The Preppie Connection

The narrative follows a predictable arc without any insight that would otherwise make it worthwhile for viewers to watch this film. There was nothing provocative or contentious offered by the flat, almost cardboard like characters. It is the kind of shallow, angst filled melodrama found in movies aimed at the young adults segment except the topic of hard drug use by teenagers is anything but because the tragedy is very real.

Derek Oatis is the person whom this movie was based off. He got away with 5 years probation and 5,000 hours of community service for selling hard drugs to teenage boys and girls. Mull over that for a while and then watch a documentary about what happens when young people become addicted to drugs. None of the people associated with the Derek Oatis case (including Derek Oatis himself) suffered any long-term consequences for what they did. They got expelled from school but then went on to lucrative and prestigious careers in law, finance, media and the like. Knowing this, is it really meaningful to make a film about the 'social injustices' of being a poor kid in a rich kid school?

I saw The Preppie Connection tonight, and found myself enjoying every bit of it. The fact that it was a true story made it an easy sell for me, but I particularly appreciate that the film makers didn't present anything fantastic or over the top. Instead, you really feel that what you are watching is probably what actually took place, no more, no less. In short, the risk the main character takes in traveling abroad for the purpose of drug trafficking is presented clearly and thoroughly for the viewer, and this serves to make the film engaging.

I've read a review elsewhere that regards the acting in this film as weak. I don't agree at all. I thought the acting was great, the kids were believable, and I especially liked the soundtrack.

To sum up, I probably wouldn't go handing out Oscars to the actors and crew, but in my opinion the film entertains all the way through, and is definitely worthwhile watching.

While it's not a great movie, it is still interesting and worthwhile. A lot of what gives it value is that is based on a true story, Although there's a lot of looseness from the true story, it seems to capture it the general gist of the story pretty well. Though far from Oscar material, the film was competently made and decently acted.

It's based on the Choate Rosemary Hall drug scandal, which can easily be googled. There's a nice story from by Newsweek around the time the film was released based upon an interview with Derek Oatis, the real-life protagonist. Since the film doesn't really say what happened afterwards, he was sentenced to 5 years of probation and 5,000 hours of community service. At the time of the Newsweek article, he was an attorney practicing civil and criminal law, so it was nice to learn that his life wasn't ruined by this.

With a hurried ending, the Preppie Connection hits the highlights of a college boy turned campus drug god. It's all the exciting parts, without much of a deep connection.

Based on a true story, a poor white kid tries to get in good with the rich privileged kids going to a fancy prep school by smuggling in drugs for them to take.

I seen this drug tale before a dozen times, but the film is quite interesting to watch despite. Especially the lead actor Thomas Mann, who became big from Me, Earl, and a Dying Girl. Just like that movie, Mann's character narrates the story, in a very very similar fashion.

Lucy Fry also played an interesting character as well as Logan Huffman who played one of the rich prep school kids. He did a fantastic job of being very unlikable to the point were you like to not like him. very nice.

Worth sitting through.