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School Ties

(2001, Rated PG-13, Drama, Starring Matt Damon, Brendan Fraser, Chris O'Donnell)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 12, age appropriate for kids over 14; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Stirring movie may be too heavy for some tweens.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 13–14

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Characters express anti-Semitism and cheat on a test, but the behavior is portrayed negatively and contributes to the movie's central themes.

  • Violence:

    David engages in fistfights, most notably in the opening back-alley brawl.

  • Sex:

    Scattered adolescent boy stuff: The prep schoolers talk about someone's sister performing a sexual act, go looking for sexual adventures at a dance, and show their naked backsides in the shower.

  • Language:

    Moderate, including "Bastard" and "Jesus."

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About School Ties

Parents need to know that anti-Semitism is expressed by both adults and youngsters -- most older children will understand that the movie aims to communicate how wrong this behavior is, but parents may still want to discuss the topic further after the movie is over.

Read our full review by Randy White

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the bigotry depicted in this film.
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    missmissy
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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