Rating: R
Genre:
Comedy
Theatrical Release: 02/12/1988(USA)
Release Date: 02/01/2005
SubTitles: English/French/Espanol
Dubbed: English/French/Espanol
Sound: DDS2.0
Run Time: 121 Minutes
Flags: Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language, Profanity
Distributor/Studio: Columbia TriStar
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 to impress the Gammas with his inept womanizing,
Dap engages in philosophical debates with
Rachel (
Kyme), his girlfriend. Meanwhile, the light-skinned, straight-haired sisters of the Gamma Ray sorority battle it out in a beauty parlor with their darker-skinned, Afro-headed fellow co-eds. Eventually,
Half-Pint gets the chance to join the frat, but only after a degrading episode with
Jane (
Tisha Campbell), the soon-to-be ex-girlfriend of his house president, causes
Dap to lose all respect for him. Based in part on the director's experiences at Atlanta's Morehouse College,
School Daze was also written and produced by
Lee. Despite production numbers that included
"Straight and Nappy", a dis-fest between the "wannabes" and "jigaboos" on campus, the biggest hit on the film's soundtrack was the go-go anthem
"Da Butt", E.U.'s ode to shaking one's backside. Supporting players
Kadeem Hardison and
Jasmine Guy also co-starred on the TV
comedy A Different World, another look at life on a primarily African-American campus.
~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide