SSC 14: Dead Poets Society (Weir, 1989)

In our first audience-selected episode, Tim and Tay attempt to seize the meaning of one of the most quoted school-based movies of all time: Dead Poets Society. We explore how Peter Wier's strong direction helps unify great performances and specific camera work to serve the story being told.

Synopsis
An unconventional English teacher urges his students at a stuffy Vermont boarding school to “seize the day”, broadening their horizons to new forms of self-expression, much to their parents’ and other educators’ dismay.

Dead Poets Society, starring Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, and Kurtwood Smith, and directed by Peter Weir, was released on June 2, 1989.

Dead Poets Society is available to stream on Disney+.

Scene [53:42–58:00]
Mr. Keating assigns a poetry assignment to the class and on the day of presentations, Todd is finally pushed to confront his fears of expressing himself. The scene stars Ethan Hawke, Robin Williams, Josh Charles, and Matt Carey.

Links

• 2:45 - Mr. Holland's Opus (Herek, 1995)
• 9:45 - Earlier versions of the script
• 11:00 - Ebert's review
• 12:50 - Community's DPS spoof
• 15:00 - Take The Lead (Friedlander, 2006)
• 36:20 - CODA (Heder, 2021)

Recommendations

• Tim: Election (Payne, 1999). Available to rent on Google Play.
  
  
• Tay: Overlord  (Julius Avery, 2018). Available to rent on Google Play.

All links are verified at the time of publication and based on availability in Canada.

Next episode: The Green Knight (Lowery, 2021). Available to rent on Google Play.

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