DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989)
In this one, this dude Todd Anderson (played by Ethan Hawke) has been sent to the school where they are supposed to be prepping kids for college. His older brother was a valedictorian at the same school so the expectations are ludicrously high. His roommate is Neil (played by Robert Sean Leonard whose had a massively successful acting career) is pretty smart and popular but his father is kinda pulling the strings on his life choices. So of course now Professor Keating (played by Robin Williams) has to show up and screw everything up by filling their heads with hopes and dreams and crazy thoughts of anti-conformity. He’s basically the embodiment of everything the college hates. Like a cat that thinks he owns your whole house and has inspired an army of super mice to do its bidding.
When I watched this movie when it came out in theaters, everything felt a bit dated. Like a period piece that wasn’t intended to be a period piece. Now when I watch it, the movie feels even more dated and some of the behaviors of the kids in Keating’s class seem almost stalker-like. However the themes are still relevant today. We still have an over-conforming part of our society and we still have individuals struggling to be themselves and boldly embrace freedom of thought. The movie also highlights the rewards and penalties for boldness.
Acting wise the movie is fearlessly well done and Australian director Peter Weir (who directed THE TRUMAN SHOW and WITNESS among others) does an excellent job with the already talented cast. The cinematography and sets are outstanding lending to both comedic and dramatic storytelling. In light of its buoyant nature, not everything in this movie is as hunky dory as the previews might have lead us to believe. I found it to be quite a bit like PATCH ADAMS in that regard. I can see why this was one of Robin Williams favorite projects to work on.
I love that this movie doesn’t shy away from taking us on an emotional rollercoaster, managing to be both inspiring and heartbreaking while reminding us of the levity of adolescence balanced against the demands of society.
I give DEAD POETS SOCIETY a 7 out of 7. While it isn’t the easiest “watch”, it is dynamic, thought provoking and perfectly executed.
GRAPHICS ARE THE PROPERTY OF TOUCHSTONE PICTURES AND ARE USED FOR REVIEW PURPOSES ONLY.
Please check out the link below by clicking on the picture. Because no one should die buttonless. Until next time.
Comments
Post a Comment