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Dead Poets Society

Play trailer 2:35 Poster for Dead Poets Society PG 1989 2h 8m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
85% Tomatometer 66 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
A new English teacher, John Keating (Robin Williams), is introduced to an all-boys preparatory school that is known for its ancient traditions and high standards. He uses unorthodox methods to reach out to his students, who face enormous pressures from their parents and the school. With Keating's help, students Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke) and others learn to break out of their shells, pursue their dreams and seize the day.
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Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society

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Critics Consensus

Affecting performances from the young cast and a genuinely inspirational turn from Robin Williams grant Peter Weir's prep school drama top honors.

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Critics Reviews

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Kurt Jacobsen Chicago Reader 05/11/2022
1/4
We never are privy to Keatings’s personal life, nor do we quite grasp why such a talented individual is devoted to pedagogy. Go to Full Review
Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune 08/23/2017
3/4
A refreshing if obvious drama. Go to Full Review
Hank Gallo New York Daily News 06/01/2016
3.5/4
On the surface Robin Williams appears to be giving his standard performance as Prof. Keating - witty, sincere and lovable. But there's much more here. Go to Full Review
Grant Watson Fiction Machine Oct 28
9/10
One of Weir’s great gifts as a filmmaker is how he draws performances out of actors. Go to Full Review
Rudrangsh Gupta The Hindu Sep 8
By the end, the film not only makes you cherish friendships, but allows you to realise a deep gratitude for teachers, who in spite of all of their strictness, have the highest hopes for every single student who may cross their path. Go to Full Review
Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 09/16/2024
8/10
Though it’s marginally overlong, the script is absorbing. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Tyler S @tylerking24 5h Fantastic screenplay, incredible acting, and even better character dynamics. I was worried how this would go after the first act, but it never slowed down and only got more invigorating. See more Val T @valer1e 1d I was in a seriously unstable part of my life when I first watched this, so maybe the character's strife reflecting my own made it so gut-wrenchingly memorable for me. My own emotional connection aside, it's a fantastic movie which intertwines friendship, familial pressures and self-discovery in a somewhat predictable yet incredibly touching story. I hate sad movies, but I'll happily bawl my eyes out to this anytime. See more Dushyanth T @dushyanth_m30 2d " oh my captain my captain" this words carry through decades. See more Glory K @Ms.Glory Feb 23 Life changing must-see. Perhaps my all time favorite.... See more Marco L @decatur555 Feb 21 Dead Poets Society grows more poignant with time. What once felt like an inspiring teacher story now carries a deeper sense of fragility and loss. Peter Weir embraces melodrama rather than hiding it, crafting a film about freedom and the fear of claiming it. Robin Williams delivers a restrained, human performance that avoids caricature, while the young cast brings sincerity and emotional weight. The script can be predictable and direct in its sentiment, yet key moments still resonate powerfully. Not flawless, but enduring — and perhaps even more affecting on a second viewing. See more thiago s @Thiagostone Feb 17 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Read all reviews
Dead Poets Society

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Movie Info

Synopsis A new English teacher, John Keating (Robin Williams), is introduced to an all-boys preparatory school that is known for its ancient traditions and high standards. He uses unorthodox methods to reach out to his students, who face enormous pressures from their parents and the school. With Keating's help, students Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke) and others learn to break out of their shells, pursue their dreams and seize the day.
Director
Peter Weir
Producer
Steven Haft, Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas
Screenwriter
Tom Schulman
Distributor
Touchstone Pictures, Buena Vista Pictures, Touchstone Home Video
Production Co
Touchstone Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 2, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 9, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$94.5M
Runtime
2h 8m
Sound Mix
Surround, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Dolby
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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