The Preppie Connection (2015)

A student at a private school uses his connections to establish a drug trafficking network there.

Director:

Joseph Castelo

Writers:

Joseph Castelo, Ashley Rudden

Stars:

Thomas Mann, Lucy Fry, Logan Huffman

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Thomas Mann	...	Tobias Hammel
Lucy Fry	...	Alexis Hayes
Logan Huffman	...	Ellis Tynes
Guillermo Arribas	...	Fidel
Amy Hargreaves	...	Ingrid
Bill Sage	...	Mike Hammel
Dylan Blue	...	Dennis
Robert Gorrie	...	Ben
Jessica Rothe	...	Laura
Sam Page	...	Mr. Jennings
Hemky Madera	...	Raul
Nat DeWolf	...	Mr. Gaines
Tom Tammi	...	Dr. Fielding
Doug Plaut	...	Chuck
Cilda Shaur	...	Peg Atherton

Storyline

Based on a true story of a prep school student who smuggled $300k of uncut cocaine into the US in 1984. THE PREPPIE CONNECTION chronicles the exploits of a group of private school students who ran a drug distribution operation in the early 1980s. The story centers on Toby, the lower-class scholarship student, who uses his street cred and access to drugs to make friends with the popular kids, eventually allowing him to cultivate a drug trafficking network. Toby gets in far over his head as he leads his friends into the dangerous world of Colombian drug cartels.

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Plot Keywords:

teenager | drug dealer | drug dealing | drugs | cocaine | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for drug use, language throughout, sexuality/nudity and some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Choate (the school portrayed in the film) is one of the most exclusive, expensive prep schools in the country. Located on 458 acres in Wallingford, Connecticut where the likes of John F. Kennedy are alumnus.

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Goofs

The music in the club in Colombia is house music that didn't exist in 1984. The first acid (house) tracks appear in 1986 and it wasn't even called acid (house)

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Crazy Credits

There is a snippet with Ed Bradley interviewing Derek Oatis during the end credits. Derek Oatis was the real life drug smuggler that this story is based upon.

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Connections

Edited from 60 Minutes (1968)

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Soundtracks

8 A.M.
Written by Steven Chandler
Performed by Reni Lane
Courtesy of Omnian Music Group

User Reviews

Rather dull

The narrative follows a predictable arc without any insight that would otherwise make it worthwhile for viewers to watch this film. There was nothing provocative or contentious offered by the flat, almost cardboard like characters. It is the kind of shallow, angst filled melodrama found in movies aimed at the young adults segment except the topic of hard drug use by teenagers is anything but because the tragedy is very real.

Derek Oatis is the person whom this movie was based off. He got away with 5 years probation and 5,000 hours of community service for selling hard drugs to teenage boys and girls. Mull over that for a while and then watch a documentary about what happens when young people become addicted to drugs. None of the people associated with the Derek Oatis case (including Derek Oatis himself) suffered any long-term consequences for what they did. They got expelled from school but then went on to lucrative and prestigious careers in law, finance, media and the like. Knowing this, is it really meaningful to make a film about the 'social injustices' of being a poor kid in a rich kid school?

Details

Official Sites:

Coalition Films [United States]

Country:

Puerto Rico USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

18 March 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Preppie Connection

Filming Locations:

Puerto Rico

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,576, 20 March 2016

Gross USA:

$11,558

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,558

Company Credits

Production Co:

Coalition Films, Mensch Productions, Parallell Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1