Can you say CHEESE?

Rating: Null/10 (17 July 2004)

Peter Weir's Dead Poets Society is film about one English professor teaching his class a very important life lesson. Robin Williams stars as Professor John Keating along with Robert Sean Leonard as Neil Perry and Ethan Hawke as Todd Anderson. Keating, an English professor at Welton Academy, the 'best prep school in America,' inspires his students to make their own decisions rather than letting someone else make them. He opens up his student's minds to the possibility that going against what is expected of them might be the only way to be all that they were intended to be. The Dead Poets Society, a group founded by Keating in the days of his youth to appreciate poetry is revived b the boys and further encourages them to follow their dreams.
'Carpe Diem, lads! Seize the Day! Make your lives extraordinary!'
Through these inspirational and wise words, the boys set out on their own battle to follow their dreams. Traditions and rules are broken and the boys enjoy many successes with their teacher.
Soon, these words have come back to haunt Keating as the suicide of one of his students is blamed on him. Keating becomes the scapegoat and is forced to resign. The bond between Keating and the students is proved to be strong when they all literally stand up for what they feel right.
Sound familiar? Yes, this is old stuff regurgitated out into new. Though the storyline is predictable and a bit cheesy, the rising actions towards the climax are realistically surprising. Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, and Ethan Hawke all put on amazing performances. The suicide scene, however, was painfully long and it would have been more impact full if it was a sudden burst of raw emotion instead of that pathetically long scene.
Take a 7/10.