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"Dead Poets Society" is a collection of pious platitudes masquerading as a courageous stand in favor of something: doing your own thing, I think. It's about an inspirational, unconventional English teacher and his students at "the best prep school in America" and how he challenges them to question conventional views by such techniques as standing on their desks. It is, of course, inevitable that the brilliant teacher will eventually be fired from the school, and when his students stood on their desks to protest his dismissal, I was so moved, I wanted to throw up.

Peter Weir's film makes much noise about poetry, and there are brief quotations from Tennyson, Herrick, Whitman and even Vachel Lindsay, as well as a brave excursion into prose that takes us as far as Thoreau's Walden. None of these writers are studied, however, in a spirit that would lend respect to their language; they're simply plundered for slogans to exort the students toward more personal freedom. At the end of a great teacher's course in poetry, the students would love poetry; at the end of this teacher's semester, all they really love is the teacher.

The movie stars Robin Williams as the mercurial John Keating, teacher of English at the exclusive Welton Academy in Vermont. The performance is a delicate balancing act between restraint and schtick.

For much of the time, Williams does a good job of playing an intelligent, quick-witted, well-read young man. But then there are scenes in which his stage persona punctures the character - as when he does impressions of Marlon Brando and John Wayne doing Shakespeare.

There is also a curious lack of depth to his character compared with such other great movie teachers as Miss Jean Brodie and Professor Kingsfield. Keating is more of a plot device than a human being.

The story is also old stuff, recycled out of the novel and movie " A Separate Peace " and other stories in which the good die young and the old simmer in their neurotic and hateful repressions. The key conflict in the movie is between Neil ( Robert Sean Leonard ), a student who dreams of being an actor, and his father ( Kurtwood Smith ), who orders his son to become a doctor and forbids him to go onstage. The father is a strict, unyielding taskmaster, and the son, lacking the will to defy him, kills himself. His death would have had a greater impact for me if it had seemed like a spontaneous human cry of despair, rather than like a meticulously written and photographed set piece.

Other elements in the movie also seem to have been chosen for their place in the artificial jigsaw puzzle. A teenage romance between one of the Welton students and a local girl is given so little screen time, so arbitrarily, that it seems like a distraction. And I squirmed through the meetings of the "Dead Poets Society," a self-consciously bohemian group of students who hold secret meetings in the dead of night in a cave near the campus.

The society was founded by Keating when he was an undergraduate, but in its reincarnate form it never generates any sense of mystery, rebellion or daring. The society's meetings have been badly written and are dramatically shapeless, featuring a dance line to Lindsay's "The Congo" and various attempts to impress girls with random lines of poetry. The movie is set in 1959, but none of these would-be bohemians have heard of Kerouac, Ginsberg or indeed of the beatnik movement.

One scene in particular indicates the distance between the movie's manipulative instincts and what it claims to be about. When Keating is being railroaded by the school administration (which makes him the scapegoat for his student's suicide), one of the students acts as a fink and tells the old fogies what they want to hear. Later, confronted by his peers, he makes a hateful speech of which not one word is plausible except as an awkward attempt to supply him with a villain's dialogue. Then one of the other boys hits him in the jaw, to great applause from the audience. The whole scene is utterly false and seems to exist only so that the violence can resolve a situation that the screenplay is otherwise unwilling to handle.

"Dead Poets Society" is not the worst of the countless recent movies about good kids and hidebound, authoritatian older people. It may, however, be the most shameless in its attempt to pander to an adolescent audience. The movie pays lip service to qualities and values that, on the evidence of the screenplay itself, it is cheerfully willing to abandon. If you are going to evoke Henry David Thoreau as the patron saint of your movie, then you had better make a movie he would have admired. Here is one of my favorite sentences from Thoreau's Walden, which I recommend for serious study by the authors of this film: " . . . instead of studying how to make it worth men's while to buy my baskets, I studied rather how to avoid the necessity of selling them." Think about it.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

130 minutes

Robert Sean Leonard as Neil Perry

Josh Charles as Knox Overstreet

Dylan Kussman as Richard Cameron

Ethan Hawke as Todd Anderson

Robin Williams as John Keating

Gale Hansen as Charlie Dalton

Directed by

Produced by.

Steven Haft
Paul Junger Witt
Tony Thomas
Tom Schulman
William Anderson

Photography by

Maurice Jarre

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Dead poets society.

Common Sense Says
Parents Say 20 Reviews
Kids Say 62 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Randy White , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Inspiring, intense story of a teacher and his students.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 13+?

Period smoking -- lots of it. Both pipes and cigarettes smoked by adults and snu

Kids call Welton school "Hell-ton" frequently. "S--t" is sai

One of the boys commits suicide off-screen via gun shot; parents are shown after

One of the teens shows a (somewhat obscured) Playboy centerfold, plus a few joke

Sunmaid Raisins make a cameo.

Any Positive Content?

Lots of nuggets of wisdom mostly spoken by Professor Keating: Think for yourselv

Almost goes without saying that kids pushed like crazy to succeed will rebel. Th

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Period smoking -- lots of it. Both pipes and cigarettes smoked by adults and snuck by teens. A high school party includes plenty of drinking -- Knox does whiskey shots with new acquaintances.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Kids call Welton school "Hell-ton" frequently. "S--t" is said about a half dozen times, plus a smattering of "damn," "Goddamnit," and "Jesus."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

One of the boys commits suicide off-screen via gun shot; parents are shown afterward hysterical as they hold him. One boy gets beaten up, his nose bloodied. One character says of his beau,"if I don't have Chris I'm going to kill myself." One student gets paddled by headmaster as punishment.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

One of the teens shows a (somewhat obscured) Playboy centerfold, plus a few jokes about virginity, and teen couples kissing passionately at a party.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Positive messages.

Lots of nuggets of wisdom mostly spoken by Professor Keating: Think for yourselves, savor words and language, "words and language can change the world," and you should constantly look at things in a different way. Major themes include compassion and integrity.

Positive Role Models

Almost goes without saying that kids pushed like crazy to succeed will rebel. The boys here smoke quite a bit and sneak out of the school repeatedly, but they sneak out to read poetry and bond. One boy lies to his seemingly heartless father so he can perform in a play. Professor Keating clearly cares a lot about his students. Authority figures in the school stoop to scapegoating one teacher and pitting students against him in order to keep order after a tragedy.

Parents need to know that Dead Poets Society has very uplifting messages especially for teens about seizing the day and embracing poetry as a way toward thinking for yourself and positive self-expression. But it also deals with the suicide of one of the main characters (the gunshot isn't shown, but the parents are shown holding their son afterward, hysterical). Everyone smokes a lot (mostly a reflection of the time mixed with teen rebellion) and one main character drinks shots at a high school party. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

Parents say (20)
Kids say (62)

Based on 20 parent reviews

Common themes

What's the story.

In DEAD POETS SOCIETY, the teens attending one of the most prestigious preparatory schools in the country aren't prepared for the new English teacher Mr. Keating ( Robin Williams ). He encourages these future doctors and lawyers with pushy parents to think for themselves and "seize the day!" He also subtly encourages the boys to form the Dead Poets Society. They sneak out at night repeatedly to read poetry and bond over girls they like and the pressures they face. It's all healthy fun until Charlie (Gale Hansen) taunts the school with hints of their activities, leading to a full inquiry. But that's only the start of the trouble Mr. Keating and the Dead Poets Society faces.

Is It Any Good?

Older kids fall hard for this stirring coming-of-age drama; they love the way it challenges them to think for themselves. The story also tugs at their heartstrings. They get to know the boys -- their loves, their goals, and their fears. They root for the characters, wanting them to achieve their dreams (one boy wants to play the sax, another wants to become an actor).

Despite Robin William's fine (if a tad cloying) performance, Dead Poets Society belongs to the boys, and the ensemble cast of young male actors (including Ethan Hawke , Josh Charles , and Robert Sean Leonard ) is up to the task. The movie also has a spell-casting ambiance, especially in the cave scenes.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how poetry is explained and used in Dead Poets Society . Did this movie inspire you to read more, be more creative, or even "seize the day"?

Which movies inspire you? Why? What about teachers?

Families can also talk about Neil, his oppressive father, and his irreversible decision. What help is out there for those contemplating the same actions? What are the warning signs that someone needs help?

How do the characters in Dead Poets Society demonstrate compassion and integrity ? Why are these important character strengths ?

Movie Details

In theaters : June 9, 1989
On DVD or streaming : March 4, 2002
Cast : Dylan Kussman , Ethan Hawke , Robin Williams
Director : Peter Weir
Studio : Touchstone Pictures
Genre : Drama
Topics : Friendship , High School
Character Strengths : Compassion , Integrity
Run time : 128 minutes
MPAA rating : PG
MPAA explanation : emotional intensity
Last updated : July 6, 2024

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'Dead Poets Society' Review: Robin Williams' Timeless Lessons Still Hit Home

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The Big Picture

Dead Poets Society conveys the message of individuality through the unconventional teaching methods of John Keating, played with nuance and heart by Robin Williams.
Although the film spends more time on the students, Robin Williams' charming, personable portrayal of Keating is what binds the film together.
Despite some flaws, including Knox's uncomfortable pursuit of Chris, Dead Poets Society remains a must-watch classic with a timeless message.

Taylor Swift has gotten the public’s attention yet again with the release of her new lyrically complex album, The Tortured Poets Department — not to be confused with the classic film Dead Poets Society . Though the Robin Williams film may not be one of the many things Swift references directly , the similarity in names creates a connection that is cleverly accentuated by two of the film’s actors, Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles , appearing in the singer’s music video for “Fortnight.” Poetry is the biggest commonality between the two pieces of pop culture, and whether you prefer your poets dead or tortured, both offer provoking thoughts and emotional stories. Dead Poets Society is a classic for a reason, as it conveys a message about individuality and independent thought. Although it is more than 30 years old, the lesson is as relevant as ever.

Dead Poets Society takes place at the boarding school Welton Academy , where John Keating (Williams), the former rabble-rousing student, returns to the school as the new English teacher, preaching free thought to the students of the rigid school. His unusual lessons create an interest in poetry among the students, causing the promising senior, Neil Perry ( Robert Sean Leonard ), to revive Keating’s old illicit club, the Dead Poets Society, with his friends Todd Anderson (Hawke) , Knox Overstreet (Charles), Charlie Dalton ( Gale Hansen ), Richard Cameron ( Dylan Kussman ), Steven Meeks ( Allelon Ruggiero ), and Gerard Pitts ( James Waterston ). These students experience a journey of self-discovery as they adhere to the tenets of the Society and fall in love, defy the school, chase their passions, and face their fears.

Dead Poets Society

Maverick teacher John Keating returns in 1959 to the prestigious New England boys' boarding school where he was once a star student, using poetry to embolden his pupils to new heights of self-expression.

'Dead Poets Society' Shows Robin Williams in His Element

It’s difficult not to love Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society (or in general). Though he’s played many memorable characters throughout his career, Keating is a quintessential example of the actor’s talents. Williams is best known for his comedy , but Dead Poets Society is a drama. However, the genre does nothing to deter the actor, whose quick-talking charm adds humor to the film as Keating gets to know his students and teaches them using his non-traditional methods. While engaging his students, Keating goes wild with impressions and jokes, allowing Williams to shine. Keating’s role is somewhat removed from the main plot as the story follows the students rather than the teacher, yet Williams makes Keating the most memorable part of the film.

Though not a constant presence onscreen, Keating is a major influence on them, requiring the right actor, and that is certainly Williams. Anyone else calling out Todd and pushing him to face his fears in front of the entire class or commenting on what each student’s walk is saying could come across as mean. But Williams’ good nature makes these moments endearing rather than teasing the students. It is Williams’ portrayal of Keating and his earnest passion that effectively conveys the film’s message as the excitable and unique teacher leaves the audience longing to be inspired.

Robin Williams and Steven Spielberg against a blue-tinted Schindler's list background

Robin Williams Helped Steven Spielberg Get Through ‘Schindler’s List’

The late comedian made an invaluable contribution to one of the most important films in history.

At the Center of 'Dead Poets Society' Is a Timeless Message

Dead Poet’s Society speaks to the importance of self-expression and individuality. Keating begins by challenging his students to seize the day, the first of many things he teaches them. The audience learns from Keating alongside the students as they take risks in response to Keating’s words. Through the various experiences of the students, the film sends a message of non-conformity that still rings true. The school and Neil’s father ( Kurtwood Smith ) put tremendous pressure on the students, but Keating teaches them to question these voices and listen to themselves above all. With the constant and opinionated voices we hear, this is a lesson worth remembering.

The film puts these lessons to the test through Neil’s storyline, as his drive to be an actor puts him in conflict with his father and ultimately results in his death by suicide. As the school investigates Keating and his teachings, Dead Poets Society questions its own message, seeming to suggest that Neil’s self-expression led to his dissatisfaction with the path he was on. The rest of the Society wavers in their resolve as well, caving to the pressure to blame Keating for the tragedy. Though Keating is forced to leave, the iconic ending shows the students challenging the school’s choice to blame Keating and standing on their desks in farewell, calling back to Keating’s earlier lesson, which they have taken to heart. Though the ending is bittersweet, the message is clear despite the disbelief of the offending parties.

'Dead Poets Society' Has Its Faults but Is Still a Must-Watch

After so many years, Dead Poets Society holds up, though it is not flawless. The film presents a close-knit and supportive friend group , giving the characters a healthy relationship even as they face personal struggles, but with seven characters all introduced at once and, let’s face it, all styled to be a blank slate of the preparatory school system before they are empowered by Keating, it's easy to get confused. This is an easily overlooked flaw as their storylines differentiate them, though it takes time to grasp who is who, creating unnecessary confusion.

The more substantial issue is the content. It’s worth noting that the film’s depiction of suicide can be triggering, especially as the school fights to place blame by investigating Neil’s grieving friends. But this plot is carefully handled. However, Knox’s pursuit of his crush, Chris ( Alexandra Powers ), has aged poorly. The plot leads to a party where Chris falls asleep near Knox, who strokes her hair. This is not explicit, but still creepy, especially as this and Knox’s continued pursuit of her eventually lead to him getting the girl. Despite these concerns, the film is more than worth a watch. With an important message and the always enjoyable inclusion of Robin Williams, the tear-jerking film deserves its classification as a classic.

Robin Williams is always a joy to watch and the actor makes Keating endearing and hilarious.
The film sends a timeless message about the importance of independent thought and personal identity.
With some outdated content, the film includes a few problematic scenes.

Dead Poets Society is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the U.S.

RENT ON PRIME VIDEO

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Classic Review: Dead Poets Society (1989)

Overall Score

Rating summary.

The 80’s and early 90’s were a time in film history when movies about students and boarding schools became a thing. From Taps to December and School Ties, a lot of our favorite movies about this subject came from that period. Two of them were truly acclaimed at the time: Scent of a Woman , finally awarding Al Pacino his much-deserved Oscar (though not really for that particular performance) and Dead Poets Society , the best one of the lot, and the one that truly made the trend happen. 30 years after its release we can still see the reasons why it was so beloved when it was released.

Dead Poets Society takes place at Welton Academy, a boarding school in 1959 where the rules and guidelines are very restricted, and the students are being prepared to become prominent members of society and taking “established and respected” roles. Things change when a former student and now teacher, John Keating (Williams) comes back to Welton to teach English. At first, his unconventional educational method shocks the students, but very quickly he becomes an inspiration for these kids to get out of the mold and think for themselves, finally figuring out who they truly are.

Dead Poets Society was a huge success when it was first released, becoming a cult film that is still remembered fondly today. It’s easily understandable why: the film is a beautiful coming of age story that talks about finding one’s own voice, looking for beauty in life and the power of creativity and inspiration. The film takes its time to build our connection with the young students, and we get to understand why they deeply need Captain Keating in their lives. Keating changes all their lives, and we see these kids finally becoming alive and finding out who they truly are.

Dead Poets Society mostly focuses on two students and the deep impact the teacher has in their lives: Neil (Leonard) who has a very intimidating father (Kurtwood Smith) who has planned his entire life and doesn’t allow Neil to do anything he wants, and Todd (Hawke) a shy kid who is totally shadowed by the success of his older brother. When Keating comes to school, Neil rebels and finds joy in the arts, and Todd finally finds his own voice.

Hawke and Leonard are excellent as the two kids, and the entire young cast deliver beautiful, layered performances. Having so many young actors at the front is tricky, especially with this material, but Weir does wonders with them, creating a sense of naturalism and comradery among his actors that brings us closer to them and makes the entire movie feel honest and very meaningful. We care for all these kids, and we connect very strongly with them. Again, Neil and Todd are the leads, and seeing them blossom right before our eyes is a very moving experience.

Williams is perfectly cast here, using his comedic chops when needed to bring Keating closer to us while handing in a truly earnest, warm performance. Keating is the kind of teacher we all hoped all our teachers were when we were kids, but the reason the film became so beloved is that even if we never had that inspiring figure in our formative years, now we can easily have that experience through the film. Keating transcends the picture, and that is why so many people constantly go back to Dead Poets Society : no matter how old they are, when the movie begins, we put ourselves in Todd or Neil’s place and we let ourselves be inspired by Keating.

We all need inspiration at some points in our lives, we all need support and stimulus, and Dead Poets Society is a film that does exactly that. It’s not easy finding a film that empowers us to change and to move, to take action and go after what we want, find our voice and speak our minds, but O Captain My Captain does, and that makes Dead Poets Society a truly transformative experience.

still courtesy of Touchstone Pictures

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Dead Poets Society Reviews

An achingly beautiful story of high school boys who give up the guards of their masculinity and family expectations to believe in something beautiful and real.

Full Review | Oct 28, 2022

An Oscar-winning drama about self-discovery, free-thinking, and the unfortunate costs that sometimes comes with them.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 20, 2022

This excellent film turns a refrain into an axiom. [Full review in Spanish}

Full Review | Jul 1, 2022

We never are privy to Keatings’s personal life, nor do we quite grasp why such a talented individual is devoted to pedagogy.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | May 11, 2022

I'd originally found it inspiring in 1989 but upon reviewing DPS in 2021, I've come to see it as the poster child (or movie poster) for the insidious, creeping way Hollywood helped sneak communism, Trojan-horse-wise, into America via the movies.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Sep 9, 2021

Robin Williams may have been famous because of his comedy work but his non-comedy role in Dead Poets Society is one of his best performances.

Full Review | Aug 11, 2021

A refreshing if obvious drama.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 23, 2017

On the surface Robin Williams appears to be giving his standard performance as Prof. Keating - witty, sincere and lovable. But there's much more here.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jun 1, 2016

I can't help but melt underneath this movie: it chisels away the cynic and gets at the sap.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Aug 18, 2014

Dead Poets Society purports to be about the bravery of following one's own path. This is a bright, shining lie, one the film is ballsy enough to tell to your face.

Full Review | Jun 4, 2014

It's not so easy to dismiss Dead Poets Society. For all its faults, it still has as much power as it ever did.

Full Review | Jan 20, 2012

Williams keeps a stiff upper lip, showing a more sedate and sensitive side, and the Oscar-winning screenplay provides a strong backbone.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jan 9, 2012

Falters when it goes for too much heart-tugging manipulation.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Apr 23, 2011

Inspiring, intense story of a teacher and his students.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 2, 2011

Beautifully directed and with an Oscar-winning story.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 24, 2010

Williams, who has comparatively little screen time, has come to act, not to cut comic riffs, and he does so with forceful, ultimately compelling, simplicity.

Full Review | Aug 24, 2010

A film that celebrates the importance of inspiration, albeit in slightly affected fashion.

A bundle of growing pain blues, flamboyant declarations of self, and doomsday faculty foul-ups, and it cooks when delivered in big batches of adolescent passion.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Aug 26, 2009

Watch "Dead Poets Society" and you'll see the efforts of a filmmaker who has his own loving style in making movies.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Mar 25, 2009

Though sentimental and contrived, this valentine to charismatic, dedicated teachers is extremely well acted (even by Robin Williams) and it does make you feel good about loving literature and poetry.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Mar 20, 2008

Dead Poets Society Review

17 Jan 1990

129 minutes

Dead Poets Society

The success at the US box office of Peter Weir's evocative drama about youthful dreams and self-discovery is a tribute to the pulling power of Robin Williams since it is unusual to see a 'quality film' rubbing receipts with comic book heroes and horror fiends.

Those attracted by his participation will not be disappointed, although Williams is in fact not the busiest character in the role of charismatic English teacher John Keating. As the kind of teacher everyone wishes they'd had, inspiring his students with passion and joy, he is the catalyst for the actions of the teenagers he has enthralled. Much of the story's telling devolves on a cast of newcomers (Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Gale Hansen and Josh Charles particularly), acquitting themselves very well as the classmates in a strictly traditional New England private school in 1959 who are moved to dream and to dare by Keating's encouragement.

Williams makes of Keating an immensely sympathetic presence that suffuses the film even when he is off-screen. Renowned for his improvisational flights, his performance here is controlled - warm rather than wacky, stirring rather than wild. His facility at letting rip is used judiciously to marvellous effect in classroom scenes in which he soars: exhorting the boys to tear up their texts, circling a shy student to squeeze a poetic outburst from the startled boy, impersonating John Wayne playing Macbeth.

Spellbound by Keating and on fire to emulate him, a group of the boys form the Dead Poets Society in imitation of a secret club led by their hero in his own schooldays at the academy. The boys' clandestine nocturnal meetings in a cave are innocent enough adventures during which they spout poetry and tackle deep and meaningful matters like girls, booze and life.

Unfortunately the plot takes a bumpy diversion into the anticipated clash with authority, concentrating on the trouble between one of Keating's most promising boys and his ambitious, insensitive father. A tragedy - semaphored way before it finally occurs - leads to hysterical recriminations and reprisals that cruelly chill the film's previously celebratory tone, revived at the last with a corny but spirit-lifting end.

As one would expect from the director of such films as A Picnic At Hanging Rock, Gallipoli and Witness, Peter Weir, accompanied by his regular director of photography, John Seale, distinguishes himself by creating a strong sense of the time, place and people while imbuing even simple acts with beauty and mystery. A long shot of the boys walking in the dark to their secret place, for example, is a magical image of their excitement, fear and high spirits. This film radiates intelligence, humanity and warmth through many such small moments.

Movies | 11 07 2002

Movies | 23 10 2001

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Dead Poets Society

Pic is not so much about Robin Williams, as unconventional English teacher John Keating at a hardline New England prep school, as it is about the youths he teaches and how the creative flames within them are kindled and then stamped out.

By Variety Staff

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Director Peter Weir fills the screen with a fresh gang of compelling teenagers, led by Robert Sean Leonard as outgoing Neil Perry and balanced by Ethan Hawke as deeply withdrawn Todd Anderson.

Keating enters their rigidly traditional world and has them literally rip out the pages of their hidebound textbooks in favor of his inventive didactics on the spirit of poetry.

Captivated by Keating’s spirit, the influential Neil provokes his mates into reviving a secret club, the Dead Poets Society , that Keating led in his prep school days.

Meanwhile the gifted, medical-school-bound Neil begins to pursue acting, his true aspiration, against the strenuous objections of his domineering father (Kurtwood Smith).

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Story sings whenever Williams is onscreen. Screen belongs just as often to Leonard, who as Neil has a quality of darting confidence mixed with hesitancy. Hawke, as the painfully shy Todd, gives a haunting performance.

1989: Best Original Screenplay.

Nominations: Best Picture, Director, Actor (Robin Williams)

Production: Touchstone. Director Peter Weir; Producer Steven Haft, Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas; Screenplay Tom Schulman; Camera John Seale; Editor William Anderson; Music Maurice Jarre; Art Director Wendy Stites
Crew: (Color) Available on VHS, DVD. Extract of a review from 1989. Running time: 128 MIN.
With: Robin Williams Robert Sean Leonard Ethan Hawke Josh Charles Gale Hansen Dylan Kussman

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Dead Poets Society (1989)

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Eye For Film >> Movies >> Dead Poets Society (1989) Film Review

Dead Poets Society

Reviewed by: James Benefield

From Antipodean director Peter Weir ( The Truman Show , Picnic At Hanging Rock ), one of the most underappreciated mainstream filmmakers working today, comes this sentimental and broad, but well made and enjoyable, tale of surviving an American boarding school with the help of poetry and an inspirational teacher.

The film’s focus is on two of the students in particular, popular pretty boy Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) and quiet new kid Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke), roommates and fellow tortured souls. Both are pressurised by pushy parents; Todd has big boots to fill, as his brother was a former star pupil at the school. Neil’s father wants him to pursue a career in something serious like law, forcing him to drop his extra curricular activities such as being assistant editor at the school’s paper, and his involvement in the drama scene, in order to concentrate on his studies.

However, both of their lives change when they find themselves under the tutelage of the school’s new English Professor John Keating (Robin Williams), whose teaching style stands in stark contrast to the old-fashioned approach favoured by many of the school’s teachers. Encouraging his pupils to refer to him as ‘O Captain, my Captain’, paraphrasing the name from a Walt Whitman poem, he lets them write creatively and encourages them to rip pages from textbooks. He also teaches them to live by the sentiment ‘carpe diem’. Inspired by this new presence in their lives, a group of his students, including Todd and Neil, form the ‘Dead Poets Society’ where they gather after hours to drink, smoke and read poetry to each other. However, it is only a matter of time before the school finds out about their nocturnal activities.

It’s typical of several other of Weir’s Hollywood movies of the Nineties, such as Fearless and The Truman Show, in its middle-brow mixture of weighty themes shot through with hope and longing. It’s an enticing and engaging combination, although something that also welcomes accusations of mawkishness and cloying sentimentality. With lines such as "ideas can change the world!" delivered entirely without of irony, it’s certainly a film that wears its convictions on its sleeve. It’s no surprise to find that it’s also gentle mental masturbation for everybody’s inner English student. People without any creative sympathies will probably have limited time for almost all the characters.

However, in an attempt to counterbalance audience alienation, there is also an adolescent angst element to the movie. Peer pressure, expectations of parents and the frustrations of forbidden love heavily feature. All this adds shades of darkness to proceedings, including a very nasty turn of events during the final third. The film, therefore, ends on a bittersweet tone. Ultimately, it’s still about hope, but it does recognise that hope can be a particularly cruel virtue.

The clear highlight of the film, whichever way your opinion swings concerning the extent of its potential emotional manipulation, is Robin Williams’ turn as the inspirational Professor. Although commanding less screen time than the central teenage characters, while retaining top billing in the credits and on the marketing material, his performance dominates. It’s not exactly subtle, but it's what he does best, and he is a lot of fun.

The young Ethan Hawke is strangely underwhelming, possibly because his role requires him to mumble and look sheepish for most of the film’s duration. However, it’s hard to see why Robert Sean Leonard has not become a bigger star; his charisma and boyish good looks should have marked him out as a bit of a tortured matinee idol. Instead he can be found nowadays in pseudo-arty endeavours like Richard Linklater’s irritating Tape .

Dead Poets Society is a film that will divide opinion, and something that still sits uncomfortably in conversations concerning both Robin Williams’ career and also the work of Peter Weir (with many, perhaps quite rightly, preferring his less bombastic efforts). It’s telling it was one of my favourite films as an arts undergraduate, and has become less watched now that I’ve long since become employed. However, to reawaken your inner optimist and idealist, you couldn’t really do much better.

Director: Peter Weir

Writer: Tom Schulman

Starring: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, Gale Hansen, Allelon Ruggiero, James Waterston, Kurtwood Smith

Runtime: 128 minutes

Country: US

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Postscript’s Substack

Unseizing the Day: A Psychoanalytic Review of the movie “Dead Poets Society”

Released in 1989, "Dead Poets Society" is a timeless classic directed by Peter Weir. The film is set in the strict and prestigious Welton Academy, and follows the transformative journey of a group of students under the guidance of their unconventional English teacher, Mr. John Keating (portrayed by Robin Williams). The film not only explores themes of conformity, rebellion, and self-discovery but also delves into the complexities of the human psyche, where Keating manages to ignite a love for poetry and a yearning for self-discovery within a group of boys seeking for liberation.

A Legacy of Inspiration and Controversy

At the time the film's production was not without its challenges. Tom Schulman, the screenwriter, drew on his experiences at a similar elite boarding school, where a charismatic teacher nurtured his love for literature. The studio initially expressed reservations about the film's themes, fearing it might glorify recklessness. However, “Dead Poets Society” defied expectations upon its release, and became a critical as well as commercial success and garnered numerous accolades, including an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Moving on, before we delve into the psychoanalytic aspects of the film, it's essential to understand its historical context. "Dead Poets Society'' is set in the post-World War II era, which was marked by societal expectations, rigid norms, and a conservative educational system. The Welton Academy represents the epitome of such conformity, putting great emphasis on tradition, discipline, and adherence to authority.

Against this backdrop, Mr. Keating emerges as a catalyst for change. He moves through the film challenging the status quo and encouraging his students to embrace individuality, creativity, and pursue their passions. Drawing inspiration from the Romantic poets, Keating's unorthodox teaching methods ignite a spark of rebellion and self-exploration among his students, leading to not just profound personal growth but also tragic consequences.

Beyond the Surface: A Psychoanalytic Lens

While Dead Poets Society appears to be a coming-of-age story on the surface, a deeper analysis reveals a complex interplay of psychoanalytic themes. Here we will attempt to delve into the psyche of the characters and the film’s exploration of character development.

The Stifling Superego and the Yearning for Liberation:

Welton Academy represents a rigid social order, with its emphasis on tradition, discipline, and parental expectations. This environment functions as a superego, the internalized moral compass instilled by parents and society. The boys are burdened by the weight of these expectations, leading to feelings of anxiety and a sense of self-estrangement. Keating's arrival disrupts this order. He embodies the id, the seat of primal desires and instinctual drives. His unconventional methods encourage the boys to question authority and explore their passions. The film becomes a battle between the superego's stifling demands and the id's yearning for freedom.

Through poetry, theater, and personal expression, the students engage in forms of escapism that allow them to explore their identities and aspirations. Poetry, in particular, becomes a means of catharsis and self-expression, providing a psychological outlet for their innermost thoughts and emotions. However, this escapism also serves as a temporary reprieve from the harsh realities they face, highlighting the complexities of identity formation in adolescence.

The Power of the Carpe Diem Philosophy:

Keating's central message, "Carpe Diem," urges the students to seize the day and embrace life fully. This resonates with the concept of the ego, which strives to find a balance between the superego and the id. By encouraging them to pursue their passions, Keating helps the boys develop a stronger ego, allowing them to assert themselves while navigating the demands of their environment.

The film intricately explores the tension between conformity and individuality. The students' initial conformity to Welton's rules and societal norms gradually gives way to self-discovery and rebellion. Each character represents different facets of the human psyche, from Todd's insecurity and fear of failure to Knox's romantic idealism and Charlie's defiance against authority.

The Oedipal Conflict and the Search for Father Figures:

The film can also be interpreted through the lens of the Oedipal complex, a Freudian concept that posits a child's unconscious desire for the opposite-sex parent and rivalry with the same-sex parent. Here, the students can be seen as yearning for a more nurturing and inspirational father figure. The strict and distant fathers, represented by the school's headmaster, Mr. Nolan, fail to provide the emotional support and encouragement the boys crave.

The relationship between Neil Perry and his father is also an excellent example for the same. Neil's passion for acting clashes with his father's rigid expectations of academic success and a predetermined future. This conflict ultimately leads to Neil's tragic demise, symbolizing the psychological struggle between individual desire and parental authority.

Mr. Keating, on the other hand, embodies the archetype of the father figure, symbolizing authority, wisdom, and guidance. From a psychoanalytical perspective, Keating serves as a surrogate father to his students, offering them the emotional support and mentorship lacking in their own lives.

Tragic Consequences of Unbridled Passion: A Lasting Impact

The film doesn't shy away from portraying the potential pitfalls of unbridled passion. Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), a deeply insecure student, becomes overwhelmed by Keating's teachings. His misguided interpretation of carpe diem leads him to make a fatal decision. This tragedy serves as a reminder of the importance of striking a balance between embracing our desires and acknowledging the boundaries set by society.

Dead Poets Society's enduring legacy lies in its ability to spark conversations about education, individuality, and the importance of critical thinking. The film's themes resonate with audiences of all ages, especially those navigating the tumultuous years of adolescence. Moreover, "Dead Poets Society" continues to be studied in academic settings, with scholars analyzing its psychological nuances and thematic depth. The movie's enduring relevance speaks to its ability to resonate with audiences on a profound emotional and intellectual level, transcending its initial release to become a timeless masterpiece.

However, the film's tragic climax serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of stifling creativity and suppressing individuality, prompting viewers to reflect on their own lives and choices. The film has also faced criticism for potentially romanticizing rebellion and failing to acknowledge the potential consequences of defying authority. While Neil's tragedy serves as a cautionary tale, the film ultimately celebrates the transformative power of education and the importance of fostering authentic human connection

Conclusion: A Celebration of the Human Spirit

In conclusion, "Dead Poets Society" stands as a cinematic masterpiece that delves into the depths of the human psyche while exploring themes of conformity, rebellion, and self-discovery. Through a psychoanalytical lens, the film unveils the complexities of identity formation, the struggle for autonomy, and the interplay between individual desires and societal expectations.

By psychoanalyzing the characters' motivations, relationships, and actions, viewers gain insights into their own psychological landscapes and the universal challenges of navigating adolescence and adulthood. "Dead Poets Society" continues to captivate audiences with its timeless message of seizing the day, embracing individuality, and daring to defy the constraints of society and self-doubt.

Ultimately, the film's impact on audiences is profound, inspiring viewers to reevaluate their values, pursue their passions, and strive for authenticity in a world that often demands conformity. As Mr. Keating famously declares, "Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary." And in doing so, the film itself has left an extraordinary mark on the hearts and minds of all who have experienced its transformative narrative.

-Yuvika Kaushik

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Dead Poets Society

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

Tradition, honor, discipline, Excellence. That’s the kind of propaganda the profs are filling students’ heads with at stuffy Welton Academy, tucked away in the hills of Vermont. It’s 1959. The activist Sixties are about to dawn, but you wouldn’t know it from these priggish preps. They need a wake-up call. They get it from the new English teacher, a firebrand named John Keating. The picture gets it from Robin Williams, who plays Keating. Williams doesn’t shout, “Good mooornin’, Vermont!” when he makes an entrance. (It’s more like “Gather ye rosebuds” or “Seize the day.”) But he sure can light up a classroom. Keating does impressions (his John Wayne as Macbeth is a lulu), introduces poetry into soccer games and persuades these flattops that Whitman, Byron and Keats can offer relevant advice on everything from picking a career to wooing women. To his cult of seven (the Dead Poets Society of the title), Williams is — egad, what an image — Robert Donat in Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Sidney Poitier in To Sir, With Love and Maggie Smith in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie rolled into one. And while he’s having fun teaching the boys how to find what’s lively in the arts, we have fun, too.

Then the picture takes a dramatic swerve into melodrama. Everybody knows the film’s Australian director, Peter Weir, makes serious films — a few of them splendid, serious films. But you don’t look for laughs in Picnic at Hanging Rock, Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously, Witness or The Mosquito Coast. And you don’t find many here, despite the protean efforts of Williams. Weir even laces the early scenes with foreboding. Norman Lloyd, Dr. Auschlander on TV’s departed St. Elsewhere, plays Welton’s headmaster with a touch more menace than necessary. Is Tom Schulman, who wrote the original screenplay, trying to mirror the Eighties with these careerist, conservative, uncaring isolationists of the Fifties?

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Nothing wrong if he is. Except that the idea is hardly original, and Schulman’s dialogue is stupefyingly banal. The subplots devised for each of the seven boys should transcend the conventions of the time; instead, they typify them. There’s the leader (Robert Sean Leonard), the introvert (Ethan Hawke), the romantic (Josh Charles), the rebel (Gale Hansen), the outsider (Dylan Kussman), the underdog (Allelon Ruggiero) and the loser (Jamie Waterson). I’m surprised Schulman didn’t try to squeeze in Sneezy, Sleepy and Dopey.

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All seven young actors acquit themselves honorably. Leonard does even better than that as the boy whose dream of a life in the theater is crushed by a ramrod father. But in the school-play sequence, we aren’t permitted to discover Leonard’s budding talent on our own. Comments from the crowd, such as “He’s good, he’s really good,” cue us how to think.

As the movie continues to accentuate the obvious and descends into doom, dishonor and death, Williams and the boys have nowhere to go with their performances except the inevitable tear-jerker conclusion. Many people cried at the screening I attended. I sniffled, too. For the movie that might have been.

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Den of Geek

Dead Poets Society: why it works and how it happened

Perhaps the most beloved of Robin Williams' films. we look back at Dead Poets Society, and how it nearly fell apart.

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This piece contains spoilers for Dead Poets Society.

“A profane and unauthorised article”

The late Roger Ebert was never much of a fan of Dead Poets Society , the 1989 film that picked up a BAFTA for Best Picture, and also earned Robin Williams his second Best Actor Oscar nomination. In fact, a few other high profile critics also confessed to not being bowled over. Yet in the aftermath of Williams’ tragic death in 2014, it was the infamous “O Captain, my Captain” line from Dead Poets that many turned to. And it’s a film that – for many reasons – is the most fondly remembered of Williams’ career.

Dead Poets Society , after all, is a film that means a lot to a lot of people. That considered, though, it’d be remiss to not see some of what Ebert had to say. There’s something steadfastly straightforward about the narrative drive of the film, for example. Furthermore, Williams’ performance does veer between the kind of improvisational comedy he’d won acclaim for previously in Good Morning, Vietnam , and the quiet restraint that he’d tune to near perfection in the likes of One Hour Photo . There’s a debate there about whether he breaks character with the former, or whether that’s part of Keating.

But you know what? The film gets people, and that in itself is no small achievement. What’s more, I think it works. I for one have always been fond of the film. I think there are deserved reasons why it’s stood the test of time, and why it still manages to move as many people as it does.

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And I think much of that has to do with director Peter Weir, and his wrangling of an excellent ensemble cast.

“Carpe Diem”

Before we get there far, though, it’d be remiss not to acknowledge that Dead Poets Society didn’t easily slip into production.

Tom Schulman penned the screenplay for the movie, basing the story loosely around his experience at a Tennessee-based prep school. He created the character of John Keating, the role Williams would take, as a mix of two of his own teachers (when Williams took the part, he saw Keating as the kind of teacher he wished he’d had). And it would go on to be the first screenplay he sold, eventually winning him an Oscar for his troubles.

Furthermore, the version of the script that he eventually sent off was his very first. As he revealed in the commentary on the disc release, he wrote further revisions, but elected to send off draft zero. It would prove a wise choice.

That said, getting the film to the screen wasn’t straightforward. Disney, through its Touchstone arm, bought the project, and toyed at one stage with making it into a musical(!). But eventually, it hired Jeff Kanew – the director of Revenge Of The Nerds – to helm the movie. If you’re thinking he sounds like an odd choice, then you might just be right.

Kanew – not unreasonably – had his own casting ideas. He wanted Liam Neeson for the role of Keating (and Mel Gibson had also turned the part down by this stage), but Disney was keen to re-employ Williams.

Williams himself never actually turned the part of Keating down, but it was little secret that he wasn’t keen on the choice of Kanew to direct Dead Poets Society . Thus, Disney tried a hardball tactic to try and get everything moving. It elected to build the sets, to basically get everything ready, and hope that Williams would turn up to the first day of shooting.

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But he didn’t.

That’s why, as this Mental Floss article notes, the sets to Dead Poets Society were promptly burned down a day into production. Not metaphorically. Literally. The film’s future didn’t look too clever, and the project was put on hold, and it would be a number of months before it came back to life. For even then, after Kanew departed the film, Dustin Hoffman was next in line. He in fact signed on both to play John Keating, and to helm the project. Yet scheduling difficulties meant that he too ultimately had to pass.

Eventually, then, the film landed on the desk of eventual director Peter Weir. He, in turn, was able to take on Dead Poets due to a delay to his planned then-current project, Green Card (that he would make immediately after he’d done with Dead Poets Society , casting Gerard Depardieu and Andie MacDowell). Then-Disney chief Jeffrey Katzenberg asked him if he’d fill in the 12 month gap by making another film, and Weir duly read the screenplay on a long haul flight. He soon signed on the dotted line.

With Weir on board, things came together. Several months after the first attempt to start production, cameras started rolling, but not before the new director had assembled his young cast for two weeks of rehearsals (they also stayed in the same place together for the duration of the shoot).

I think, on screen, the ensemble that Dead Poets manages to assemble is what helps makes it so special. Notwithstanding the careers the film launched – Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard for a start – there’s a believability to the pupils of Welton.

Take the character of Cameron as an example. He’s easy to write off as one of the antagonists, but – thanks in no small part to the work of actor Dylan Kussman – you understand why he makes the choices he makes. Originally, for instance, Cameron was set to join the bunch of students standing on their desks come the end of the movie, yet Kussman objected. Cameron wouldn’t do that, he argued. And he was right – that goes against the moment where he implores his colleagues to “do exactly what I did”. The moving final scene is thus all the more authentic because there are a number of boys still seated, contrasted with those who stand defiantly on their desks.

Ethan Hawke, for one, has spoken of the camaraderie that Weir encouraged amongst his young cast, and the lengths he’d go to in order to get them to bond together. They rehearsed together, lived together, and by the time shooting began, the young ensemble had a familiarity that comes across on screen. It was an approach reminiscent to the one Francis Ford Coppola employed with The Outsiders .

In fact, the only person who wasn’t really ready come day one of shooting was Robin Williams.

It’s hard to think now, given the diverse body of work Williams left us with, that this was a first real venture into outright drama for him. As such, in the early days, his performance wasn’t quite clicking. The moment it did fall into place was the first scene where he got to improvise the teaching of a lesson to his young students. Then, he found his feet. As it turned out, unusually, Dead Poets Society was shot sequentially, and so the early nervousness of being a new teacher at Welton, I’d argue, added to the character.

Weir was open to improvisation beyond Williams, it should be noted, and generous with his cast. As John Badham notes in his excellent books on film directing, the best directors listen. The memorable moment, where Todd (Ethan Hawke) throws his deskset off the top of the roof? That came from Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard just trying things to make the scene work. They went away, worked on it together, and came up with the answer.

Furthermore, Melora Walters recalled Peter Weir taking her aside on her first day (and on her first big film, remember), and encouraging her to speak up if something wasn’t working. Given that she’d just come from a tough shoot for an NYU project, and noting her relative infancy in the profession at that stage, that came as something as a surprise to her. Yet the best directors treat people right.

On rewatching Dead Poets Society , one thing that quickly struck me is how good Weir is at world-building. When we talk about this, we’re usually in the realms of a fantasy film, or a comic book movie. Yet go across most of Weir’s work – The Truman Show is another great example – and he’s exemplary at letting us know where we stand, quickly. In this case, one school assembly and we pretty much know the rules here. This frees him up to spend quality time with the film’s characters.

Still, there are many reasons I think why Dead Poets Society resonates with so many people. The academia backing is obviously something unifying to an extent, but there’s a real sense that work’s been put in to give characters some meat to them.

Kurtwood Smith, then.

Most people cite him as the film’s villain, and Smith himself has subsequently admitted that he made no effort to make the character of Mr Perry likeable. But he did make him understandable . At heart, he’s a man with one son, who he wants to have the very best. Sure, he’s strict, harsh, and that bloke who tried to take down RoboCop. But Kurtwood Smith’s outstanding performance makes sure that Mr Perry is also a human being.

Look at his reaction – although I never liked the slo-mo – when he discovers his son’s body. A two dimensional bastard? Far from it, even with relatively little screen time.

The film also makes an appreciated and generally successful effort to explore many of his characters, without feeling packed. It affords room for Josh Charles’ Knox to get on the wrong side of Chet Danburry, for instance, by wooing Alexandra Powers’ Chris Noel. Gale Hansen’s Charlie, meanwhile, undergoes a transformation of his own into Nuwanda, giving him the crowd-pleasing moment at the end when he lands one on Dylan Kussman’s Cameron. I like that bit a lot. Shame he got expelled, though.

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In all, there are effectively four narratives at work: Nuwanda’s transformation, Knox attempting to date Chris, Todd overcoming his nervousness and shyness to stand on his desk, and Neil’s tragic tale. The unifying link between them all is Keating, and I think Williams’ performance – and he’s not on screen anywhere near as much as you may remember – is really very generous. It feels like he’s constantly front and centre of the film, but he really isn’t.

Missing Material

As with most films, there’s a lot of Dead Poets Society that we ultimately didn’t see. The assorted disc releases of Dead Poets Society have given a glimpse as to material that was shot, but never made the final cut of the movie. Going through the extra scenes, it’s hard to quarrel with Weir’s decision to cut them out. At the discovery of Neil’s body, for instance, the original plan was to intercut the build up and aftermath of the suicide with a joyous impromptu meeting of the Dead Poets Society.

Neil Perry wasn’t the only character death in the original plan for the movie, either. By Schulman’s original script for the film, John Keating is said to be dying of cancer. At one stage, the boys discover this. It was Peter Weir who removed that moment, but the implication remains that Keating is battling a terminal illness in Dead Poets Societ y (after all, the cast didn’t know the scene would be cut while they were filming the movie). One reason why teh character of Keating needed the “Captain, my Captain” moment at the end, Weir explained, was simply to help him keep going. This was a dying man, devastated by the loss of Neil.

It’s hinted too, again on one of the disc commentaries, that a further scene in the cave would see Nuwanda, erm, engaging in more physical poetry with one of the girls they brought back. And a sequence was shot too that would see Keating attend a meeting of the Dead Poets Society. By deleting the latter, Keating still had some distance from his students.

A compilation of some of the deleted scenes was actually included on the Laserdisc release of the film (and these are ones that haven’t popped up on DVD or Blu-ray since), and they’re available to view online. Right here, in fact…

There is one further inclusion in the film that’s never been given a full airing, too, and that’s Maurice Jarre’s wonderful score. For some reason, it’s never appeared in its entirety, instead appearing on a release where it was packed together with other Jarre music, included The Year Of Living Dangerously . Terrific music, but a fuller release of the Dead Poets score would still be appreciated.

“O Captain”…

I think most of us, though, are satisfied with what we ultimately did get with Dead Poets Society . It’s a movie that doesn’t need gimmicks, and doesn’t overforce its drama. Instead, it’s one of the best of the inspirational teacher films we got in the 80s and 90s (do check out Lean On Me if you haven’t, though. Best skip Dangerous Minds , though). It gets through a lot in two hours, and invests you enough in the characters and the world that

And like most popular films of its ilk, it was a mix of things going right. If Gerard Depardieu hadn’t had a year-long wait for his services, Peter Weir would have made Green Card instead. If Disney had stuck with its original director, then Robin Williams more than likely wouldn’t have been in the lead role. And if the sets hadn’t been burned down, and the whole thing put on hold, it might well be a very different film.

But that’s the movies for you, right? Continue to rest in peace, Captain.

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Editor, author, writer, broadcaster, Costner fanatic. Now runs Film Stories Magazine.

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Dead Poets Society

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Anterior to watching Dead Poets Society I was not sure what to expect due to the ambiguity in its title. However, words cannot suffice the greatness of this movie, with Peter Weir's effortless directorial skill and brilliant performances, it is without a doubt that this is one of the most outstanding Dramas to be filmed. To appreciate Dead Poets Society, one must comprehend the sagacity in the scenes produced and the depth in every character. For example, the boys attending the prestigious Welton Academy, face the pressures of obtaining a high standard of academics, values and honouring tradition. Mr. Keating (a new English teacher) awakens their personalities challenges them to look deeper into how poetry may be perceived at first read. From this point forward, it is easy to notice the development in character of the boys. Robin Williams’ incredible performance portrays a convincing tale, likewise to the performances delivered by Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard. Dead Poets Society convinced me to challenge the norm and explore free thinking. Emotion, trials, and tribulations are beautifully explored in this masterpiece, revealing the menacing truth about unnecessary academic pressure and the devastating outcomes, which are presented to shock and even educate audiences. Dead Poets Society will leave you crying in laughter and sorrow thus making it a classic that deserves to be highly valued and appreciated.

This is one of the best movies, if not the best, that Peter Weil has directed and he did a truly great job here. When you see a movie starring Robin Williams, you also don’t expect to be disappointed most of the time, and he did just excellently in this movie as well, the likes of Robert Sean and Ethan Hawke also did greatly with their acting, they were influential in making the movie as inspirational as it is. The movie endears itself to me not just because of the solid acting but how the story makes me feel. I like how the story is overwhelming despite the fact that it switches from being sad to funny at any time. The movie is an emotional one, and the producers did a great job in producing a movie that makes you go through the emotions as you watch it.

For the first half of ‘Dead Poets Society’, I was having the time of my life. My face was beginning to ache from smiling so hard, and every so often I would softly chuckle to myself just from pure joy. As I ventured into the second half, however, it became clearer that the ending wasn’t going to be as happy as the start. Don’t be fooled by the marketing - the poster, trailer and popular synopsis will make you think that ‘Dead Poets Society’ is a feel-good tale, and although this is true for around half of the film, it fails to show the important message behind it: this is truly a story of a society which places deadly pressure on the young people in it. The headmaster of Welton Academy never stops to think about how the strict rules, regulations and stress can change his student’s lives for the worse. Films and stories such as this one are always important to tell, as they alert people of the consequences of their actions, and teach us as we watch them. Unfortunately, the lessons taught by ‘Dead Poets Society’ are still as necessary as they were when the film was made; however the film manages to balance both the happiness and the sadness present, making it easily lovable while also heartbreaking.

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Dead Poets Society Ending Explained: The Powerful Play Goes On

"Dead Poets Society" is one of a choice number of films that's defined almost entirely by its ending . That iconic final scene isn't easy to forget, even for those who watched the film for the first time in 10th grade English class or some such equivalent. The image of once-timid prep school boys standing atop their desks to pay tribute to their recently-fired English teacher, Mr. Keating (Robin Williams), is meant to invoke a sense of purpose. It's meant to stir up your emotions and stay with you for the rest of your life, even as the broad strokes of the film eventually fade into hazy memory. Without that "O, Captain, my Captain" moment, "Dead Poets Society" might have been a very different film . But it's not the only one that shaped the film into the classic it became.

Like with all good stories, the ending is merely a culmination of moments. It only packs such a punch because of everything that had to happen before it, and as pedestrian as the events of "Dead Poets Society" may seem — at least, leading up to the shocking suicide in the final act — a lot really does happen, if only beneath the surface. It makes "Dead Poets Society" so much more than a quintessential high school movie , including a commentary on a major societal shift, as well as the cycle of abuse perpetuated by a culture of toxic masculinity.

Words and ideas can change the world

Robert Sean Leonard, Allelon Ruggiero and Dylan Kussman in Dead Poets Society

Peter Weir's 1989 film takes place at Welton, a prestigious, all-boys boarding school with strict traditions and even stricter staff. The story begins as the class of 1959 descends onto campus for the fall semester. With the new academic year also comes a brand new teacher, Keating ( a career-best Robin Williams ), who makes quick work of radicalizing his first class of prospective lawyers and doctors. Keating himself once attended "Hell-ton," so he understands the trappings of its suffocating curriculum all too well. He wants these boys to find their voices while they're young. The longer they allow the toxic culture at Welton to suppress their spirits, the harder it will be for them to think for themselves when they reach adulthood.

Keating's unorthodox methods encourage the rebirth of his unofficial, one-time club: the titular Dead Poets Society. Keating and his peers first founded the group to escape the monotony of their day-to-day academia, to "suck the marrow out of life." It's a principle that makes a big impression on certain members of his class, namely Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), his roommate Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke), and friends Charlie Dalton (Gale Hansen), Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles) and Steven Meeks (Allelon Ruggiero).

Gale Hansen as Charlie Dalton in Dead Poets Society

The newly founded Dead Poets Society adopts Keating's mantra, "carpe diem," in ways that only teenage boys can. Charlie is arguably Keating's most passionate disciple, staging elaborate campaigns to bring female students to Welton and even adopting a new moniker, Nuwanda. Knox uses the well-known power of poetry to win over a girl at a neighboring school. And then there's Neil, who seems like the last person in need of Keating's help, at least on the surface. Deep down though, the exact opposite is true: while he's a talented student and a natural-born leader, he frequently has to set aside his personal aspirations and do what his overbearing father (Kurtwood Smith) tells him.

In normal circumstances, Neil would concede to his dad without question. Until he graduates from Welton, then college and ( eventually ) medical school, his life is not his own. It's only after Keating's lessons start to sink in that Neil realizes he can live a different way, without submitting to his dad. He auditions for a local production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in an effort to take control of his life again. The only problem: he does so behind his father's back, and it backfires spectacularly when he discovers the truth and demands Neil drop out of the production.

It's this conflict that demonstrates Neil's half-formed approach to Keating's philosophy. Like other members of the Dead Poets Society, he largely fails to absorb the true essence of "carpe diem." Honoring your inner truth and shunting the status quo are both vital to seizing the day, but not without an understanding of the consequences. "There's a time for daring," Keating tells his class, "and there's a time for caution. A wise man understands which is called for."

If we shadows have offended...

Robert Sean Leonard as Neil Perry in Dead Poets Society

Keating tries to encourage temperance and patience in his students, especially when Neil comes to him with his dilemma. In order for Neil to actually find the freedom he's been searching for, Keating says, he has to confront his father. Even if Mr. Perry can't empathize with his son, it isn't the end of the world. His "indentured servitude" won't last forever: soon he'll be free to star in whatever play he likes. It's a nice sentiment, but a totally foreign concept for Neil, who can't see beyond his own suffocating reality. He feels trapped no matter what he does, and that feeling only increases his desperation to break free.

This is, ironically, what makes Todd's role in the story so important. He's Neil's foil in every way, as both characters represent the different ways that shame can manifest within a person. Todd's shame keeps him putting his ideas and emotions out into the world. "Mr. Anderson thinks that everything inside of him is worthless and embarrassing," Keating very astutely observes. And Neil, for all his inner fire, is made to feel the same from his father.

Despite his projected confidence, Neil also struggles to prove his worth — he's just much better at hiding it. He is, as Keating later points out, a very talented actor. He's been acting his whole life, playing the part of the dutiful son, the Mr. Future Doctor of his dad's dreams. But after getting a taste of freedom, he realizes he can't keep acting any longer, especially not with the threat of military school — and 10 more years in "service" to his dad — looming over his head.

A quiet flame

Gale Hansen, Josh Charles, Allelon Ruggiero and James Waterston in Dead Poets Society

After his final confrontation with Mr. Perry, Neil can only see one way to escape, to finally be free on his own terms. His suicide understandably sends shockwaves through Welton, and Headmaster Nolan (Norman Lloyd) works quickly to restore "order" in the wake of the tragedy. He implicates Keating in Neil's death, and threatens the remaining Society members with expulsion if they don't corroborate his story.

With Charlie expelled, Keating sacked, and Nolan poised to replace him as English teacher, the status quo is all but restored — and it's here that the focus shifts almost entirely to Todd. Out of everyone in the Dead Poets Society, he was the most resistant to Keating's teachings. Of all his friends, he was most likely to shrink away from a challenge. It's not until he's presented with the most difficult challenge of all — to honor truth, consequence be damned — that he's able to demonstrate a complete understanding of "carpe diem."

Keating sees his class for the last time when he returns to pick up the last of his belongings, and there, Todd finds the courage to come clean about Nolan's scheme. What happens next — that aforementioned "O Captain, my Captain" moment — is a symbol of the effect that Keating had on his students, Todd especially. He can't take back what he did (and he may very well face expulsion for what he does after) but the principles he's learned have lit a fire within him, and it won't be an easy one to snuff out.

O Captain, My Captain

Robin Williams as John Keating in Dead Poets Society

"Dead Poets Society" contends with a tricky legacy today. Its status as a pop culture staple makes it overrated in some circles, and its focus on the white male elite — tragic as their individuals upbringings are — raises concerns about its lack of diversity . But these critiques come from examining the film through a modern lens. It's easy to dismiss the film for its female representation (or lack thereof), to pick at its one-note antagonists. But it's also important to keep the setting in perspective. "Dead Poets" takes place in the late '50s, when women were discouraged from pursuing higher education, and schools in general were less integrated. Post-War America had only just begun to move away from conservatism and embrace romanticism . It was a different time, and sure, most of the characters in the film are either archetypes or ciphers — but perhaps that's why it's still so evocative today.

"Dead Poets" deals with a period of time when most of us are trying to discover who we are. Life is hard, our emotions are overwhelming, and every setback feels like the end of the world. The film may feel cringey or old-fashioned now, but it's only because we've since learned to contextualize the suffocating bind of adolescence, or family drama, or unrequited high school love. If we try, we can probably still remember how it felt to hear Keating's mantra for the first time, or how it felt when our own teachers recognized greatness in us. "Dead Poets" has captured that feeling in a bottle. It serves as a reminder of some of Keating's best advice to his students (lifted from Whitman, of course): "That life exists, and identity. That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse."

The Untold Truth Of Dead Poets Society

After a tough start, "Dead Poets Society" was a surprise hit for Disney, becoming a critical and commercial success (via The Numbers ). It was the first Touchstone Pictures film to be nominated for an Oscar in the best picture category (per Moviefone ).

This coming-of-age film is about a group of students at Vermont's all-boys prep school, Welton Academy, in 1959. In the film, these young men are inspired to revive a defunct secret society by their enthusiastic English teacher, John Keating, played by the talented Robin Williams . Keating was a founding member of the Dead Poets Society when he was a student at Welton. Keating also inspires these boys to think for themselves, and "suck the marrow out of life," by finding their passion for life, poetry, and the arts.

Although this film is a work of fiction, it takes inspiration from the life of the screenwriter Tom Schulman, who won an Oscar for his screenplay (via IMDb ). Join us as we uncover the untold truth of "Dead Poets Society."

Welton Academy is fictional

The fictional Welton Academy is in Vermont, but Welton was based upon screenwriter Tom Schulman's experience attending Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennessee (via Montgomery Bell Academy ). The film is loosely based on Schulman's life, and the characters resembled people from his life. In an interview with the University of California Television , Schulman said Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles) was based on a friend from college who was over-the-moon in love with a girl named Chris.

In an interview between Schulman and Montgomery Bell Academy's Headmaster, Schulman spoke about how he was working on a script inspired by his acting and writing class in Los Angeles, explaining how after he switched to the setting of a boys' school, his story came into focus. Schulman realized the story wasn't just about an inspiring teacher, but about how this teacher helped transform the lives of his students.

Schulman's alma mater, Montgomery Bell Academy, was founded in 1867 and is the only boys' school in the Nashville area. Even now, in the 21 st century, we can see the emphasis on history and tradition of the fictional Welton Academy echoed in MBA's mission of developing their students into, "Gentlemen, Scholars, Athletes" (via Montgomery Bell Academy ). Although MBA is a day school rather than a boarding school, the inspiration Schulman took from his alma mater is clear.

John Keating was based upon Schulman's professors

As Tom Schulman revealed in an interview with Montgomery Bell Academy , he first began working on the script that evolved into " Dead Poets Society " while attending the Actors and Directors Lab in Los Angeles. His teacher's mentor, Harold Clurman, who would visit to advise the students before launching into rousing speeches, inspired Schulman. Schulman felt his script lacked something essential, and set it aside.

In this same interview, Schulman explained how, after setting the script aside, he reminisced with a girlfriend about Samuel F. Pickering Jr., who taught Schulman's sophomore English class at Montgomery Bell Academy. She told Schulman that Pickering was the inspiring teacher Schulman should write about, and he began reworking the script, setting it at an all-boys school. With this change of setting, the project came into focus, and the characters we know emerged. Pickering inspired John Keating's unusual teaching style, while Harold Clurman influenced Keating's inspirational speeches.

Pickering told the Times Daily , "Whatever of me is in that character has got to be small. I was a kid and he was a child. Twenty-three years ago. How much of me could there be in the movie?" Pickering acknowledged his unorthodox teaching style, admitting to lecturing while standing on his desk or in a wastebasket to keep his students engaged. After teaching at MBA for one year, Pickering got a Ph.D. and taught English at the University of Connecticut. Pickering is also an essayist with multiple books published (per Times Daily).

Different actors and directors were originally attached to the project

Jeff Kanew was the original director attached to "Dead Poets Society." Mel Gibson was offered the role of Keating, but ultimately wasn't cast. Liam Neeson was actually Kanew's first choice to play John Keating, but Disney was intent on casting Robin Williams in the role (via E! ). In an interview with the University of California Television , Tom Schulman revealed Williams didn't want to work with Kanew, saying "Robin wouldn't say no, but he wouldn't say yes, to working with that director."

Disney moved forward with the production, building sets and preparing to shoot outside Atlanta intending to film with Williams as Keating. However, according to Schulman, "He [Williams] never said he would, but Disney kept trying to pressure him by moving forward." Director Kanew had a horrible first day of shooting. In his interview with UCTV, Schulman said, "After the first day he [Williams] didn't show up, they canceled the production and burned the sets. We actually have dailies of the sets burning."

After this disastrous start, the film was dead in the water. For a brief time, Dustin Hoffman was attached to the project, playing Keating and directing, until a scheduling conflict derailed the project once again. Eventually, Peter Weir signed on as director, and Williams officially accepted the lead role. This new production team began scouting locations, and "Dead Poets Society" was resurrected.

Dead Poets Society was filmed in Delaware

Despite having the fictional setting of Vermont, "Dead Poets Society" was actually the first movie to be filmed entirely in Delaware. For the 25 th anniversary, Delaware Online shared trivia about the film's production in their state. The 70-person crew stayed in the Radisson hotel in Wilmington, Delaware, but some crew and cast members complained about staying in such a sleepy town, saying there wasn't much to do after filming wrapped each day.

The Everett Theater was the location of the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in the film, and had a screening of the film for its 25 th anniversary. Delaware resident Roger Gordon's home was the filming location for the Perry family home, and this history was highlighted when he decided it was time to scale back and sell it. Before the film was released, the studio arranged a local screening for actors and extras from Delaware who were in the production.

The production brought jobs and money into the communities it filmed in. Over 1,000 Delaware residents worked as extras, actors, and crew members. During the 10 weeks "Dead Poets Society" spent filming, the production brought an estimated $8 million into the state economy. In fact, part of the film crew's pay was in $2 bills, which they were supposed to spend in the state so people could see how the film was contributing to their economy. Local Delaware artist Frank Schoonover did the paintings at the school depicted in the film.

Dead Poets Society was filmed at St. Andrews School

They considered more than 100 schools for the shooting location for Welton Academy before St. Andrews was selected (via Delaware Online ). Producer Steven Haft reported that when director Peter Weir saw St. Andrews School for the first time, "his eyes got as big as saucers. He turned to me and said, 'This is it'" (via St. Andrew's Magazine ). The movie was filmed primarily at St. Andrews School in Middletown, Delaware, during Thanksgiving and Christmas break, so the production wouldn't disrupt the school's actual classes (per D23 ).

Many St. Andrews students were extras in the film. As reported by E! , Robb Ellis, who was an extra and a senior at St. Andrews, told The News Journal of Delaware, "He [Williams] never stops acting. He's always cracking us up, but I don't get a sense of who he is."

Unlike Welton, St. Andrews is not an all-boys school. The pond we see the Welton students rowing is on the St. Andrews campus, and the girls and boys crew teams who attend the school still use it. The cave our Dead Poets meet at isn't real, and was created on a set for the film (per Delaware Online). Although Weir used locations off campus, he tried to do most of his shooting at St. Andrews, and the ambiance of the school pervades the film.

Director Peter Weir had the young cast room together

Since the students are at a boarding school, Weir had the young actors live together for a couple of weeks before and during filming to establish a bond between the cast. In the DVD commentary , Dylan Kussman, who played Richard Cameron, said "We really felt like by the time filming started we had been to school together."

Weir also got the young cast together at St. Andrews before production and familiarize them with the time period they would create in the film with a week of workshops. Weir said "I banned all contemporary phrases ... It's remarkable how much intonations have changed over the years, if you listen and think about it" (via Los Angeles Times ). He explained the workshops included, "exercises, improvisations, to loosen everybody up, and we had a lot of laughs." Weir also filmed in chronological order to help the growing bond between the young men and their teacher seem more natural (via E! ).

In the original screenplay, Keating dies of cancer

Tom Schulman's original screenplay included Keating dying of lymphoma, and his illness explained his "seize the day" life motto. The script originally included a hospital scene, but director Peter Weir axed the cancer side plot, keeping the focus on the students. Despite fighting to keep the scene for a few days, Schulman ultimately agreed with Weir and removed it from the script. Schulman told Tom McCurrie that removing the cancer element from the script made it a "more focused film" (via Writers SuperCenter ).

That's not to say all recommendations on rewrites are welcome or workable in Schulman's mind. In his interview with UCTV, Schulman shared that when he was first shopping the screenplay around, Disney suggested he rewrite the script into a musical called "Sultans of Strut." Schulman thought perhaps Disney was hoping to capitalize on the success of "Fame" with their own musical. Luckily, this bizarre idea went nowhere, and the studio bought the script, as it was, sometime later (via University of California Television ).

Although removing Keating's cancer from the script was the only major change Weir wanted to make, there were other scenes left on the cutting room floor. As reported by E! , Lara Flynn Boyle had a minor role as the sister of Chet Danburry (Colin Irving), but they cut her scenes from the film. In an interview, Boyle told David Letterman she wasn't aware her scenes were cut until the day of the premiere when someone from Disney called her, saying she might want to skip the premiere.

Robin Williams was going through a divorce while filming

"Dead Poets Society" was Robin Williams' first big serious role, and his performance garnered him his second Oscar nomination (via IMDb ). Although he was primarily known as a comedian, Williams impressed audiences and critics with his more restrained and subtle approach to playing John Keating, the Welton Academy English teacher who encouraged his students to find their passion in life, inspiring them to "seize the day."

Norman Lloyd, who played Keating's nemesis, the headmaster of Welton Academy, told The Hollywood Reporter that Williams was more serious while filming "Dead Poets Society," than Lloyd had expected, saying, "When we were doing 'Dead Poets Society,' his first marriage [to Valerie Velardi] was breaking up, and it was then that he began to go with and then married the babysitter of his kids [Marsha Garces]. He masked the whole thing very carefully. It was never evident in the work. It was all kept under control" (via The Hollywood Reporter ).

Despite going through a rough patch in his personal life while filming "Dead Poets Society," it was one of Williams' favorite films he worked on. Williams told Nancy Griffin in a feature for Premiere Magazine in 1989, "I rank him [Weir] up there with the best of people I've worked with."

Some elements in the film were improvised

According to E! , Robin Williams improvised approximately 15% of his lines. Weir said that he and Williams agreed on turning down the volume on improvisation and comedy for this role. Still, Weir wanted to give Williams an unscheduled afternoon to cut loose, saying "That was the day when Robin impersonated John Wayne and Marlon Brando, which made it into the film. When Robin's improvising, he gives off an electric charge you can feel" (via Script Magazine ).

In the UCTV interview, Schulman shared how Williams was a little stiff or nervous while filming until Weir gave Williams permission to improvise this teaching scene. Schulman shared, "Once Robin realized, oh yeah, I'm teaching ... even if the students aren't speaking back, it's a dialogue" (via University of California Television ).

The scene where Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke) and Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) throw Todd's birthday gift, the new desk set just like the one they gave him the year before, off the elevated walkway was also improvised. Todd was supposed to give an emotional monologue, but Weir realized it would not work and brainstormed with Hawke and Leonard about what they should do instead. Throwing it was the young actor's idea, and Weir went with it. Hawke told E!, "I remember Bob and I in the van ride home afterwards were like, 'Is he really going to put that in the movie?'"

The film inspired a stage adaptation and novel

Often films are adaptations of bestselling novels, but "Dead Poets Society" was the other way around. They adapted the successful film into a novel after the movie came out. The novel was challenged because of its anti-authoritarian stance and was put on a restricted, challenged, and banned book list for the 2015-2016 academic year (via UNM Valenica Campus Libary ).

In 2016, Jason Sudeikis played John Keating in an off-Broadway stage adaptation through Classic Stage Company. In a review for the play, Frank Rizzo with Variety called Sudeikis' performance "remarkable" while criticizing the play for its sentimentality. Rizzo lamented how Tom Schulman didn't seize the opportunity to expand on the themes of the film or deepen the characters in his stage adaptation. Although Rizzo conceded, the performances were excellent and fans of the film would surely enjoy the play as well (via Variety ).

Dead Poets Society didn't receive universal acclaim

"Dead Poets Society" was nominated for four Oscars, and Tom Schulman won an Oscar for his screenplay (via IMDb ). Despite having fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes , and good scores with audiences and critics on Metacritic , all critics did not receive the film with open arms. In his 2-star review, Roger Ebert said, "I was so moved, I wanted to throw up." Ebert also called Keating, "more of a plot device than a human being."

Vincent Canby, who reviewed the film for The New York Times, was kinder, saying "John Keating is the most vivid, most complex character in it," but "he is not around long enough." Canby clearly wanted the film to center on Keating, and less on the boys whose lives were changed by their brief experience of knowing Keating. Perhaps Canby would have enjoyed the original script that focused more on Keating, and less on the ensemble cast of young men.

In his article for The Atlantic , Kevin Dettmar, who is an academic with a Ph.D. in English literature, took offense on behalf of the poets whose work was misused in the film. His complaints were not about the performances or one-dimensional characters, but about the mistreatment of the humanities, saying "I've never hated a film quite the way I hate 'Dead Poets Society.'" Dettmar criticized the film for being anti-intellectual and popularizing poetry "fandom," rather than the serious criticism and close readings students of literature practice in academia.

Josh Charles and Ethan Hawke were teenagers during filming

"Dead Poets Society" launched the acting careers of newcomers Josh Charles, Ethan Hawke, and Robert Sean Leonard. Charles and Hawke both landed their roles with the first director, Jeff Kanew, and had to audition again with Peter Weir. Luckily, both actors kept their roles (per E! ). Weir told People , "Josh was the one to beat in auditions. No one came close to him in terms of charm and acting ability." Weir also said, "The boys were all very young. I was determined to cast them at the true age of the characters they were playing" (via Script Magazine ).

Charles, who played Knox Overstreet, was 17 and only had one prior credit in "Hairspray" (via IMDb ). Charles fell in love with acting while attending a summer program at Stagedoor Manor, a theater camp in the Catskills where Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Cryer got their start (per People). Leonard, who was 20 while filming, already had multiple roles under his belt, but playing Neil Perry was his breakthrough performance (via IMDb) . In the DVD commentary , Leonard said, "Filming 'Dead Poets Society,' to me, was life-changing."

Hawke, who played Todd, Neil's shy roommate, had a couple of credits to his name before landing his role. In the DVD commentary for the film, Hawke said, "I was 18 years old, and I thought getting this part would change my life, I had instilled it with that kind of importance," and he was right. He would become one of the most popular actors of his generation, garnering four Oscar nominations later in his career (per IMDb ).

Ethan Hawke thought Robin Williams hated him during filming

On " The Graham Norton Show ," Ethan Hawke reminisced about his time filming "Dead Poets Society" with Robin Williams, saying "I really wanted to be a serious actor. I had read Stanislavsky, and I had what was supposed to be in my pockets, and I really wanted to be in character, and I really didn't want to laugh. So, the more I didn't laugh, the more insane he [Williams] got. He would make fun of [me]. 'Oh, this one doesn't want to laugh.' And the more smoke would come out of my ears. He didn't understand, I was trying to do a good job. You know, I want to be Montgomery Clift over here, you're trying to be Zero Mostel or something. So I thought he hated me because he would constantly lay into me."

Williams' humor and relaxed attitude on set may have challenged an earnest young actor's desire to be professional, but Hawke soon learned Williams didn't hate him at all.

Ethan Hawke credits Robin Williams for getting his first agent

Ethan Hawke got his first agent after making "Dead Poets Society," because Robin Williams suggested his own agent take the young actor on as a client. On " The Graham Norton Show ," Hawke shared, "When the movie was over, I had to go back to school, and I got this call from a big Hollywood agent, you know. This guy says, 'I'm Robin Williams' agent. He says you're going to be somebody and I should sign you.'" Hawke explained how he was still with the same agent years later.

Hawke also credits Williams with a transformative experience that showed Hawke the possibilities of transcendence as an actor, while filming the barbaric yawp scene. Hawke told Jian Ghomeshi on CBC radio , "It was the first time in my life I experienced the thrill of acting and the thrill of losing yourself ... where you lose yourself inside of a story, a story that's in service of something way beyond you." When speaking with Script Magazine about the same scene, Hawke said, "It remains one of the most significant days of my life — professionally for sure."

Working with Williams and the rest of the cast and crew certainly changed Ethan Hawke's life and career trajectory. This magic happens occasionally in filmmaking, where a group of actors coalesces into an ensemble cast that propels their careers forward. It happened for the "brat pack" in John Hughes films in the '80s, and it also happened here in "Dead Poets Society." It launched the careers of the young cast and established Williams as a dramatic actor.

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Dead Poets Society: Film Review and Analysis

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32 Of The Best Robin Williams Movie Quotes

He really was the best!

Whether he was making us laugh so hard our sides started to hurt in comedies like Mrs. Doubtfire and The Birdcage , excelling in more dramatic roles like in Good Will Hunting , and Dead Poets Society, or stealing the show in Aladdin , the late great Robin Williams was never short of a good line. As we continue to mourn his tragic 2014 death a decade later, we can’t help but look back at some of the best movie quotes from the standup-comedian-turned-actor .

"Carpe Diem. Seize The Day, Boys. Make Your Lives Extraordinary." - Dead Poets Society

Long considered one of Robin Williams’ best movies , Dead Poets Society features what could be best described as one of the actor’s most famous quotes, his classic “Carpe diem” speech to his new students at Welton Academy. It’s great on its own, but in the context of the story, it’s the stuff of magic.

"You Ain't Never Had A Friend Like Me!" - Aladdin

We ain’t never had a Disney character like this before Robin Williams introduced the world to his Genie in Aladdin , and we really haven’t had one as over-the-top and genuine since. This unforgettable line from one of the best Disney songs still has us jiving 30-plus years later.

Robin Williams sits solemnly in Good Will Hunting.

"I Just Slid My Ticket Across The Table, And I Said, 'Sorry, Guys; I Gotta See About A Girl.'" - Good Will Hunting

The various therapy sessions throughout Good Will Hunting not only featured some of the best scenes and biggest revelations of the movie, they also gave us this unforgettable line when Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) tells Matt Damon ’s Will Hunting about the night he skipped a Sox playoff game to meet his future wife.

"Goooooood Morning, Vietnam! Hey, This Is Not A Test. This Is Rock And Roll. Time To Rock It From The Delta To The DMZ" - Good Morning, Vietnam

What makes this quote, and so many others from Good Morning, Vietnam , is the fact that Robin Williams largely improvised his broadcasts by Adrian Cronauer on the Armed Forces Radio Service each morning, per SlashFilm .

"It Took Me Twenty Years To Get Here, And I'm Not Gonna Let Some Idiot Senator Destroy That." - The Birdcage

A ‘90s movie that made way more at the box office than you’d guess, The Birdcage also features one of Robin Williams’ best characters, South Beach drag club owner Armand Goldman. A source of hilarious lines throughout the movie, this one about his son marrying the daughter of a conservative senator, is one of the best.

"Please, Don't Worry So Much. Because In The End, None Of Us Have Very Long On This Earth." - Jack

Francis Ford Coppola ’s Jack isn’t the best movie, but it does have a lot of heart. This is especially true when Robin Williams’ rapidly aging character gives an emotional speech at his high school graduation, at which point he looks like an old man on the verge of death.

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Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman in Hook

"Bangarang!" - Hook

Robin Williams’ Peter Banning transforming from an uptight lawyer who’s lost touch with his inner child back to Peter Pan in Hook is great, even if people try to dunk on Steven Spielberg ’s fantasy film. Yelling the classic “bangarang!” line while fighting Captain Hook ( Dustin Hoffman ) and his pirates is still so much fun.

Robin Williams as Sy Parrish, One Hour Photo

"No One Ever Takes A Photograph Of Something They Want To Forget." - One Hour Photo

One of the best horror movies of the 2000s , One Hour Photo features Robin Williams’ most disturbing role with his portrayal of Seymour "Sy" Parrish. In addition to forming an unhealthy obsession with a family, the odd photo technician also gives us some unnerving and powerful quotes like this one.

The Genie stretches in an exaggerated fashion in Aladdin.

"Ten Thousand Years Will Give You Such A Crick In The Neck" - Aladdin

There’s so much great footage of Robin Williams recording his Aladdin lines ; crazy improv sessions that probably led to quick yet killer lines like this one after being freed from his lamp. Like many of his quotes in the movie, this one is both simple and effective.

Ben Stiller and Robin Williams in Night at the Museum.

"Some Men Are Born Great; Others Have Greatness Thrust Upon Them" - Night At The Museum

Though Ben Stiller ’s Larry Daley was the main character in Night at the Museum , Robin Williams’ Teddy Roosevelt, or at least the wax figure at the Museum of Natural History was the heart and soul of the 2006 fantasy comedy about a museum coming to life at night. Both hilarious and inspirational, this line never fails to impress.

"To Live. To Live Would Be An Awfully Big Adventure" - Hook

This classic quote from the final moments of Hook is great not only because it applies so well to Robin Williams’ character’s journey throughout the movie, but also because it also speaks to the whole audience, both the young and old.

"Twenty-Six Years Buried In The Deepest Darkest Jungle, And I Still Became My Father." - Jumanji

When Alan Parrish (Robin Williams) yells at Peter Shepheard (Bradley Pierce) in the heat of a life-or-death situation in Jumanji , he loses his cool and becomes the one thing he didn’t want to be: his own father. It’s a great moment that completely changes things for the recently returned Alan and sets the tone for the rest of the film.

"Al, No Matter What Anyone Says, You’ll Always Be A Prince To Me." - Aladdin

Yeah, Robin Williams’ Genie provides most of the comedic relief in Aladdin . But let’s not forget how the character also gives us one of the most touching and heartwarming moments when he and Aladdin are saying their goodbyes. Grab a tissue!

"You Want Your Little Booger Eater On My Show?" - Death To Smoochy

Death to Smoochy is an odd and dark Robin Williams comedy that hopefully is never forgotten by the sands of time. This hilarious and incredibly mean-spirited line comes when Williams’ children’s show host gives it to some parents, and it never gets old.

"You're A Good Man. I Know That. Even If You've Forgotten It." - Insomnia

Christopher Nolan ’s Insomnia is a tense, introspective thriller that’s just as much about failure and guilt as it is about a homicide investigation. The cat-and-mouse game played by detective Will Dormer (Al Pacino) and murder suspect Walter Finch (Robin Williams) leads to some tense moments, including the one that gave us this touching yet unnerving line.

Robert Prosky and Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire

"But If There's Love, Dear... Those Are The Ties That Bind, And You'll Have A Family In Your Heart, Forever." - Mrs. Doubtfire

Regardless of your opinions on Mrs. Doubtfire , the 1993 comedy gave us some remarkable lines from Robin Williams, including the closing moments from his character’s children’s show. This poignant response to a child’s letter about their parents’ divorce is just too good.

"You Treat A Disease, You Win, You Lose. You Treat A Person, I Guarantee You, You'll Win, No Matter What The Outcome." - Patch Adams

Patch Adams isn’t the first movie you probably think of from Robin Williams’ filmography, but this 1998 medical drama has a lot of heart and great quotes. This includes this statement from Williams’ titular character when he’s laying out his philosophy in front of an antagonistic group of doctors.

'You Know What Music Is? It's God's Little Reminder That There's Something Else In This Universe Besides Us. ' - August Rush

Though Maxwell "Wizard" Wallace (Robin Williams) ends up being a scumbag (his facial hair should give it away), his words of wisdom to Freddie Highmore’s young guitar virtuoso in August Rush are just grand.

"My First Day As A Woman And I'm Getting Hot Flashes" - Mrs. Doubtfire

Mrs. Doubtfire is full of hilarious moments that still come up 30-plus years after the film’s release. One of those is the scene in which Robin Williams’ character sets his blouse on fire while trying to cook a gourmet dinner. The “hot flashes” comment is just the icing on the face, er cake.

"A Whole Human Life Is Just A Heartbeat Here In Heaven. Then We'll All Be Together Forever." - What Dreams May Come

Though largely forgotten a quarter-century after its release, What Dreams May Come , the Robin Williams movie exploring the afterlife, has some touching and profound moments throughout. That includes this powerful moment between Williams’ character and his deceased wife.

"Why Can't We Treat Death With A Certain Amount Of Humanity And Dignity, And Decency, And God Forbid, Maybe Even Humor." - Patch Adams

Patch Adams doesn’t shy away from conversations about death, and Robin Williams’ titular character is someone who speaks freely and honestly about the subject. When speaking in front of a board of his peers, the kind-hearted unlicensed doctor speaks about accepting death and treating those in their final days with dignity and respect.

"Such A Thing Would Be Greater Than All The Magic And All The Treasure In The World." - Aladdin

Genie's desire to be free from his lamp and eternity of servitude throughout Aladdin creates some truly profound moments, which is a lot for an animated kids' movie. To not celebrate this unforgettable line from Robin Williams would be an injustice to the character and the late actor who spoke these words.

"As A Robot, I Could Have Lived Forever. But I Tell You All Today, I Would Rather Die A Man, Than Live For All Eternity A Machine." - Bicentennial Man

Chris Columbus’ adaptation of Bicentennial Man , despite being an OK film, features a tremendous performance by Robin Williams, which saw his character, Andrew Martin, go from a robot to a human by the time the credits rolled. In his final moments, Andrew gives us an emotional plea for his humanity.

Nathan Lane and Robin Williams in The Birdcage

"Shouldn't You Be Holding The Crucifx? It Is The Prop For Martyrs!" - The Birdcage

The back-and-forth between Armand (Robin Williams) and Albert Goldman (Nathan Lane) in The Birdcage makes a good movie into a great movie. This line from Armand to his life partner is just so catty and perfectly illustrates their differing philosophies and personalities.

"I'm Made Of Wax, Larry. What Are You Made Of?" - Night At The Museum

Robin Williams’ Teddy Roosevelt is the MVP of the Night at the Museum franchise and a character that’s always going to provide a good laugh, even when at the expense of someone else. This is especially true whenever the wax figure comments on Larry Daley’s (Ben Stiller) confidence, or lack thereof.

Robin Williams as Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting screenshot

"People Call These Things 'Imperfections,' But They're Not. That's The Good Stuff." - Good Will Hunting

Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) talking about his late wife and how she continues to impact him after her passing in Good Will Hunting adds so much to the Oscar-winning film. This is even true when he’s talking about her little habits, like her foul farts.

'I Used To Think The Worst Thing In Life Was To End Up All Alone. It's Not. The Worst Thing In Life Is To End Up With People That Make You Feel All Alone.' - World's Greatest Dad

The 2009 dark comedy, World’s Greatest Dad , sees Robin Williams play a high school teacher who hides the true details of his son’s death by writing a fake suicide note. The grieving father, who had a role in his deceased son becoming a posthumous icon, says these fitting words after it all comes crashing down.

Robin Williams and Glenn Close in The World According to Garp

"We'll Take The House. Honey, The Chances Of Another Plane Hitting This House Are Astronomical. It's Been Pre-Disastered. We're Going To Be Safe Here." - The World According To Garp

The World According to Garp is a Robin Williams movie everyone should check out at least once. And no, it’s not just because of great lines like this. However, this hilarious and somewhat morbid line doesn’t hurt the movie.

'We Don't Read And Write Poetry Because It's Cute. We Read And Write Poetry Because We Are Members Of The Human Race' - Dead Poets Society

This wonderfully written (and delivered) line from Dead Poets Society is one that idealistic English teachers around the country jotted down and hung up in their classrooms after the film’s 1989 release. And who could blame them?

"This Is A Free Country, Welcome To Almost Anyone. Yes, In America Almost Anything Is Possible." - Moscow On The Hudson

Moscow on the Hudson , the Robin Williams movie about a soviet circus musician who defects to America during a trip to NYC, is full of hilarious and sardonic lines like this one. Playing on the “Land of the Free” trope of American exceptionalism, this great quote speaks a great deal of truth.

Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges in The Fisher King.

"There's Three Things In This World That You Need: Respect For All Kinds Of Life, A Nice Bowel Movement On A Regular Basis, And A Navy Blazer." - The Fisher King

Terry Gilliam’s The Fisher King includes one of the most outrageous yet sincere performances of Robin Williams’ career with his portrayal of Parry, an unhinged homeless man who helps out Jeff Bridges’ shock jock radio DJ. There are a lot of great lines, but this bonkers yet helpful quote takes the cake.

"Carpe Dentum. Seize The Teeth." - Mrs. Doubtfire

Everyone loves a good reference, and Mrs. Doubtfire does just that during the movie’s absurd fancy restaurant sequence. After Mrs. Doubtfire’s (Robin Williams) fake teeth fall out, we are treated to an homage to the Dead Poets Society ’s “Carpe diem speech,” and it’s wonderful.

There’s not a day that goes by when we don’t miss Robin Williams and his larger-than-life personality. However, we can take solace in knowing that he left us with a massive body of work and beloved characters who will always be there when we need them the most.

Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.

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COMMENTS

Dead Poets Society movie review (1989)
A teenage romance between one of the Welton students and a local girl is given so little screen time, so arbitrarily, that it seems like a distraction. And I squirmed through the meetings of the "Dead Poets Society," a self-consciously bohemian group of students who hold secret meetings in the dead of night in a cave near the campus.
Dead Poets Society
It's so unforgettable beautiful movie which is an absolute must watch 💯 Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/22/24 Full Review Tristan C Inspiring and motivating, "Dead Poets Society ...
Dead Poets Society Movie Review
Despite Robin William's fine (if a tad cloying) performance, Dead Poets Society belongs to the boys, and the ensemble cast of young male actors (including Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, and Robert Sean Leonard) is up to the task. The movie also has a spell-casting ambiance, especially in the cave scenes.
'Dead Poets Society' Review
8 10. Pros. Robin Williams is always a joy to watch and the actor makes Keating endearing and hilarious. The film sends a timeless message about the importance of independent thought and personal ...
Classic Review: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Dead Poets Society is a beautiful and timeless coming-of-age story led by a transformative performance from Robin Williams. The 80's and early 90's were a time in film history when movies about students and boarding schools became a thing. From Taps to December and School Ties, a lot of our favorite movies about this subject came from that ...
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society purports to be about the bravery of following one's own path. This is a bright, shining lie, one the film is ballsy enough to tell to your face. Full Review | Jun 4, 2014.
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society is a 1989 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman.The film, starring Robin Williams, is set in 1959 at a fictional elite boarding school called Welton Academy, [4] and tells the story of an English teacher who inspires his students through his teaching of poetry.. Dead Poets Society was released in the United States on June 2, 1989.
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Dead Poets Society: Directed by Peter Weir. With Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles. Maverick teacher John Keating returns in 1959 to the prestigious New England boys' boarding school where he was once a star student, using poetry to embolden his pupils to new heights of self-expression.
Dead Poets Society Review
A long shot of the boys walking in the dark to their secret place, for example, is a magical image of their excitement, fear and high spirits. This film radiates intelligence, humanity and warmth ...
Dead Poets Society, review
Robin Williams is superb in Dead Poets Society, the story of an English teacher who inspires his students through his teaching of poetry. Dead Poets Society (1989) was written by Tom Schulman and ...
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society. Production: Touchstone. Director Peter Weir; Producer Steven Haft, Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas; Screenplay Tom Schulman; Camera John Seale; Editor William Anderson; Music ...
Dead Poets Society (1989)
Dead Poets Society (1989) - Movies, TV, Celebs, and more... Menu. Movies. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. ... Metacritic reviews. Dead Poets Society. 79. Metascore. 15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com. 100. San Francisco Chronicle.
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society. Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 15 Critic Reviews. 79. User Score Universal Acclaim Based on 294 User Ratings. 8.3. My Score. Hover and click to give a rating. Add My Review.
Dead Poets Society (1989)
10/10. this movie is the greatest movie, with excellent cinematic techniques. jchckid 19 March 2001. The film Dead Poets Society is a film that explores the idea of "Carpe Diem" (seize the day) from the viewpoint of a classroom of young men at an all boys boarding school.
Dead Poets Society (1989) Movie Review from Eye for Film
Dead Poets Society is a film that will divide opinion, and something that still sits uncomfortably in conversations concerning both Robin Williams' career and also the work of Peter Weir (with many, perhaps quite rightly, preferring his less bombastic efforts). It's telling it was one of my favourite films as an arts undergraduate, and has ...
Dead Poets Society
Each boy starts to act on Keating's dynamic ideas with explosive consequences , both good and bad. Released in 1989 and directed by Peter Weir, "Dead Poets Society" is a coming-of-age drama that's one of the most inspiring films ever made and ranks with my all-time favorite movies. The film captivates from... read the rest.
Unseizing the Day: A Psychoanalytic Review of the movie "Dead Poets
Unseizing the Day: A Psychoanalytic Review of the movie "Dead Poets Society". Released in 1989, "Dead Poets Society" is a timeless classic directed by Peter Weir. The film is set in the strict and prestigious Welton Academy, and follows the transformative journey of a group of students under the guidance of their unconventional English ...
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society. By Peter Travers. June 9, 1989. Tradition, honor, discipline, Excellence. That's the kind of propaganda the profs are filling students' heads with at stuffy Welton Academy ...
Dead Poets Society: why it works and how it happened
Dead Poets Society, after all, is a film that means a lot to a lot of people. That considered, though, it'd be remiss to not see some of what Ebert had to say. There's something steadfastly ...
Dead Poets Society Film Reviews
Dead Poets Society will leave you crying in laughter and sorrow thus making it a classic that deserves to be highly valued and appreciated. This is one of the best movies, if not the best, that Peter Weil has directed and he did a truly great job here. When you see a movie starring Robin Williams, you also don't expect to be disappointed most ...
Dead Poets Society Ending Explained: The Powerful Play Goes On
It serves as a reminder of some of Keating's best advice to his students (lifted from Whitman, of course): "That life exists, and identity. That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a ...
The Untold Truth Of Dead Poets Society
Despite having the fictional setting of Vermont, "Dead Poets Society" was actually the first movie to be filmed entirely in Delaware. For the 25 th anniversary, Delaware Online shared trivia about ...
Dead Poets Society: Film Review and Analysis
Dead Poets Society, a masterpiece directed by Peter Weir, is a must-watch movie for teenagers. This film features three main characters: Robin Williams as John Keating, Robert Sean Leonard as Neil Perry, and Ethan Hawke as Todd Anderson. Although it was released around the 1990s, Dead Poets Society remains one of the most influential movies of ...
32 Of The Best Robin Williams Movie Quotes
Long considered one of Robin Williams' best movies, Dead Poets Society features what could be best described as one of the actor's most famous quotes, his classic "Carpe diem" speech to ...
14 Best Dead Poets Society Movie Quotes
Dead Poets Society, directed by Peter Weir and released in 1989, is a cinematic classic renowned for its exploration of individualism, creativity, and the transformative power of education.Set in ...
Dead Poet Society
Dead Poet Society is an American rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 2013 by Jack Underkofler (vocals, guitar), Jack Collins (guitar), Nick Taylor (bass guitar) and Will Goodroad (drums). Dylan Brenner replaced Nick Taylor on bass in 2019. The band started off as an independent group, self-producing and self-recording their songs before signing to Spinefarm Music Group in 2020.

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