Of course you should watch it!

Rating: Null/10 (5 February 2000)

I've just watched DPS for, I guess, the fifth time or so. This was the first time I shared the viewing with my daughter. I think she really appreciated the gift. It made me want to take a look at fellow IMDB member's views. Glad so see so many (60+ !) share my opinion. Yes, it's Hollywood, yes, it's Robin Williams, who has become more taken for granted lately, but get beyond that and look at some of the details in the film--the nighttime poetry readings in the Old Indian Cave; Keating's method of yanking a poem out of Ethan Hawkes; the enthusiam of the young actors in the Midsummer's Night Dream segment... I've yet to meet a teacher who hasn't been inspired by this film. This one film (and perhaps a couple of others) have probably inspired more people to become teachers,(or to crack open a poetry anthology or attend a poetry reading) than most people realize. (Myself included) It helped inspire educators to take on more creative forms of teaching, and even today challenges such movements as the Dammed SOLs. Yup, it even made the phrase "Carpe Diem" the well known (probably overused) slogan it is today. Yeah, the story is pretty melodramatic and obvious, just like the ones in, say, Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, Citizen Kane, African Queen, On the Waterfront and nearly any other classic film I can think of. It's not an art film, ok. I address this to the cynics from Paris and Switzerland who wrote the two or three negative comments. Get a life, guys. Just make me down as one of the sixty so people who want to know, if you haven't seen this movie, why are you wasting your time reading this? Get down to the video store, now. And enjoy. I envy you if this is your first chance to see this wonderful film. Go!