I was particularly looking forward to this one, as it was taken from events that I was somewhat familiar with (having been a high-school student in the Dallas-Fort Worth area around the time that the real-life events occurred). Also enjoyed it being set in Santa Cruz for the adaptation; kind of made the liberal-minded principal a bit more plausible, and having spent some time in and around Santa Cruz a few years after this was made, it was nice to revisit via the movie as well.
Basic movie plot is that a group of high school students (including very young Keanu Reeves and Billy Zane; also a young Lori Loughlin as Keanu’s girlfriend, and Kiefer Sutherland as the outsider/misfit who may come between them) are upset by a recent vandalism of their school, as well as kids selling drugs at school. They take a speech by principal Bob Grootemat (Joe Spano) to heart, and decide to take matters into their own hands, forming the Brotherhood of Justice. Things eventually get out of hand, and the Brotherhood crosses the line from vigilante justice to outright bullying and terrorism.
Our introduction to principal Grootemat is in his office – he is talking to the local sheriff about the vandalism at the school, and is clearly not that interested in what the sheriff has to say about what he should do to fix it (playing nerf basketball at his desk; shades of Goldblume and Hunter in a lot of their interactions).
Grootemat calls a student assembly of the senior class, and appeals to the student’s pride in their school, asking them to help resolve the problems with the school, to be the model and example. It’s clear the students have a great respect for him (pretty rare in a high school), and the seed of the Brotherhood is born.
After the Brotherhood has beaten up one person and stabbed another, the sheriff returns and tries to get principal Grootemat to name names of those he thinks might be involved. Grootemat is unconvinced, however – still thinks that the Brotherhood, whoever they are, have done more good than harm.
But, as time passes and the Brotherhood’s ‘justice’ gets more severe, he can no longer ignore it or endorse it even to himself.
He calls another student assembly, denouncing the actions of the Brotherhood, and telling them that he has hired a private security firm to begin patrolling the campus. His words reach Keanu’s character, who was already feeling that things were getting out of control; and it will be up to him to try to put a stop to the rest of the Brotherhood.
Rest of the screenshots available here.
All in all, a decent movie – nothing I’d put on must-see list, but decent enough for a lazy afternoon or rainy day. 🙂
A Spano Fan 