Less than the sum of its parts

Rating: 7/10 (14 April 2001)

DPS has a number of very good scenes; the "carpe diem" scene near the beginning, and Todd's impromptu meditation on a photo of Walt Whitman, come to mind. Unfortunately these and other less brilliant scenes add up to something which as a whole isn't as satisfying.
As others have said, by the end of the movie these boys have gained affection for their teacher, not for poetry. In the course of a semester, I suppose a couple of extraordinary (...ahem) classes, in which the boys are told to stand on their desks, walk around the courtyard, etc, would not pose a problem...given that they spent the rest of the time reading, discussing, and perhaps writing poetry. We don't see much of that, though. ...why is it that Robin Williams always has to do a John Wayne impression? He does it here, he did it in Mrs. Doubtfire, and Good Morning Vietnam, and in The Birdcage. He's very good, of course, but...enough already.
The scenes in the cave...ridiculous?? Of course! Weren't you ridiculous when you were 17?
This is worth seeing for a number of inspired and moving scenes; but taken as a whole, the movie doesn't work quite as well. Still worth seeing; but too flawed to be called great.