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. It tells the story of an English teacher who inspires his students through his teaching of poetry.

Dead Poets Society was produced by Touchstone Pictures and Silver Screen Partners IV and released in the United States by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution on June 2, 1989. The film was a commercial success and received critical acclaim. It grossed $235.9 million worldwide against a $16.4 million budget, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of 1989. The film received numerous accolades, including Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director and a Best Actor nomination for Williams. Schulman received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work. The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Film, the César Award for Best Foreign Film and the David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Film.

Plot

In the fall of 1959, a boy named Todd Anderson started his new school year at Welton Academy, a private school for boys in Vermont. His roommate was Neil Perry, and they met Neil's friends including Knox, Richard, Steven, Gerard, and Charlie.

They met their new English teacher, John Keating, who had gone to the same school. He taught them special ways to enjoy life, like saying "seize the day." He encouraged his students to think differently, like standing on their desks and making up their own ways of walking.

Neil and his friends started meeting in a cave to read poetry, inspired by Keating. Neil loved acting and got a big role in a play, even though his father did not approve. Keating helped Todd feel more confident by having him write a poem in class.

Neil’s father was very angry about the play and planned to send him to a strict military school instead. Neil felt very sad and made a very sad decision that ended his life.

After this, the school made Keating leave. But Todd and the other boys showed their support for Keating by standing on their desks just like he taught them, showing they believed in his lessons.

Cast

• Robin Williams as John Keating, the new English teacher
• Robert Sean Leonard as Neil Perry
• Ethan Hawke as Todd Anderson
• Josh Charles as Knox Overstreet
• Gale Hansen as Charlie Dalton
• Dylan Kussman as Richard Cameron
• Allelon Ruggiero as Steven Meeks
• James Waterston as Gerard Pitts
• Alexandra Powers as Chris Noel, Knox's friend and a cheerleader at Ridgeway High.
• Norman Lloyd as Dr. Gale Nolan, headmaster of Welton Academy.
• Kurtwood Smith as Thomas Perry, Neil's father.
• George Martin as Dr. Hager, mathematics teacher.
• Leon Pownall as George McAllister, Latin teacher
• Colin Irving as Chet Danburry, Chris's boyfriend and a football player at Ridgeway High.
• Richard Stites as Stick
• Lara Flynn Boyle as Ginny Danburry, Chet's younger sister.
• Melora Walters as Gloria, Tina's friend.
• Welker White as Tina, invited into the group by Charlie.
• Carla Belver as Mrs. Perry, Neil's mother.
• Jane Moore as Mrs. Danburry
• Kevin Cooney as Joe Danburry, Chet's father and a friend of Knox's family.
• Matt Carey as Kurt Hopkins, a student at Welton.
• John Cunningham as Mr. Anderson

Production

The original script was written by Tom Schulman, based on his experiences at the Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. Jeff Kanew was originally hired as the director, but Robin Williams, who was the studio's preferred choice, did not want to work with him. Because of this, the studio replaced Kanew with another director, Peter Weir.

Filming began in November 1988 and ended in January 1989. The movie was filmed at St. Andrew's School in Middletown, Delaware, and other locations nearby. To make the movie feel like it was set in the past, filmmakers changed storefronts in Delaware towns by removing modern items. During filming, the director asked the young actors not to use modern slang, even when they were not filming.

Reception

Box office

The film earned $235,860,579 worldwide, with $95,860,116 from domestic audiences. It was the fifth-highest grossing film of 1989 and the top drama.

Critical response

Reviews for the film were mostly positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an 85% approval rating from 66 reviews, with an average score of 7.2 out of 10. Metacritic gave it a score of 79, showing generally favorable reviews. Audiences gave it an "A+" grade.

The Washington Post called it "solid, smart entertainment" and praised Robin Williams for his restrained performance. The New York Times also praised Williams and focused on the story of the students. Some critics, like Roger Ebert, felt the film was uneven and missed chances to include popular writers of the time.

Accolades

The film was voted #52 on the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 most inspiring films. One of its famous lines, "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary," was voted the 95th greatest movie quote.

Legacy

After Robin Williams passed away in 2014, fans honored him by sharing photos and videos of the film's famous "O Captain! My Captain!" scene. Many teachers said they were inspired to teach because of his character, Mr. Keating.

Lara Flynn Boyle scenes

Many of Lara Flynn Boyle's scenes were removed from the final film, though she still appeared in parts showing a Shakespeare performance.

Adaptations

Novelization

Nancy H. Kleinbaum wrote a book called Dead Poets Society in 1989, based on the movie.

Stage play

A play version of the movie was written by Tom Schulman and directed by John Doyle. It opened off-Broadway on October 27, 2016, and featured Jason Sudeikis as the main teacher. The play was later performed in Mexico and Germany, with different actors taking on the main role.

Parodies

The movie’s famous ending was spoofed in an episode of Community. It was also made fun of in a Saturday Night Live sketch and an episode of Derry Girls, where a new teacher inspires students in a humorous way.