Inspiring in multiple ways and very character driven.

Rating: 8/10 (11 December 2014)

Although this is set in the fifties, I think it's delivery of the ideals of nonconformity are timeless. As a current high schooler, I can attest to the fact that conformity is extant among teenagers. There are very few Neil Perry's today, and the few that remain are mostly seen as rather queer. This is a sad truth, but the fact remains that for some inconceivable reason people are more inclined to follow popular whims than their own interests. This movie introduces the idea what is socially cool and accepted isn't necessarily enjoyable. The poetry that Keating shows his students isn't stuff that's going to make you the popular guy in school for knowing, but it's inspiring and awesome.
This is seen in the progression of the students' attitudes toward the Dead Poet's ideas. At first they react to Keating's lessons with confusion and almost fear, especially in the case of Todd Anderson. When Keating tells them of the cult that he started when he was in their position in a way that appeals to them, they begin to realize that it might be worth the effort to go deeper into some of this poetry. After a couple of meetings, they have fully embraced it and realize the wonders and opportunities that it provides. They now start to question authority, especially in the cases of Dalton and Neil. Keating's lesson of walking in your own way is especially helpful in this regard. The really interesting thing about Keating's teaching is that he does not actually have that much screen time, but he does have a profound impact on his pupils. He really leaves them to make their own conclusions as to what his lessons mean with only a few featured lessons. In other words, he does an "inception" with them.
We can see that each of them acts upon his lessons differently and "seize the day" after their own fashion. Dalton, Neil, Knox, and even Todd to and extent use his lessons as inspiration for courageous acts, again in different ways. Pitts, Meeks, and Cameron are also inspired by the lessons and the secret meetings, though they do not have a storyline to prove it so concretely.
While all of the main roles get a pretty good amount of development, the most prominent plot is that of Neil Perry's dispute with his father. This is the one point where Keating gives explicit and specific advice to any of his students. The villainy of Mr. Perry is not at all implausible since the world is full of over-assertive parents, though his motive is understandable. Neil's (SPOILER ALERT) suicide at the end at first struck me as surprising and uncalled for, but when I took a step back, it made sense. I think this was because I didn't fully understand what he was being forced to leave when his father took him out of school. It seemed like he was only upset about the loss of being able to act, but it's also the loss of all of his friends and Mr. Keating. So Mr. Perry is essentially destroying Neil's world.
The events that result after Neil's tragedy are primarily driven by the other villain, Mr. Nolan. He is very pro-conformism and by the books, which we have learned to despise by the end of the movie. He has some great villainous moments at the end with the dismissal and canning of Keating, though I felt like that process got unnecessarily drawn out. The final minute of the film with the rebellion of the class is a great ending that adds a positive and inspiring touch to the darkness and gloom of recent events.
To wrap up, I would recommend this movie to people who like inspiration of a non-forceful nature. It's a very character and story driven movie with no action or comedy. In other words, it's interesting over entertaining. As with Keating's students, each viewer will take something different out of the movie. It's good to watch with people that will be genuinely interested in watching it. Overall Rating: 8.4