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Dead Poets Society (1989)

PG  128 min  -  Drama   -  9 June 1989 (USA)
7.8
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Ratings: 7.8/10 from 117,519 users   Metascore: 79/100 
Reviews: 396 user | 73 critic | 14 from Metacritic.com

English professor John Keating inspires his students to a love of poetry and to seize the day.

Director:

Peter Weir

Writer:

Tom Schulman
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Dead Poets Society -- Clip: O Captain Dead Poets Society -- Clip: What's the Dead Poets Society Dead Poets Society -- Clip: Rip It Out
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robin Williams ...
Robert Sean Leonard ...
Ethan Hawke ...
Josh Charles ...
Gale Hansen Gale Hansen ...
Dylan Kussman ...
Allelon Ruggiero ...
James Waterston ...
Norman Lloyd ...
Kurtwood Smith ...
Carla Belver Carla Belver ...
Leon Pownall Leon Pownall ...
George Martin George Martin ...
Joe Aufiery Joe Aufiery ...
Matt Carey Matt Carey ...
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Storyline

Painfully shy Todd Anderson has been sent to the school where his popular older brother was valedictorian. His room-mate, Neil, although exceedingly bright and popular, is very much under the thumb of his overbearing father. The two, along with their other friends, meet Professor Keating, their new English teacher, who tells them of the Dead Poets Society, and encourages them to go against the status quo. Each, in their own way, does this, and are changed for life. Written by Liz Jordan <c9310494@alinga.newcastle.edu.au>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Professor | Poet | Poetry | Student | English Teacher  | See more »

Taglines:

He was their inspiration. He made their lives extraordinary.

Genres:

Drama

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

La sociedad de los poetas muertos See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$16,400,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$340,456 (USA) (4 June 1989) (8 Screens)

Gross:

$235,900,000 (Worldwide)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The poem by Henry David Thoreau that is featured on the front page of the poetry book Neil receives is not an original poem by Thoreau. Rather, it is a rearrangement of sentences from his work "Where I Lived", Chapter 2. The passage containing the quotes seen in the movie actually reads "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, ..." See more »

Goofs

Audio/visual unsynchronized: After Keating instructs the boys to rip out the introduction to their poetry textbook, his lip movements do not match the speech. See more »

Quotes

[last lines]
John Keating: Thank you, boys. Thank you.
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Connections

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Dead Putting Society (#2.6)" (1990) See more »

Soundtracks

"Let's Have a Party"
Written by Jessie Mae Robinson
Performed by Wanda Jackson
Courtesy of CEMA Special Markets (Capitol Records, Inc.) See more »