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‘School Ties’ With Bill Simmons, Juliet Litman, and Mallory Rubin

August 8, 2022 · School Ties (1992) · Drama · 1:51:37

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Hall of Fame Plaque

Bill Simmons▶ 9:06Acknowledges the non-Jewish actors playing Jewish roles discussion but focuses more on the broader cultural impact of the film as an important anti-Semitism movie and its contribution to the teen movie canon
Mallory Rubin▶ 6:43Discusses non-Jews playing Jews Hall of Fame, mentioning Daniel Craig in Munich and Oscar Isaac in Moon Knight/Scenes from a Marriage as examples, with Brendan Fraser as David Green fitting this category

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 30:40Multiple scenes including the Smokey Joe Cafe scene, the first football game win against Winchester, and the Damon-Fraser dock conversation scene
Mallory Rubin▶ 34:54Agrees with the Smokey Joe Cafe scene and considers the dock conversation scene as potentially the best scene of the movie, though not necessarily most rewatchable

Apex Mountain

Mallory Rubin▶ 41:42Eastern Promises — Eastern Promises remains top spot for Viggo Mortensen, difficult to beat

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 58:54Ed Lauder as Brendan Fraser's dad not showing up to the St. Luke's game - should have gotten off work for his kid's biggest football game
Mallory Rubin▶ 58:02Franklin Benson being 98 years old in 1955 (born 1875) and still alive when life expectancy was in the 60s

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:27Possibly the shot they give Matt Damon, but expressed uncertainty about having a pick
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:06:32Magoo's fruit in the 'excuse me, there's no salt on this table, I need salt for my fruit' sequence

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:12The French meltdown scene

Ron Burgundy Flute Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:28McGiv's meltdown sequence - as soon as you know McGiv's about to meltdown, great time to go make some popcorn
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:08:41The Cleary car prank sequence - exactly two minutes long, feels like it's from a completely different movie

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:20The poorly filmed football scenes, specifically citing the 120-yard throw in the first football game
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:12:08How they film the football scenes - stationary cameras, no sense of field position or downs, unrealistic gameplay

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:55Keep 'School Ties' - proposed 'Honor Code' and 'Star of David' as alternatives but concluded School Ties is still the best
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:13:33Keep 'School Ties' - called it 'Pantheon iconic title' and 'flawless' with 'no notes'

Teddy KGB Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:20John McGiver — McGivern for his performance with the sunglasses and overcoat, calling it a concerted attempt to make him weird that doesn't work

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:50Two related takes: 1) Charlie Dillon's cheating is okay - everyone takes liberties in high school, and 2) David Green shouldn't have gone after Sally since Charlie was in love with her and David already took his quarterback job
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:18:40The coward scene is not that good - it's too short, rushed, and contributes very little to the movie

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:25Kyle Chandler — Presents casting alternatives from Entertainment Weekly oral history: Kyle Chandler, Matthew Perry, Noel Wiley auditioned for David Green; Chris O'Donnell was considered for Charlie Dillon but wanted a more likable role
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:24:27Kyle Chandler — Kyle Chandler as David Green would be 'almost too much to bear' and 'a brain breaker' - expressing strong positive reaction to this casting what-if

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:19John McGiver — McGiv
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:25:20Michael Higgins — Suggested Michael Higgins (History Professor in rapid fire quiz sequence)

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:49Ben Affleck — Ben Affleck - doesn't have many lines (maybe eight), but stands out, gets shirtless
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:27:03Ben Affleck — Ben Affleck - agrees, specifically mentions the Smokey Joe's cafe scene wouldn't be the same without him shirtless

Racehorse Name Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:32:29Skip Steiner
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:32:34Cocos' sister

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:02Matt Damon — Damon
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:38:04Matt Damon — Damon

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:43:59Good Will Hunting — Endorses Good Will Hunting pairing - 'I think that's the best one'
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:42:41Liberty Heights — Liberty Heights - calling it 'the other foundational Jewish movie that everybody fucking loves'
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:43:44Good Will Hunting — Good Will Hunting - considered Dead Poets Society but chose Good Will Hunting as a back-to-back pairing

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:22Maybe think about your own feelings about prejudice before you become prejudicial
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:45:42Use the people who are trying to use you

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:46:55Brendan Fraser — Brendan Fraser - argued he's never been more likable or better, and the movie doesn't work without his performance

Movies Referenced (25)

Good Will Hunting (1997)

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 2:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scent of a Woman (1992)

7 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 11:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Munich (2005)

6 mentions · Mallory Rubin▶ 6:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Batman (1989)

4 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 19:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eastern Promises (2007)

4 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 41:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dazed and Confused (1993)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dead Poets Society (1989)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 5:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rushmore (1998)

3 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Toy Soldiers (1991)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 4:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Swing Kids (1993)

2 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

American Graffiti (1973)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Basic Instinct (1992)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (7)

Ben Affleck

19 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Argo, Gone Girl, The Town▶ 2:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anson Jew

4 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons · Known for Wonder Woman▶ 40:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Clooney

4 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons · Known for The Ides of March, Michael Clayton▶ 22:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Mandel

2 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons · Known for School Ties▶ 1:12:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Walt Frasier

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 2:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Penn

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 5:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Woody Allen

1 mentions · Mallory Rubin · Known for Annie Hall, Deconstructing Harry▶ 1:43:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (51)

Matt Damon

64 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Good Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed▶ 2:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brendan Fraser

34 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for The Mummy, Crash▶ 2:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris O'Donnell

29 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Scent of a Woman▶ 2:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cole Hauser

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Dazed and Confused, Good Will Hunting▶ 2:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robin Williams

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Mrs. Doubtfire▶ 5:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kyle Chandler

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Argo, Manchester by the Sea, Super 8▶ 1:23:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Magoo

4 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 43:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Sean Leonard

4 mentions · Mallory Rubin · Known for Dead Poets Society, The Age of Innocence▶ 26:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Reese Witherspoon

3 mentions · Mallory Rubin · Known for Wild, Walk the Line, Legally Blonde▶ 46:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Game

3 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons · Known for Street Kings, The A-Team, Coach Carter▶ 35:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony Rapp

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Rent, Dazed and Confused, A Beautiful Mind▶ 43:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Antonio Gates

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:50:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Dick Wolf

4 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 3:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 27:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jon Favreau

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Chef, Iron Man, Swingers▶ 26:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Thorne Smith

1 mentions · Mallory Rubin▶ 1:27:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗