Terrible and highly over-rated

Rating: Null/10 (27 December 2002)

I was very disappointed with this movie. It was more or less entertaining, but the ending was horrible. I won't say explicitly what occurred, but I will say that the message of the movie is not simply "Carpe Diem". That's just part of it. What this movie tells us is that if you do indeed "Seize the day" and go up against the establishment, YOU WILL LOSE.

Robin Williams plays a sorely underdeveloped English teacher who teaches his pupils through very unorthodox methods and encourages them to live life to the fullest. Most of the students come to love him and begin living "deliberately". One student is advised by Williams to follow his dream of acting, which the student's father has forbade him to do. There is a tragedy, a scandal, and in the end, it is not the rebel and his followers who triumph, but the establishment.
The moral of the story? Following your dreams leads to disappointment. Going up against the establishment and standing up for what you believe in leads to failure. Overbearing parents will always win.
Some may find this movie inspirational, but I found it pessimistic at best. If you really want to see Williams go up against the establishment, go and watch "Good Morning, Vietnam". If you want to see students triumph over adversity, watch "Stand and Deliver". But for God's sake, don't believe all the praise you hear and read about this movie. It's just setting you up for disappointment.