Dead Poets Society (1989)

Robin Williams stars as an English teacher who doesn't fit into the conservative prep school where he teaches, but whose charisma and love of poetry inspires several boys to revive a secret society with a bohemian bent. The script is well meaning but a little trite, though director Peter Weir (The Truman Show) adds layers of emotional depth in scenes of conflict between the kids and adults. (A subplot involving one father's terrible pressure on his son--played by Robert Sean Leonard--to drop his interest in theater reaches heartbreaking proportions.) Williams is given plenty of latitude to work in his brand of improvisational humor, though it is all well-woven into his character's style of instruction. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com essential video

On my all time top 10 movie list

I have seen this movie so many times I think I have everyone of Robin William's lines memorized. Everytime I watch this movie I wish I had been a teacher. The cast of teeneage boys are tremendous in their rolls and Robin Williams is electrifying as the off beat instructor who dares to challenge the rules in the traditional school where he was once a student. Part coming of age part tragedy the story is filled with drama and sprinkled with humor but more than anything always makes me want to do more with my own life.

If you have never seen this movie rent it or buy it now. September 30, 2008

Moving Inspiration

I first saw this movie in my 11th grade english class and I didn't get to see all of it so I bought it for myself. I have to say, it is a moving piece of art and is a movie that everyone should watch regardless if they are familiar with Whitman, Thoreau or Emmerson. August 8, 2008

The tragedy of the rigorous and mindless enforcement of conformity

This is one of the most inspiring and saddest movies ever made. Robin Williams stars as John Keating, an inspirational and unconventional English teacher in an atmosphere of strict conformity. The school is one that rigid, simplistic parents send their young men to, and they expect the education to be formal, complete and without deviation from the prescribed path.
Williams arrives at the school and teaches the boys the joy of breaking with the mass lockstep and thinking for themselves. A group re-forms the Dead Poets Society, where they sneak out of their dorm rooms and meet in an Indian cave and read classical poetry. It is a club like those formed by young men since they first existed, a chance for them to rebel against their restrictions and branch out into new and forbidden areas.
However, when one of the boys chooses to act in violation of his father's edicts, the father responds with an ultimatum. When the boy chooses suicide over giving up acting, a scapegoat must be found and Keating is the "logical" choice. The boys are forced to sign statements blaming Keating for the death of their friend, with some being completely shameless about it. In a touching scene at the end, the most rebellious of the boys stands on his desk and says to Keating, "Oh Captain! My Captain!", from a poem of the same name penned by Walt Whitman and dedicated to the memory of the assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Others follow his lead and only the most heartless of us can watch that scene and not generate a teardrop.
In my opinion, this is the best movie Williams has ever done; his character is forceful, imaginative, and creative and pays dearly for his excellence. As an educator operating at the college level, I know that situations like this happen more often than non-educators realize.
June 12, 2008

Stays with you.

Dead Poets Society is a heartbreaking but memorable film. Robin Williams is perfection in his role as a literary professor looking to inspire his wayward students. The ending is sad but profound. Robert Sean Leonard and a young Ethan Hawke also star. I highly recommend it! April 27, 2008

READING, WRITING AND DEATH

Some of you may remember John Houseman's portrayal as the legendary Professor Kingsfield in "The Paper Chase". It's said that Arthur Miller of "Miller's Court" was a copy of this stern teacher who taught effectively using the Socratic method of instruction for 40 plus years. In the present film, English teacher Williams uses completely different modes of instruction to help turn his students' intellectual "mush" into true lovers of poetry. He urges his students to reach for higher vistas; to learn to make their own decisions about their future plans and vocations. Enter an irate parent who has his son's life planned for him. Father and son squabble, son decides to declare his independence, father withdraws son and enrolls son in a military school, son commits suiicide, Williams is blamed as the "fall guy" and is fired. Williams leaves campus to a rousing ovation from his students. For those interested in such things, play Kingsfield's game on this movie-Who hires, the role of tuition, student rights/teacher rights/parental control. What is truth and justice/ school reputation. Who fires? You may go on and on; just as Kingsfield would have wanted.
February 11, 2008

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