covertly encouraged the students to adopt such an attitude.
Greene's biggest moment of triumph in the film comes as he walks across the campus after a profound moment of truth, rather symbolically adjusting the collar of his coat against a cold world, having battled a few of its injustices, and looking a little taller than the many young men from whom he otherwise appears no different, with his future vast before him.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful
Review: "Just when you think you know something, you have to look at it from a different perspective"- John Keating, 'Dead Poet's Society'. School Ties is not your typical story of Anti-Semitism. It gives you both sides; the Jew and those who can't get beyond it.
David Greene is accepted by his peers at Prep School, but he is never truly at ease because he can't let his guard down. This movie is excellent at showing how fast people can turn on you, and how true it is that people put up facades. This movie really tests true friendship. It tests loyalty as well. Once his secret is out, most of his friends turn on him... he is almost expelled from school because of the injustice of having no one believe him. Finally, one person is able to see how wrong it is... but the movie is just a series of powerful moments about betrayal, love, honesty, and differences. Everyone should watch the movie once to see how ugly hate can be.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Good
Review: "School Ties" is one of the best films focusing on racial indifference. Fraser diverts away from his comedic leading man roles to use his dramatic chops as a Jewish boy who is a student at a prestigious prep school. Things go very well for him till they learn of his race. An evil student pushes to get him kicked out. I didn't think this film would have a cast of rising stars that it did (Fraser, Chris O'Donnell, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck). "School Ties" focuses on how one is accepted and then outcast by his own. Fraser's character is a reluctant hero standing up for himself. Matt Damon is particularly good as Fraser's sadistically evil fellow student. It's not like "Do The Right Thing" but the theme of race is throughout the entire film like Lee's masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Dead Poets Society + Bigotry in 1950s
Review: A star quarterback from a Pennsylvania steel town is recruited to play for an elite New England prep school so that they can defeat their arch-rival. The only problem is that the new guy is Jewish, and the school is as white and Christian as can be.This is a good, but not great movie, well-paced, with some compelling scenes, and a good blend of action, suspense and romance. Starring as David Greene, Brendan Fraser shows more emotion and less woodenness than many of his later roles. Matt Damon also stands out as Dillon, the boy pushed out of the spotlight when Fraser's character arrives. There are some key scenes of developing friendship between the two that give their characters multi-dimensions, but in the end the screenplay makes Dillon less than likable.
First, a new QB joins the team and takes your spot, then he takes your girl. Finally, there is a challenge to the school honor code when someone cheats on a final exam.
I thought another key sequence, that probably could have been done even better, was the "12 Angry Men" like scene with the other boys trying to decide who cheated on the test. Some of them step forward to Greene's defense, while others show their true bigotry and anti-Semitism.
While Fraser and Damon stand out, most of the other characters fall into the usual prep school stereotypes: the understanding roommate, the wild boy, the geek narc, etc.
I would have liked to have seen more development of the Chris O'Donnell character as Greene's roommate, but he does stand up for him. I also would have liked to have seen more development of a mentor character, such as the coach.
In the end, Fraser shows David's growth from idealistic, small town guy to one working the system while retaining his personal honor code and dignity after realizing how he had not been true to himself.
It's also fun to see the early careers of Fraser, Damon, Ben Affleck and Chris O'Donnell.
Rating:
Summary: Dead Poets Society + Bigotry in 1950s
Review: A star quarterback from a Pennsylvania steel town is recruited to play for an elite New England prep school so that they can defeat their arch-rival. The only problem is that the new guy is Jewish, and the school is as white and Christian as can be. This is a good, but not great movie, well-paced, with some compelling scenes, and a good blend of action, suspense and romance. Starring as David Greene, Brendan Fraser shows more emotion and less woodenness than many of his later roles. Matt Damon also stands out as Dillon, the boy pushed out of the spotlight when Fraser's character arrives. There are some key scenes of developing friendship between the two that give their characters multi-dimensions, but in the end the screenplay makes Dillon less than likable.
First, a new QB joins the team and takes your spot, then he takes your girl. Finally, there is a challenge to the school honor code when someone cheats on a final exam.
I thought another key sequence, that probably could have been done even better, was the "12 Angry Men" like scene with the other boys trying to decide who cheated on the test. Some of them step forward to Greene's defense, while others show their true bigotry and anti-Semitism.
While Fraser and Damon stand out, most of the other characters fall into the usual prep school stereotypes: the understanding roommate, the wild boy, the geek narc, etc.
I would have liked to have seen more development of the Chris O'Donnell character as Greene's roommate, but he does stand up for him. I also would have liked to have seen more development of a mentor character, such as the coach.
In the end, Fraser shows David's growth from idealistic, small town guy to one working the system while retaining his personal honor code and dignity after realizing how he had not been true to himself.
It's also fun to see the early careers of Fraser, Damon, Ben Affleck and Chris O'Donnell.
Rating:
Summary: (Too) Subtle and obvious tale of prejudice
Review: Although I certainly applaud the producers for telling a story that can never be told enough times. But I have to say that there have been many other films that I felt made the same point better than this one did. The performances are all very credible but the story is so predictable I found my interest waning as the film progressed.
Rating: 
Summary: Disgusted!
Review: 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?)
Rating: 
Summary: good cast and story
Review: Brendan Fraser stars as David Green, a 1950s working-class boy from Pittsburgh who has the chance to attend one of the best prep schools in the country on a scholarship, thus giving him a shot at attending Harvard. When he arrives, he is surrounded by a bunch of great guys whom he deems his friends ... as long as he hides the fact that he is Jewish. David Green becomes the nemesis of Charlie Dillon (Matt Damon) early in the movie by being a better dancer and capturing the interest of Charlie's blonde thoroughbred date, Sally, played by Amy Locane in one of her only big roles. Charlie, who has attended the school for years, feels put out by this popular newcomer and when he finds a chance to bring him down, he goes for it full-force. When racial slurs and hate crimes abound, the boys are divided between their personal friendships and loyalties and doing the right thing. This is made more interesting by the fact that they are only teenaged boys, who have all lived a privileged life amongst those exactly like themselves, so their struggle to empathize and feel from someone else's perspective is more difficult, and their varied responses are interesting, especially when David's personal and social future at the school hangs in the balance.
Rating:
Summary: good message..good movie
Review: Brendan Fraser(Mummy 1 and 2,Glory Daze) in one of his more better roles, plays David Greene, a Jewish kid who gets into a wealthy college as a star quarterback..there he meets his new friends, Dillon-MattDamon(Dogma, Glory Daze, Good Will Hunting), Randall Batinkoff(The Peacemaker and Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Anthony Rapp(A Beautiful Mind), Ed Lauter(Pythopn, Not Another Teen Movie), Ben Affleck(Glory Daze, Dogma, Good Will Hunting), Jayce Bartok(Suburbia, Spider-man, Swing Kids) and Chris O'Donnell(Batman Forever, Batman and Robin, 29 Palms) and David hides his ethnicity and then Damon finds it out and then chaos ensues...Fraser delivers a promising performance and so does Damon as the evil preppy rich kid who wants it his way..some good moments and not so much good moments..all in all its a movie not to be missed
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