Dead Poets Society (FINAL)

Peter Weir’s 1989 film Dead Poets Society is a powerful and moving account of teenage life in a strict boarding school. The main characters are a group of boys who are expected to abide by stern rules from school faculty as well as their parents, who they rarely see. Every part of their life is planned out and high expectations are placed on them to ensure they have a successfulfuture. The boys always do as they are told with no disrespect to authority.

When Robin Williams’ character, Professor Keating, arrives at the boarding school, he introduces new alternative methods of teaching English that interest the students in thinking outside of the box. He reveals to the boys an ideology of carpe diem or “seize the day” as well as teaching them to look at things from a different perspective. He tells them to stand on their desks or move at a different pace in the courtyard during a class lesson, encouraging them to think beyond what they have been told by authoritative figures and begin marching to the beat of their own drum.

Five teenage boys are especially motivated by Keating’s teachings. Charlie, Todd, Cameron, Knox and Neil reveal a secret club known as the Dead Poets Society when looking through Mr. Keating’s annual from when he was a student at the same boarding school. After confronting Mr. Keating and receiving a few words of inspiration, the boys began sneaking out after curfew and meeting in a cave down the road from the school, where they would recite and act out poetry.

The authoritative figures including the school administration and the parents place blame for the erratic and untraditional behavior on Mr. Keating. Neil, played by Robert Sean Leonard, receives the brunt of the criticism and punishment for acting out of rule. He was inspired by Keating to “seize the day,” and with that, he began to follow his dreams of becoming an actor. He tried out and made lead role for the local production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He was proud of and excited by his accomplishment but his father was extremely disappointed because it didn’t fit in with his plan of the future. He wanted Neil to become a doctor, meaning there was no time for acting or pursuing anything that wouldn’t aid in his future plan.

The climax of the film revolves around Neil’s struggle with giving in to his father’s expectations or following his dreams of seizing the day. The pressure becomes too great and tragedy strikes at the boarding school. The boys are forced to examine the value of their existence and assess their priorities.

Many adolescents deal with the same struggles to find purpose and meaning in life. I was one of those kids and it only took one experience to point me in the right direction.

When I first saw this film, I was a high school sophomore at Cary Academy. I was in my world history class, taught by a highly educated and well-traveled Dr. Mark Newmark. It was the first day of class and as we took our seats, he encouraged us to make ourselves comfortable anywhere in the room and to keep an open mind as he queued up the tape. As the film played in its entirety, I became absorbed and inspired by each of the characters.

High school is a pivotal time in any adolescent’s life, as they struggle with authority and try their best to figure out their purpose. This movie encourages teenagers to think outside the box and inspires them to follow their dreams.

Mark Newmark was the closest teacher I have ever had to a real life Mr. Keating. I don’t remember a single detail about world history from his class but I took away some very valuable life lessons and learned a tremendous amount about myself.

I would recommend this movie to any teenager looking for an entertaining and eye-opening film.

Although the acting isn’t superb (except for Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke), any adolescent will be able to relate to the boys in one way or another. Others might find the storyline a bit juvenile, for they have probably learned the same lessons during their youth.

Overall, this film offers a healthy dose of education, entertainment and drama, which in my mind is money well spent.