Dead Poets Society

3.5/4

Starring: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, Gale Hansen, Kurtwood Smith, Norman Lloyd

Rated PG for Mature Thematic Material (I guess)

Poetry does nothing for me.  I've studied it in school, read some "good" poetry and some (in my opinion) that was astonishingly awful (I recall reading one poem in the 7th grade by Nikki Giovanni as being gag-worthy).  Whatever your opinion of poetry is, it won't make a difference to your enjoyment of "Dead Poets Society."  Inspirational stories, particularly ones about teachers, are a dime a dozen.  This one rises to the cream of the crop, and is easily the best of them that I have seen.

The film takes place in the 1950's, when most of America was (or tried to be) traditional.  Nowhere is that more the case than at Welton Academy, a prep school in what is probably New England.  Here, they pride themselves on their rigidity and tradition.  The four pillars of the school philosophy are "Tradition, Honor, Discipline, Excellence."  This is not the place for free-thinkers.

That all changes when John Keating (Williams), an alumnus of Welton, returns to the school to teach poetry.  At any school, his methods would be considered unorthodox.  At Welton, they're scandalous.  His students don't see it that way.  "Carpe Diem," he says to them.  "Seize the day, boys!  Make your lives extraordinary."  And they do just that.  Nice guy Neil Perry (Leonard) begins to go against his stern father's (Smith) demands.  Shy and quiet Todd Anderson (Hawke) begins to open up.  Knox Overstreet (Charles) summons up the courage to woo a local girl.  And rich bad boy Charlie Dalton (Hansen) begins to cause trouble more openly.  But at a school where tradition is the rule, teenage rebellion comes with a heavy price.

From top to bottom, "Dead Poets Society" exudes excellence.  The cast is wonderful.  Peter Weir is a masterful storyteller.  And the script by Tom Schulman gives the characters depth and intelligence.  It's no wonder the film is as superb as it is.

Robin Williams gives his best performance as John Keating.  Williams took the role because this was the kind of teacher that he wished he had.  Hell I wish I had a teacher like John Keating.  The key to his portrayal is not his humor, his intelligence, or his kindness.  It's his enthusiasm.  Keating believes in what he's saying, and it's impossible not to get sucked into it.  The role gives him an opportunity for some of his trademark wackiness (his bits on Shakespeare are hilarious), but for the most part he keeps his comic personality in check.  Despite what the trailer would have you think, this is primarily a drama (one that isn't afraid of delving into heavy material).

The young actors who play his students are no less impressive.  Leading the pack is Robert Sean Leonard.  As Neil, Leonard radiates the glory and the turmoil of youth.  He has the whole world at this fingertips, but his father insists that he become a doctor.  Neil responds to Keating because he desires the freedom make his own choices.  But Mr. Perry is a domineering man, and it will take every ounce of his courage to stand up to him.

Ethan Hawke got the most buzz for his portrayal of Todd Anderson.  It's really not hard to see why (although to me, Leonard stuck out more).  At the beginning, Todd (who can barely string enough words together to make a sentence) has to live up to the reputation of his brother.  But with the help of Keating and his new friends, Todd begins to emerge from his shell.

Also good are Josh Charles and Gale Hansen.  They aren't quite as strong as their co-stars, but we still like them and form an emotional connection.  Knox's infatuation with a local girl, Chris Noel (Alexandra Powers) is a solid portrayal of how hormones can drive teenagers to do bizarre things.  And Hansen has some scenes of truly inspired comedy as the troublemaker whose activities are encouraged (the bit about a phone call is hysterical).

The two other adults, Norman Lloyd and Kurtwood Smith, are also very good.  Lloyd radiates menace, but the character is written well enough to rise above the cliche of the rule-obsessed teacher.  Kurtwood Smith, however, is brilliant however.  The character actor is famous for playing conservative but well-meaning fathers ("That 70's Show," for example), but never before has he been given a role with this much depth.  Mr. Perry wants the best for Neil, but he doesn't understand that father doesn't always know best.  Smith is only on screen for four scenes, but his presence leaps to mind whenever he is mentioned.

Peter Weir has had a good career behind the camera.  The Australian import has made a number of critically acclaimed films, including "The Mosquito Coast" with Harrison Ford, "Fearless" with Jeff Bridges and Rosie Perez, and "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" (none of which have been seen by me...yet).  Weir has a firm hand for character development and what it's like to be in a place like this.  We sense the history and the mischief, and what it's like to be in a group of friends.  This isn't Hogwarts, however.  There's more real conflict than a twisted wretch who is hellbent on genocide (not that "Harry Potter" doesn't have its pleasures).

For about 90 minutes, the film doesn't strike a wrong note.  When the inevitable emotional climax comes it is perfectly set up: dark, disturbing and terrifying.  And then...thud! One five second sequence that goes spectacularly wrong, and the movie falls flat on its face.  I was staring at the film it disbelief.  How could a film that is so masterful, particularly in this sequence, go so wrong?  To be fair, the film picks itself up as soon as it's over, but this is the absolute worst time for the film to descend into parody.  This film would have been an easy 4/4 had Weir not botched this five-second clip.

The awful blunder aside, "Dead Poets Society" remains a wonderful film.  It's a top-notch production, and one of few films where I wouldn't have minded more time with the characters.