DEAD POETS SOCIETY REVIEW!!! (IN MEMORY OF ROBIN WILLIAMS)

Initial release date: June 2, 1989

Studios: Touchstone Pictures/Silver Screen Partners IV

Tagline: He was their inspiration. He made their lives extraordinary.

Plot: A new English teacher, John Keating, is introduced to an all boys prep school that is known for its ancient traditions and high standards. He uses unorthodox methods to reach out to his students, who face enormous pressures from their parents and the school. With Keating's help students Neil Perry, Todd Anderson and others learn to break out of their shells, pursue their dreams and seize the day.

Cast

Robin Williams - John Keating

Robert Sean Leonard - Neil Perry

Ethan Hawke - Todd Anderson

Josh Charles - Knox Overstreet

Gale Hansen - Charlie Dalton

Dylan Kussman - Richard Cameron

Allelon Ruggiero - Steven Meeks

James Waterston - Gerald Pitts

Norman Lloyd - Mr. Nolan

Kurtwood Smith - Mr. Perry

Carla Belver - Mrs. Perry

Writer(s): Tom Schulman (Welcome to Mooseport; Holy Man; Medicine Man; What About Bob)

Director: Peter Weir (The Way Back; Master and Commander; The Truman Show)

Rated PG (128 minutes)

Dead Poets Society is a 1989 film that features another brilliant performance by the late Robin Williams. The film also delivers the right balance of drama and slight laughs for everyone to enjoy.

The John Keating character is one of the late actor's most memorable roles. His character really stands out since Keating is the only teacher in that school that has a sense of humor. And throughout the film, you can see that Keating enjoys teaching his students and hopefully change their lives in the process. There are moments in the film where Williams can make you chuckle. Yet, there are quite a few parts that his performance can be quite thought-provoking and will leave you slightly moved.

Dead Poets Society also features a great supporting cast that helps make this film memorable. When I gave this another watch the other night (the first time in years), I forgot that Ethan Hawke was in this, as well as Kurtwood Smith (The 70s Show dad) and Robert Sean Leonard (for any fans of the show House when it was airing).

There are also a few moments that can be emotional and tug at the heart strings a little. The ending of this film is remarkably memorable and could be one of those endings that you have heard about even if you haven't seen the film.

Here are some tidbits for Dead Poets Society!!

• Robin Williams considered this movie one of his favorite films he did, and Peter Weir the best director he had ever worked with.

• What attracted Williams to the role of John Keating more than anything else was that he was the type of teacher he, in his school days, always wished he had.

• Weir chose to shoot the film in chronological order to better capture the development of the relationships between the boys and the growing respect for Keating.

• The line "Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary" was voted as the No. 95 movie quote by the AFI (out of 100).

• Upon the death of Williams in 2014, the famous line "O Captain! My Captain!" was used by many media outlets in his obituaries.

• The part of John Keating was once intended for Dustin Hoffman. The film was also going to be Hoffman's directorial debut before Hoffman withdrew from the film.

• The first Touchstone Pictures release to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination.

• The worldwide box office was reported as $235,860,579, which includes domestic grosses of $95.8 million. The film's global receipts were the fifth highest for 1989, and the highest for dramas.

• Dead Poets Society was nominated for four Oscars - Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen - and won for Screenplay.

• The film was voted No. 52 in the AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Cheers list, a list of the top 100 most inspiring films of all time.

https://youtu.be/ye4KFyWu2do?si=4xC6Ezxu5Qq1uelQ