Very well executed

Undescribable Perfection

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Great Film overall

School Daze is billed as a musical comedy but is better described as a comedy-drama with musical numbers as commentary--the only non-diegetic number is "Good and Bad Hair," Lee's all-girl fantasy homage to West Side Story that addresses colorism between the "paper bag-light" sorority Gamma Rays and the darker activist girls. Ebert wrote that this was the first movie he'd seen in a while where the black characters relate to each other instead of a hypothetical white audience--it is this that gives the movie its engrossing authenticity. (If it matters, I'm white.) As funny as the movie can be, it's also incredibly hard-hitting--there's a sequence in the last 20 minutes where Julian, "Big Brother Al-migh-tee," insists his girlfriend "prove" her love, that's almost unwatchable and yet brutally honest. Lee has been called sexist for his underwritten female characters--there may be some truth to that but School Daze is far more critical of the men than the women. Rachel, Dap's girlfriend, is perhaps the most levelheaded, likable character in the movie, and is strong and supportive of Dap while still maintaining her independence. Even the Gamma Rays, who come off as shallow and colorist in the beginning, are sympathetic as they stand up for and try to aid the pledges during hazing. The characters who come off the worst are the GPG brothers who are, almost to a man, brutish, sadistic and crude. Julian in particular is unredeemable--clever, manipulative and almost sociopathic in his treatment of Jane. Lee supposedly based the movie on his observations at Morehouse and the movie stands as a scathing indictment against the black fraternity system and its abuse of the women's auxiliaries (aka "Little Sisters").The movie has structural weaknesses (the ending is problematic and seems to come out of nowhere although it fits thematically) but its biggest problem is Lee's flat performance as Half-Pint (and, frankly, he looks a little too old for it). I love Lee's movies but his early tendency to cast himself in major roles was a real weakness--he's just not a good enough actor and his performance always jerks me out of the story. The rest of the cast is fantastic, though, especially Tisha Campbell as Jane and Giancarlo Esposito as Julian. Notice must also be given to Bill Lee's wonderful score. Ultimately it's a movie whose heart and imagination overcome its flaws.

I watched School Daze for the first time on July 25, 2006. I must say even though it does despite some of the frats and sororities it is a very good movie. because I am apart of an sorority and the jig a boos and the wanna bees act just like my sorority and another one the way the fight. and I really like the movie and I was very powerful in the message it was trying to put out. that the Historical black college people do need to wake up. and I really wish that an updated version could be done because I really think that HBCS have really come along way. and especially with the none hazing policies that are issued for the Greek letter organizations keep a lot of hazing out of the schools which gives them bad reps.

When this movie first came out I was six years old. From then on I would see it from time to time, but wasn't aware of what School Daze was about. Until I decided to go to an HBCU,then I knew exactly what the meaning of this movie was all about. If you have never attended an HBCU, you can't get the full effect of what this movie is saying. This movie gives you just enough of an HBCU. School Daze is special to me because it was filmed in the AUC, where I attended Dear ol Morris Brown College. This is one out of two of my favorite black college movies, Drumline is my other favorite black college movie which was also filmed in the AUC and which I was apart of.

is the totally mesmerizing musical number headed by Tisha Campbell in an all-out Supremes homage. Try taking your eyes off Jasmine Guy as she gyrates through this number. Great song with campy, over-the-top choreography as Guy and 2 other slink and stalk across the stage in skin-tight gowns. The high point of the film! Was this song a hit back in 1988?