Dead Poets Society (1989)

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Oh Captain, my Captain! That was a Wonderful movie. I think i'm going to watch it again.

English teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) has a rather unorthodox approach to teaching (which raises a few eyebrows in the early stages). Worse is to follow when a group of students find Keating's book and learn about his involvement in The Dead Poets Society (essentially Keating and his fellow students going against the grain). When Keating divulges what The Dead Poets Society is all about the students are intrigued and decide to form their own Dead Poets Society, but will all of this come at a cost?I hadn't seen Dead Poets Society before but wanted to give it a chance due to its high rating and because it starred Robin Williams (an actor who can be brilliant when given the right material). What really surprised me about this film is how empty and boring it felt to me for the majority of its running time.I think the major problem I had with this film is that there was nothing really driving the narrative forward; if you look at films like To Sir With Love and Dangerous Minds they focus on students who are initially rebellious and end up being won over by a teacher and their unorthodox teaching methods which means that there is something there to move the story along i.e character shifts and character progression. In Dead Poets Society you don't really get any of that; the kids here seem far too accepting of Keating and his quirky and unorthodox teaching methods which doesn't give the film much of a sense of realism and doesn't make a lot of the classroom scenes all that involving.Even coming away from the classroom the film still failed to make any kind of impression on me; the kids form a Dead Poets Society and read poetry to one another in some kind of alcove, but I didn't get much out of any of this I'm afraid; no major insights from the characters and no real interesting dialogue. Despite there being a good number of students only 2 of them are given any real development; Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) who bears an uncanny resemblance to a young Jim Carrey here and Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles). The former with his overbearing father dictating how he should live his life and the latter with his obsession with a cheerleader who is dating a jock. Both are coming-of-age story arcs, but the latter is rather trite and uninteresting whereas the former is a more interesting thread albeit a tad clichéd in all honesty. Whilst neither of these story arcs are brilliant, they do at least provide the film with some much needed character development and momentum.Still having said all that the film isn't all bad; the cast are likeable enough (the film boasts an early appearance from a very young Ethan Hawke). Robin Williams is always a welcome presence in any film and does a solid enough job here (although I must confess that I think he has been better in several other films). There are some powerful moments towards the end of the film and the final scene shown in the film is iconic and memorable.However, for me, Dead Poets Society, for the most part was rather dull and uninvolving - I also found it rather repetitive which also added to the tedium. For me, there were simply too many negatives and not nearly enough positives.

Having taught English for 43 years, I have stood in the place Robin William's character has. Some days you look out over the herds of kids that pass before you and you cry for them. As a teacher who put his heart and soul into what I did, I tried to make impressions help them master life skills. The sad reality is that one does one's best to crack the numbers game. Every year we have a few of those students who we try to embrace and find the right direction for them, but we are so hamstrung. The first thing I thought when evaluating this film is the little group of kids that he dealt with. He got to know each of them intimately. Of course, it's a prep school, but even then he should have had a couple other full classrooms. What he does is admirable and exciting. That he throws himself into his work to such an extent is amazing. But let's face it. This is a formulaic film that has been done many times before. It is monument building and flying in the face of establishment whose soul purpose is to ruin these kids' lives. There's a kind of narcissism to think that in this group we have bunch of directionless idiots who could never think for themselves. It sends a positive message but the population is carefully put together to send that message. It's just not real.

An inspiring, endearing & emotionally stimulating tale that's further strengthened by a surprisingly down-to-earth performance from Robin Williams, in addition to the spot-on chemistry between its young cast, Dead Poets Society is an affectionately crafted, skilfully directed & smartly scripted work that only asks its viewers to dream more urgently & live more fervently.The story takes place in an all-male prep school during 1959 and follows a group of students who are encouraged to unleash their creative side by their new English teacher, a former alumni of the school. As he inspires them to look at poetry & life with a different perspective, his students restart the unsanctioned Dead Poets Society club and begin challenging the status quo.Directed by Peter Weir, the film introduces all the relevant characters in the opening scene but it takes a while to get acquainted with most of them and separate one from another. However, once their English class begins, and their new teacher's unorthodox methods unlock their true potential, it turns into an enjoyable, entertaining & thoroughly nostalgic drama that's as heartwarming as it is amusing.The atmosphere, for the most part, is infused with a positive, creative & optimistic vibe and all the moments featuring Robin Williams is a delight to watch. The fine dynamic between its young actors makes them convincing as a group, and their individual contribution is no slouch either. Camera is operated in a smooth, static fashion. Editing is controlled, unfolding the narrative at a steady pace, while its score adds flavours of its own into the final print.Coming to the performances, Dead Poets Society features a wonderful cast in Robin Williams, Josh Charles, Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, Norman Lloyd & others, with Williams impressing the most. It's a finely measured & highly grounded effort from Williams who as John Keating delivers a performance that arguably ranks as his best. And he is brilliantly supported by the rest of the cast who all play their part with flair, both individually and as a group.On an overall scale, Dead Poets Society is a wonderfully evocative coming-of-age drama that tries to illustrate the importance of finding one's true passion in life and embracing it wholeheartedly. It packs plenty of laughs over the course of its runtime, and fine dose of tears as well but at its heart, Dead Poets Society is all about making your lives extraordinary. And the only way to do that is by following your heart, pursuing your dreams & continue seizing every day. Delightfully recommended.