Maverick teacher John Keating uses poetry to embolden his boarding school students to new heights of self-expression.Maverick teacher John Keating uses poetry to embolden his boarding school students to new heights of self-expression.Maverick teacher John Keating uses poetry to embolden his boarding school students to new heights of self-expression.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 20 wins & 19 nominations total
Lara Flynn Boyle
- Ginny Danburry
- (scenes deleted)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaRobin Williams considered this movie one of his favorite films he did, and Peter Weir the best director he had ever worked with.
- GoofsKeating's impression of Marlon Brando is not an anachronistic reference to The Godfather (1972) but to his role as Mark Antony in Julius Caesar (1953).
- Quotes
McAllister: "Show me the heart unfettered by foolish dreams and I'll show you a happy man."
John Keating: "But only in their dreams can men be truly free. 'Twas always thus, and always thus will be."
McAllister: Tennyson?
John Keating: No, Keating.
- Alternate versionsTV version shown on USA Network (and released on laserdisc) includes 14 minutes of extra footage not included in the original theatrical release.
- Soundtracks'Water Music': Suite III in D 'Allegro'
Music by George Frideric Handel
Performed by Stuttgarter Kammerorchester (as The Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra)
Conducted by Karl Münchinger
Courtesy of London Records
A Division of PolyGram Classics
Featured review
Make Your Lives Extraordinary
So today is August 12th and news has broken of Robin Williams' untimely death. I just felt compelled to review my favourite movie of his. On a rainy day back in 1980- something, my mother sat my brother, sister and me down and put on the movie, Dead Poets Society. Little did I know what a profound impact that movie, and its characters would have on me. The film is bursting with quotable material, and my siblings and I quote it to this day: O Captain My Captain, Carpe Diem, Seize the Day, and of course, Make Your Lives Extraordinary. It's not until we grow older that we can look back on a teacher like John Keating and see what he really meant to us, the chances he made us take, the way he made us feel alive. I look back now on Robin Williams' performance and see one of the most flawless performances of all time. When you watch the movie, it's hard to think of hammy, manic Robin Williams giving such a nuanced and subtle performance. It's almost as though Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting is who John Keating became. And funny how his most subtle performances may be the ones he's most remembered for. When I heard the news of Robin's death, I was taken back to this film and really felt how integral this movie actually was to my childhood. I think it was the first time my 10 year old self was truly "moved" in the way that adults can be moved by art. All I can say is watch this movie. You won't be sorry.
helpful•546
- connie-baldini-427-561037
- Aug 12, 2014
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Der Club der toten Dichter
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $16,400,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $95,860,116
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $340,456
- Jun 4, 1989
- Gross worldwide
- $235,860,116
- Runtime2 hours 8 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
