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School Daze

School Daze (1988)

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Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 1 | Rotten: 3

audience

79

liked it
Average Rating: 3.8/5
User Ratings: 8,390

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Movie Info

Fraternity and sorority members clash with the other students at a historically black university in this politically charged musical, which marked the sophomore feature from director Spike Lee. Dap (Laurence Fishburne) is a politically conscious brother who leads anti-apartheid demonstrations and eschews the social climbing of the Greek system. But Half-Pint (Lee), his craven young cousin, is willing to endure any humiliation to join the manly Gamma fraternity. As Half-Pint tries unsuccessfully

R, 2 hr.

Drama, Comedy

Jan 30, 2001

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

School Daze Trailer & Photos

More Trailers and Videos (1)

Cast

Critic Reviews for School Daze

All Critics (20) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (14) | Rotten (8) | DVD (10)

For every tough-minded confrontation between the different student factions, School Daze is apt to offer a love scene less than vital to the plot, or an overlong musical scene whose effect is that of treading water.

May 20, 2003 Full Review Source: New York Times | Comment
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

School Daze, with its pompous patchwork plot, is an arrogant, humorless, sexist mess.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment
Rita Kempley
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Although the film has big structural problems and leaves a lot of loose ends, there was never a moment when it didn't absorb me.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | Comment
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Spike Lee had something in mind while he shot School Daze, his follow-up to the cult hit She's Gotta Have It. Unfortunately it's still lodged behind his cranium.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Washington Post | Comment
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

A shapeless mess that falls far short of the high expectations created by Lee's first feature.

September 23, 2008 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Some of the issues get lost in the mix, but strong performances by Lee and Fishburne make this a watchable and thought-provoking venture.

September 23, 2008 Full Review Source: Film4 | Comment
Film4 Source: Film4

The film's political issues are far more interesting than its artistic attributes--this messy picture feels as if Spike Lee is just incidentally interested in what makes musical movies work

November 29, 2006 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | Comment
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

Lee has a small, intimate talent; here, he goes for the big podium and blows it.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out | Comment
Derek Adams
Time Out Source: Time Out

This is one of Lee's most challenging...

February 15, 2005 Full Review Source: Now Playing Magazine | Comment
Brent Simon
Now Playing Magazine Source: Now Playing Magazine

"Tanya got a big ol' butt. Shirley got a big ol' butt. Irene got a big ol' butt. Theresa got a big ol' butt."

February 13, 2005 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | Comment
Eric Henderson
Slant Magazine

The film's central argument is that black matriculation is undercut by internal divisions.

February 13, 2005 Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | Comment
Eric Henderson
Slant Magazine

An uneven but probably necessary stepping stone between "She's Gotta Have It" and "Do The Right Thing"

June 7, 2004 Comment
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)

Uneven and a little dull, although the ending inspires.

March 10, 2004 Comment
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS) Source: F5 (Wichita, KS)

ambitious, messy, rowdy comedy-drama, which tosses together fraternity foolishness, campus activism, lusty romance and even a few musical numbers

December 19, 2002 Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | Comment
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for School Daze

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This is producer/writer/director/co-star Spike Lee's sophmore effort: a musical dramedy set at a HBCU (historically black college or university) over the course of homecoming weekend. What I found so engaging about the film is that it never once shows the perspective of white people, and instead looks at various issues

October 30, 2010
cosmo313
Chris Weber

Super Reviewer

I think the main problem with this movie is that it doesn't have a wide enough audience. It's audience is pretty much just African Americans who went to college and were in a fraternity around the time the movie takes place. It's very specific and hard to relate to. The actors were very good, but that's all I liked

September 6, 2010
ajv2688
AJ Verser

Super Reviewer

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