Thursday, June 14, 2012

Dead Poets' Society:  Summer movies continued.


One of my top favorite movies. Dead Poets' Society. Robin Williams plays an unforgettable teacher who comes to a New England boarding school and changes the lives of his students.  I read somewhere that this was William's favorite role as well.  The director, Pete Weir, also directed "Witness,"  "Master and Commander," and many others as you movie buffs know.  I showed this movie to a group of my students in Los Angeles, and although the school in the movie is elitist, I asked them: "what if you went to a school that really challenged you, that expected you to study hard and do your best work?  Where teachers were passionate about teaching, and you were not distracted by students who disrupted the class and the facilities were excellent."  Of course, noting that the school taught boys only. We had some great discussions and then wrote our impressions of the film.  


There are some powerful themes in the movie, conformity, controlling parents (good or bad?) but the acting, the setting, the screenplay, all come together to make a memorable movie.  


Have you seen this movie before, what are your thoughts about private schools, charter schools?





5 comments:

  1. i am not sure i have any real insights into private or charter schools--i remember this movie and kinda liking it--it was the first movie i liked robin williams in--until good will hunting---my daughter has been wanting to see this one

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  2. RoBin Williams is such brilliant actor. When you watch his movies you always wonder how much of it is improv.

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  3. I like this movie a lot, but Robin Williams made all the different. He's so good.

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    1. Besides Robin Williams, I thought that Robert Sean Leonard was excellent as well. The scene in the theater when he recited Shakespeare's last lines from "Midsummer Night's Dream" as an apology to his father, "If we shadows have offended, Think but this and all is mended. . . ." was so poignant.

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  4. loved this movie. Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, such a great cast of young actors who are now so grown up and still doing great work. Good pick

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