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American drama film Dead Poets Society was released in 1989 and was written and directed by Peter Weir. The movie, starring Robin Williams, is set in 1959 at the fictitious Welton Academy, an exclusive, traditional boarding school, and follows the tale of an English teacher who motivates his pupils by teaching them poetry.
On June 2, 1989, Dead Poets Society was made available in the United States. The movie was well-received critically and commercially, and Williams was nominated for Best Actor, Best Picture, and Best Director at the Academy Awards. The movie received the David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Film, the César Award for Best Foreign Film, and the Best Feature BAFTA Award. The Oscar Award for Best Original Screenplay went to Schulman.
Why you should watch Dead Poets Society
Todd Anderson enrols at Vermont’s all-male preparatory boarding school Welton Academy for his junior year of high school in 1959. He meets his buddies, senior Neil Perry, one of Welton’s most promising pupils, as well as Knox Overstreet, Richard Cameron, Steven Meeks, Gerard Pitts, and Charlie Dalton.
The guys are taken aback by the new English instructor, John Keating unconventional,’s teaching strategies on the first day of class. Keating, Welton alumni, exhorts his pupils to “make your life remarkable,” which he sums up with the Latin phrase carpe diem (“seize the day”).
In later lessons, Keating has the students take turns standing on his desk to show them how to view life differently, instructs them to rip out the section of their poetry books that explains the formula for rating poetry, and asks them to invent their own walking style in the courtyard to foster individualism. Gale Nolan, a rigorous headmaster, notices Keating’s techniques.
Even though his controlling father wants him to go to Harvard to study medicine, Neil discovers his passion of acting and lands the part of Puck in a local production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Keating guides Todd through a self-expression activity that leads to his writing a poem on the spot in front of the class, which helps Todd break out of his shell and realise his potential.
Under the club’s name, Charlie writes an article for the school newspaper urging Welton to allow girls. Charlie resists when Nolan attempts to get him to divulge who else is a member of the Dead Poets Society. Nolan also had a conversation with Keating, cautioning him to forbid his pupils from challenging authority.
Nolan, who had previously taught English at Welton before becoming headmaster, replaces Keating as the class’s instructor with the intention of upholding long-standing Welton customs. Keating leaves the class to gather his last possessions. Keating assures Todd that he believes him as he reveals to Todd that the boys were coerced into signing the document that sealed his fate. Nolan says he’ll kick Todd out. Todd gets up from his desk and says, “Dear Captain! Dear Captain! “which causes Nolan to threaten him once more. To Nolan’s chagrin and Keating’s happy surprise, the other members of the Dead Poets Society (except Cameron) and a number of other pupils in the class follow suit.