26 Years Before ‘Yellowstone,’ Cole Hauser Made His Film Debut in an Underrated Sports Drama

Hollywood’s Finest Young Performers Join Forces for ‘School Ties’

Touting a star-studded cast of then-up-and-comers including Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, and Chris O’Donnell, the 1992 sports drama School Ties takes place in September 1955 and follows 17-year-old David Greene (Fraser) as he sets out to attend an elite Massachusetts prep school after receiving a life-changing football scholarship. Shortly after arriving at St. Matthew’s Academy, David finds himself keeping his religion a secret after becoming aware of the negative stereotypes and opinions held by his fellow affluent classmates.

David quickly finds himself at odds with fellow football player Charlie Dillon (Damon) while he attempts to acclimate to his new environment. He finds an ally in his roommate and teammate Chris Reese (O’Donnell). Despite his best efforts to keep the focus on his performance on the field and in the classroom, David’s religion is ultimately revealed and results in most of his peers turning on him and ostracizing him. As his environment becomes more and more hostile, David becomes swept up in a cheating scandal involving Charlie, leading to an explosive showdown between the at-odds pair.

Beloved Yellowstone breakout star Cole Hauser made his film debut in the drama, appearing as talented football player but notorious slacker Jack Connors, who ends up giving David a difficult time after his true background is ultimately revealed. Hauser was just 17 years old when School Ties was released, as he had left high school at 16 to pursue his career ambitions after getting the acting bug from his father and starring in a stage play at a New England talent summer camp. The film served as a major stepping stone in Hauser’s Hollywood resume.

‘School Ties’ Becomes a Criminally Underrated ’90s Gem

School Ties premiered on September 18, 1992, and was unable to make an impact at the box office, grossing just $14.7 million during its theatrical run on an $18 million budget while attracting a mixed bag response from critics, with many lauding the performances of its talented cast but taking issue with its choppy screenplay and preachy message about prejudice. Famed critic and Chicago Sun-Times writer Roger Ebert was thoroughly impressed by the sports drama, awarding the film three out of four stars and calling it “surprisingly effective” before adding that, “It is not simply about anti-Semitism, but also about the way that bigotry can do harm by inspiring dishonesty.”

The underrated ’90s gem currently has a solid 69% Popcornmeter from audiences and a 6.9 IMDb rating from 28,000 reviews over 30 years since its debut, and despite not becoming a commercial smash hit, the film did provide its illustrious cast with many of their first cinematic leading roles. Brendan Fraser would go on to take the world by storm during the decade and beyond, appearing in beloved flicks like George of the Jungle, The Mummy trilogy, Crash, and Journey to the Center of the Earth, while later experiencing a career Brenaissance and winning an Academy Award for his powerful performance in the 2022 drama The Whale.

Similarly, Matt Damon became a celebrated leading man and also took home a golden statuette for writing and starring in the acclaimed triumph Good Will Hunting in 1997, while also headlining a slew of knockouts, including The Talented Mr. Ripley, Saving Private Ryan, the Bourne franchise, The Departed, and the Ocean’s trilogy. Chris O’Donnell would go on to star opposite Al Pacino in the Oscar-winning picture Scent of a Woman later that year, before going on to play Dick Grayson/Robin in Batman Forever and the infamous Batman and Robin, while later starring in the long-running crime drama series NCIS: Los Angeles.

As previously mentioned, School Ties was Cole Hauser’s first acting role, and it helped kickstart his Hollywood career, with the gifted star landing subsequent roles in Dazed and Confused, Higher Learning, Good Will Hunting (reuniting with Damon), and 2 Fast 2 Furious. Hauser became a household name when he began portraying the tough and rugged Rip Wheeler in Taylor Sheridan’s Western juggernaut Yellowstone, starring in the thrilling series from 2018 to 2024 and becoming a beloved fan favorite. He is set to join his on-screen love, Kelly Reilly, in an untitled Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler spin-off series, much to the excitement of passionate audiences. Stream School Ties on Pluto.