School Ties (1992)

Set in the 1950s, a star-quarterback is given an opportunity to attend an elite preparatory school but must conceal the fact that he is Jewish.

Director:

Robert Mandel

Writers:

Dick Wolf (story), Dick Wolf (screenplay)

Stars:

Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Chris O'Donnell

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Brendan Fraser	...	David Greene
Matt Damon	...	Charlie Dillon
Chris O'Donnell	...	Chris Reece
Randall Batinkoff	...	Rip Van Kelt
Andrew Lowery	...	'Mack' McGivern
Cole Hauser	...	Jack Connors
Ben Affleck	...	Chesty Smith
Anthony Rapp	...	Richard 'McGoo' Collins
Amy Locane	...	Sally Wheeler
Peter Donat	...	Headmaster Dr. Bartram
Zeljko Ivanek	...	Mr. Cleary
Kevin Tighe	...	Coach McDevitt
Michael Higgins	...	Mr. Gierasch
Ed Lauter	...	Alan Greene
Peter McRobbie	...	Chaplain

Storyline

David Greene is brought into a prestigious 1950s school to help their football team to beat the school's old rivals. David, however, is from a working class background, so he isn't really "one of them", but he's very successful at making friends. David is a Jew, and has to keep this a secret from his friends for fear of being rejected.

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Plot Keywords:

coming of age | school | 1950s | jew | athlete | 

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Taglines:

Just Because You're Accepted Doesn't Mean You Belong.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Maurice Jarre also composed the score for Dead Poets Society (1989). Jarre's elegant melodies personify youthful alienation due to parental expectations, as well as parental prejudices.

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Goofs

In the French class, two students do a "fist bump," which no one did back in the 1950's, after one of the students gets a high grade on an assignment or test. The fist bump came many years later.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Joyce: Davey! Davey you're here.
[big hug]
Jack Connors: He's not going off to war, only Massachusetts, huh?

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Connections

Referenced in Gossip Girl: School Lies (2008)

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Soundtracks

Isn't It Romantic
by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

User Reviews

A story that needs to be told

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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Hebrew French

Release Date:

18 September 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

School Ties

Filming Locations:

Acton, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,020,071, 20 September 1992

Gross USA:

$14,715,067

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,715,067

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1