Dead Poets Society (1989)

 "O Captain, My Captain!"

Between January and February, I've been busy searching Oscar nominated movies. After that, it's been a dry land. Of course, I've been so caught up with routinity and there's not much time. Fortunately I found several worth-to-watch movies. Some new movies can't compete the legendary classic movies, like Dead Poets Society. You can always rely on classic, if you are bored with anything up to date. Again, it feels like a found a treasure, because not only it's a movie back from 1989, but this movie also have an outstanding message for life. I could see this movie being one of the best ones I've seen.

Painfully shy Todd Anderson has been sent to the school where his popular older brother was valedictorian. His room-mate, Neil, although exceedingly bright and popular, is very much under the thumb of his overbearing father. The two, along with their other friends, meet Professor Keating, their new English teacher, who tells them of the Dead Poets Society, and encourages them to go against the status quo. Each, in their own way, does this, and are changed for life. (imdb.com)


The script, written by Tom Schulman, is based on his life at Montgomery Bell Academy, an all-boys preparatory school in Nashville, Tennessee (wikipedia). He then won Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen in Oscars for this movie.

 The truth is I never really liked poems as one of the elements in learning literature. First of all, not everyone could stand up in front of the class reading poems (especially when your friends tried hard not to giggle for you). But watching how Mr. Keating (Robin Williams) in this movie teached these kids the importance of poems and how it is an expression, it seems that poems are not that bad after all. These expressions is a statement, not only for love, but also for life. I wished I had a teacher like him, because he's not only an English teacher, he's also pushes you to be open-minded, to see things differently.

What also made a good thing to see, is brotherhood between the boys in this movie. At such young age where the future is bright, they have a high curiosity and innocence that these days are rare. Todd (Ethan Hawke) is a very shy person, who think he's no good in anything is the opposite of Neil, his room-mate, a popular and active boy, who everyone agrees he could achieve just anything. Neil has a protective dad who pushed him to be a doctor, while he wanted to be an actor. While the rest have their own character, a rebel, a hopelessly in love, a prude, etc. I actually love to see Neil and Todd as room mates, because Neil support Todd despite his shy and withdrawn attitude, and Todd took this positive influence to be more open.

The big tragedy in the end of the movie made me think how others life could make a big impact on us. How life is short and we must not spend anymore time not doing what we love.

The truth is in reaching our dreams, we all have obstacles. If not that voice inside your head that says you can't, then there's your parent that chooses your dreams without even asking what you want. These boundaries are there to put you down, but could push you more to take more effort. The primary is there's fear and worries, but if we could past that then there's even bigger joy we could have. That is reaching what you always dreamed of.