School Daze (1988)

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Overrated and overhyped

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

School Daze isn't something that is exclusive to those who went to all-black colleges, despite what some other commenters have said on IMDb. Coming from an average state school, there's still nothing *big* in the movie that comes from specifically being all-black, as there are many things like fraternities/sororities, male and female camaraderie, sex, fashion, insults, sports and rituals in general that are common to any college experience. Spike Lee captures that, when he's at his best here, very well. If you *did* go to an all-black college ala Lee's alma mater Moorehouse, then I'm sure it will have more relevance. But in general, Lee's made a solid, technically wild college comedy/musical/drama, with some major missteps.There are some messages thrown about in School Daze, mostly around sexism, not so much racism (there's barely a white person to be seen in the film so it's not really an issue to deal with per-say), but they're all used in relativity with the story and characters, which is good. We're given Mission college, an all-black college down south, where classes are pretty much moot and everything revolves around cliques of various sorts: the Greek frat, which Half-Pint (Spike Lee) is trying to join, and his cousin Dap (Fishburne) who definitely is not and is defiant against a lot of things on campus, which nearly get him expelled. There are also the jigaboo's and the wannabes, two sets of girls on campus who are certainly opposed (as we see, brilliantly, in one of the better musical numbers).While Lee's plot isn't always connected together, there's so much that works when he keeps the dialog moving along. He has a great sense of the characters, the BS that binds guys together and how the rhythm of a conversation with these 18-22 year olds goes, and about the ambivalence between the opposing sexes, leading up to the dramatic climax. Even most of the actors, close to all of them their first time in a Lee joint (Esposito, Davis, Bill Nunn), are terrific when given the chance showing off how absurd and, in retrospect in life, abstract all of this becomes. What keeps it down from being a lot better- and, sadly, what makes it look a lot more like an exercise in style (which, granted, was Lee's first movie with a budget above 100 grand and for a studio)- are the padded musical performances, and specifically those that don't contribute anything to the story. The first sequence is dynamite as the actresses all perform in an energetic performance about the differences between the sororities. After that, it's more or less (more for the one scene with the singer intercut with the sex) just filler that is shot well but empty.Nevertheless, School Daze shows a filmmaker ready and hungry behind the lens to try and do things and show us bits and pieces of life that haven't been much in American movies, and at best it's riveting and entertaining. For this it's commendable, but it's also a stepping stone for Do the Right Thing. 7.5/10

I am only 18 years old and I just saw the movie School Daze. I do not attend a H.B.C.U., but I have friends that tell me what goes on there. To the older people out there, can you believe that that type of stuff is still going on?! My friends and I were just talking the other day about how this guy on her campus would only date lighter skinned girls. If that is his thing, than it is, however, he would not date them because of their personality. He said they just "looked better on his arm." My mother and I always discuss the future of African-Americans and I am going to tell the truth. I am scared. We hurt each other more than any other race and we have to stop. I am a dark-skinned female and I just learnd to love myself. I thank Spike Lee for not being ashamed to call us out when we needed it. No, I do not think that the movie was an Oscar winner, but I do know that it was a mind opener and should be a lesson to all of us on how we allowed the European standard of beauty to shape our self-worth.

(SOME SPOILERS) Coming off the heels of the successful "She's Gotta Have It", Spike Lee examines tension between blacks in "School Daze". When "School Daze" was originally released it caused an uproar in the African American community. African Americans accused Lee for "airing dirty laundry". A lot of this happened because "School Daze" showcases the tension between light skinned African Americans and dark skin African Americans. A lot of this true. This is seen more recently in music videos. A lot of models with darker complexion complain that women with lighter skin get all the spotlight. This has been going on for a long time in the African American community. This is seen in the rivalry between Tisha Campbell's character Jane and Kyme's character Rachel. They even get into an entertaining musical titled "Good or Bad Hair". The funny thing about that scene is that the darker women is in the group called Nappy and the lighter women is in the group Straight. This is also carried on in the feud between Dap (Laurence Fishburne) and Julian (Giancarlo Esposito). There is also a very thought provoking ending that is a must see (common Spike Lee trademark) With "School Daze" you get three in one, it's a frat comedy that turns into a musical that turns into a social statement. But nonetheless, this film is entertaining form beginning to end. Watch out for a lot of familiar faces, most of the cast went on to be huge stars.School Daze- rated R *** out of ****

School Daze brings to light the politics and hierarchy of college life. When Spike Lee's character is initiated into Gamma Phi Gamma his ethics and morals stay behind. This film describes these institutionalized problems through a musical genre in a interesting way.