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List Price: $19.99 | | Label: Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone
Salesrank: 5987
Released: January 10, 2006 |
| Our Price: $9.99 |
| Used Price: $7.69 |
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MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
In an age defined by crew cuts, sport coats, and cheerless conformity, he not only broke the mold ... he reinvented it. Academy Award(R) winner Robin Williams (Best Supporting Actor, GOOD WILL HUNTING, 1997) delivers an extraordinary performance in one of the most compelling motion pictures of all time. Williams stars as English professor John Keating, a passionate iconoclast who changes his students' lives forever when he challenges them to live life to the fullest and "Carpe Diem" -- seize the day! Keating's unconventional approach meets with irrepressible enthusiasm from his students, but the faculty at staid, exclusive Welton Academy prep school is, to put it mildly, not amused. Featuring a star-marking performance by Ethan Hawke and over three hours of never-before-seen bonus materials, this Special Edition of DEAD POETS SOCIETY will captivate and inspire you again and again.
Description of Dead Poets Society (Special Edition):
Robin Williams stars as an English teacher who doesn't fit into the conservative prep school where he teaches, but whose charisma and love of poetry inspires several boys to revive a secret society with a bohemian bent. The script is well meaning but a little trite, though director Peter Weir (The Truman Show) adds layers of emotional depth in scenes of conflict between the kids and adults. (A subplot involving one father's terrible pressure on his son--played by Robert Sean Leonard--to drop his interest in theater reaches heartbreaking proportions.) Williams is given plenty of latitude to work in his brand of improvisational humor, though it is all well-woven into his character's style of instruction. --Tom Keogh
Dead Poets Society (Special Edition) Reviews:
Captain, my captain 
2009-11-27 - "Dead Poets Society" is, of course, a classic. Here in Sweden, it's probably one of the most popular American movies. At least it used to be. Of course, everyone knows what you are talking about if you say "Captain, my captain".
My own relation to the movie is a bit complex. For a while, I tended to sympathize with Stern Military Father (the bad guy). I mean, being a doctor is a more productive pursuit than being a pussycat actor with a wreath on your head. Right, Newanda? I also thought poor Puck was a whimp for killing himself.
OK, maybe I was a bit neurotic in my 20's.
:-D
But yes, "Dead Poets Society" deserves five stars.
JUST as good as the first time i saw it...
2009-11-02 - I love this movie. i saw it in the theatre when it first came out b/c i love robin williams in dramas and he does not disappoint. other than good will hunting, this is his best work. EXCELLENT! i watched it this time with my two oldest daughters and they loved it too - it's a classic.
Don't be such a pessimist . . .
2009-08-01 - Forget Schopenhauer and Nietzsche's pessimistic attitudes. Live your life to the fullest. That's what Dead Poets Society tries to teach, but it doesn't over-preach the message. It's basically saying "Carpe Diem", which is Latin for "Seize The Day." Mr. Keating (played by the perfectly cast Robin Williams) makes some very good points about life. For example, he tells his students that "whether it's odd or unpopular, you have to trust that your beliefs are unique." Now there's a useful quote right there! The movie itself is a real treat as well. The strong cast (Williams, Hawke, Sean Leonard, Smith, etc.) makes it even all better. The movie does contain some tragedy near the end, so it's not really the most feel-good movie of all. But aside from that, I think we can all see that Dead Poets Society is one of the greatest films of 1989.
"Carpe Diem. Seize the day . . . Make your lives extraordinary."
Seize The Day . . . And While You're At It, Seize This Movie
2009-07-14 - I personally think this is one of Robin's William's finest performances. But all the young men this story centers on at Welton Academy submit stellar performances. It is an incredible piece of storytelling and has earned the title "classic movie" in our household. Apart from a few moral glitches, this movie's primary fault is that it doesn't embrace the afterlife--and is pretty much devoid of an eternal perspective--it nevertheless encourages one to "live a extraordinary life. To think for one's self. To "suck the marrow out of life." To do anything but be ordinary. "Carpe Diem . . . Latin for "seize the day." And while you're at it, seize this movie.
Make your verse count
2009-06-19 - Dead Poets, absolutely. Dead notions, absolutely not! Dead Poets Society addresses critical issues for students, teachers and most importantly, for parents. I was barely out of high school when the film was originally released. My experience as a student was fresh enough to recall the pressure to academically succeed, for myself, my siblings and my peers. Like anyone else I have witnessed the strain scholastic pressure can put on a family.
Throughout the film students experience trouble and triumph with family, authority, love, and anxiety. Their stories are classic and tragic all at once. Robin Williams superbly acts the part of John Keating, an English teacher who inspires his charges at Welton Academy to think independently and to "seize the day." Following in his footsteps a group from his poetry class resurrects the Dead Poets Society, a group that Keating initiated as a student at Welton. Via their newly organized secret society the students discover the wonder of poetry and the power of words. Phrases and prose command respect throughout the work. Keating regularly uses famous quotes from Whitman, Thoreau, and other world class wordsmiths to motivate his students. Mr. Keating's charisma and zest for life through poetry is wildly contagious.
Teachers have an immeasurable role in the lives of their students. This splendid opportunity comes with many privileges and an equal amount of responsibilities. One of those vital duties is recognizing the malleable nature of students. Knowing their maturity level is as important as the role of disaggregating data in guiding instruction.
Parents and authority figures are all but demonized in the movie. Perhaps viewing the film will remind parents of memories of their first experience in standing up for their own beliefs. I found it beneficial to re-watch this movie and relate to it as a student, as I did the first time, and now as a parent and an educator.
