Gabriela Cassar

Miss Hammitt
Writing for Publication
14 October 14

The 1989 drama film Dead Poets Society staring Robin Williams, also known as Mr.
Keating, is not something you should miss. The movie takes place in 1959 at Welton Academy in
Vermont. Welton is a strict conventional school where young men go only to please their parents
by becoming doctors and lawyers. Theres not much freedom or fun for the boys until Mr.
Keating, the English teacher and a former student of Welton, comes along.
Dead Poets Society ,directed by Peter Weir, has an unexpected twist at the ending when
one of Mr. Keatings students, Neil (Robert Sean Leonard), gets into an argument with his father
(Kurtwood Smith) because they have completely different expectations for Neils future. Their
argument ends in Neil shooting himself, the gunshot wasnt shown but the acting was quite
amateur nor was it convincing.
Also, I think this PG-rated film should be rated PG-13 because young children would be
confused during the suicide scene and most of the movie. To add on to that, there are several
instances of innuendo and direct sexual references. Plus, there is occasional profanity that does
not suit young children.
Now, dont get me wrong this was an inspirational movie and is full of uplifting
messages. Carpe Diem!,as Mr. Keating would say. Mr. Keating reaches out to the students and
builds strong bonds with them, he teaches them to be more open-minded and have passion within

their work. I found many parts of this movie heart-warming and enjoyed watching the students of
Welton stand up for themselves and at the end for Mr. Keating who they often refer to as
Captain.
It was fascinating to watch Robin Williams portray such a different role in this film than
any others he has starred in. Williams was even nominated for Academy Award Best Actor
because of this movie. Unlike his usual comical acts, this movie shows a more serious,
intellectual side of him. He pursued his character well and showed his true talent in this movie,
but sadly he is not shown on the screen much, which Im not a fan of. Robin Williams plays one
of the most complex characters in this film which is why he should be seen more throughout the
movie.
Overall, this film has so much potential that Peter Weir clearly did not take full of
advantage of. Dead Poets Society shows important values that should be instilled in students,
but does not show incredible acting by some characters. If you can get past that, its a film truly
worth taking the two hours to watch.