SCHOOL TIES

US, 1992, 106 minutes, Colour.
Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, Chris O’ Donnell, Randall Batinkoff, Cole Hauser, Ben Affleck, Anthony Rapp, Amy Locane, Peter Donat, Zeljko Ivanek, Kevin Tighe, Ed Lauter.
Directed by Robert Mandel.

School Ties is a very interesting – and trenchant – look at private schools in the early 1950s.

Brendan Fraser portrays a student from a working-class background who doesn’t easily fit into the milieu of the exclusive school. He is also Jewish but is advised to keep this to himself because of anti-Semitic prejudice in the school at the time. One of the spoilt students discovers this and reveals it and causes a crisis in terms of feelings of the students and the sports achievement the school wants. The student is also involved in a cheating dilemma, blaming the Jewish student – and causing the rest of the students to take sides.

Brendan Fraser was at the beginning of his career, a serious role – although he is very good at comic roles as well. A young Matt Damon is the spoilt student. Chris O’ Donnell, in the year of The Scent of a Woman in which he was co-starring with Al Pacino, is a more sympathetic student. Ben Affleck has a supporting role.

The film is interesting in its presentation of a theme with which audiences are much more familiar from British films. It is also notable that this is the decade in which such films as Dead Poets Society and Mona Lisa Smile were set.

The film is set only five years after Gentleman’s Agreement won the Oscar for best film of 1947 – one of the first overt films about Jewish relationships in American society.

1.A film about education? Prejudice? Class distinctions? Racial issues?

2.The New England setting, the school and its environment, interiors and exteriors? The town? The New England lifestyle? The clubs, sport?

3.The re-creation of the period, the early 1950s, dress, style, dances, songs and the musical score?

4.Anti-Semitic prejudice. The aftermath of World War Two? Clubs, schools, WASP expectations? Talk and presuppositions?

5.The character of David Greene, his age, home background, his relationship with his father, his father’s work? His place in the family? Discussions, the educational opportunity? The sports scholarship? The clashes and the repercussions?

6.His arrival at the school, the bus, the coach, the atmosphere? His reactions? Meeting the coach, the principal? His being expected to fit in? The repercussions for himself, his character? Concealing his identity? His being a sports star, others’ reactions?

7.The presentation of the live at the school, its ethos, the chapel ceremonies? The meals – and his being a server? The rooms? The classes, French? His skill at sport? Making friends? Bonds?

8.Charlie Dillon? His position, family, affluent background, comparisons with his brother? His being dropped from the team? In class, French? Rip Van Kelt? Sally Wheeler? Family, parents? The play and the prejudice? The football, strengths and weaknesses, failure? Sally, anger, the information? The shower sequence? The issue of cheating, the clash with David, the end and loyalties and friendship?

9.Rip Van Kelt, the prefect, his managing the students, his own personality, leading to the dilemma about Charlie Dillon and David?

10.Chris Reece, ordinary young man, more sympathetic character, his friendship with David, his reactions to Charlie Dillon, the issue of lying, the discussions?

11.The school offering difficulties for David, his sport, religion? The French teacher? The collapse?

12.The French teacher, spite, talk, the collapse, the car?

13.The sports sequences, success, the fans, the headmaster, talking to David, the issue of chapel?

14.The girls, Sally, the date, the phone calls, meeting, the parents, the swimming pool and the revelation of the truth? Sally and her having to face her family, decisions, prejudice?

15.David as devout, his father’s training him well, the headmaster, the achievement in sport, education, Sally, the reaction to the truth, anger? The exams, Charlie and the cheating, the shower sequence? The final situation, his moral decision, confrontation?

16.The teachers, their codes, examinations, discussions, prejudice?

17.A film of its era? The presentation of the other boys in the school, the Ivy League, their wealth, society background, inherited attitudes from their parents, the range of students: Mack, Jack Connors, Chesty Smith, Richard Collins?

18.The portrait of the coach and his attitude, training of David? The headmaster and the running of the school? Mr Cleary and his prejudices?