Charity's Place.com

DEAD POET'S SOCIETY

REVIEWED BY CHARITY BISHOP

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: language, sensuality

Rated:

Teachers are meant to inspire their students, to make a lingering impression on young minds before they enter the workforce. The best teachers are remembered not for their subject, but the manner in which they taught it. One of a small demographic of films about teachers who have inspired their students to reach for greatness, Dead Poets Society is a quiet little movie with a big heart.

The latest member of the league of professors at Welton Academy, an exclusive male prep school, John Keating (Robin Williams) seeks to inspire his students to think outside the box. Taking them on a tour of the institution on his very first afternoon, he points out the faces of those that have gone on before them, reminding the students that time passes swiftly and they will not remain young forever. His cry of "Carpe Diem" (seize the day) resounds through the school corridors and in the hearts of his students, as he teaches them to not only appreciate poetry but also the fruit of life. His eccentric instruction manner has some of the other professors disconcerted, but the boys come to love him.

Among them is the ambitious but tormented Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard ). Headed for a medical career but repressed through the domineering presence of his father, he seeks liberation from unhappiness by rallying the boys to reinvent the "Dead Poets Society," a secret clique from Keating's generation whose emphasis was not merely on literature but living each day to the fullest. His enthusiasm inspires his friends (Josh Charles, Gale Hansen, Dylan Kussman, Allelon Ruggiero, James Waterston) and most particularly the self-conscious Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke) to follow their dreams, believing nothing is impossible, but also sets off a tragic chain of events that will force all the boys into self-reflection as they make a choice between loyalty and inspiration or pride.

Recently named one of the 100 most inspirational films of all time, Dead Poet's Society is a movie that sticks with you. It is inspirational on all its levels, and also deeply emotional for the audience, for it deals not only with human suffering and the issues young men all face about self-esteem and friendship, but also asks us to deal with tragic loss. It will not be everyone's cup of tea, but its message about realizing that life is short and we should make the most of it, resonate with the audience. Mr. Keating is truly an inspiring teacher who not only challenges his students to think outside the box, but makes class fun. He uses word pictures, has them tear out offending passages from their books, and encourages them to compose if they feel like it. If a student cannot finish a project or has not the moral courage to read their poetry aloud, he doesn't give them bad marks, but instead offers encouragement and incentive.

All teachers should see this at some point, but it's equally important for students. The film is not perfect by any means but its issues are minor in comparison to the message of hope it gets across. Three abuses of Jesus' name and a few profanities are tossed around. One of the boys scribbles a poem on the back of a busty glossy pin-up girl; he lets the boys leer at her painted, topless likeness while reading it aloud. Violence consists of a few fistfights, and thematic elements involve a suicide; the film shows the devastating effects on classmates and faculty. It's quite a moving little picture that demands admiration and respect.