Goodbye Mr. Quips

Rating: 6/10 (14 October 2011)

This cloyingly overlong prep school based drama about a teacher thinking outside the box in 50s America and a mix of conflicted dullards he influenced to literally new heights with tragic consequence seems to meander more than build. When it finally does at nearly two hours grasp some intensity it does so by a quick fix deus ex machina.
Newly arrived John Keating ( Robin Williams) roars into his first year at the staid Welton Academy with some unorthodox ideas. A former student himself he encourages the lads to reform the Dead Poet's Society and seize the day. It all seems rather odd that having gone to the school and understood its highly conservative motto he might take it kind of slow in his first year but hey, no one's gonna get in the way of Robin doing his routine.
Williams is mawkishly idealistic, less zany more zen. Only he could commit an act of Fascist book burning and make it seem nobly liberating. His students are more or less relegated to looking upon him in awe addressing him in hushed tones. Norman Lloyd as the headmaster chews up more than one desk.
Peter Weir's direction lingers rather than soar and the film never achieves much trajectory, just plods in mostly morose adolescent funk. John Searles cinematography is town and country and Maurice Jarrre's music score flush with pompous importance. Dead Poet's Society may not be dead on arrival but it's in critical condition most of the way.