Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Dead Poets Society

  • 19891989
  • PGPG
  • 2h 8m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
481K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
638
69
Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society (1989)
In the mood for tears? Whether you want a happy cry from 'Rudy' or a fast cry from 'Up,' we've got the perfect list of all the movies you should watch ASAP.
Play clip1:48
What to Watch When You Need a Good Cry
8 Videos
99+ Photos
ComedyDrama
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.
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
481K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
638
69
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Peter Weir
    • Writer
      • Tom Schulman
    • Stars
      • Robin Williams
      • Robert Sean Leonard
      • Ethan Hawke
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Peter Weir
    • Writer
      • Tom Schulman
    • Stars
      • Robin Williams
      • Robert Sean Leonard
      • Ethan Hawke
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 751User reviews
    • 116Critic reviews
    • 79Metascore
    Top rated movie #209
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 20 wins & 19 nominations total

    Videos8

    What to Watch When You Need a Good Cry
    Clip 1:48
    What to Watch When You Need a Good Cry
    What to Watch When You Need a Good Cry
    Clip 2:25
    What to Watch When You Need a Good Cry
    'Dead Poets Society' | Anniversary Mashup
    Clip 1:36
    'Dead Poets Society' | Anniversary Mashup
    Dead Poets Society: Blu-Ray
    Clip 1:17
    Dead Poets Society: Blu-Ray
    Dead Poets Society: Blu-Ray
    Clip 1:26
    Dead Poets Society: Blu-Ray
    Dead Poets Society: Blu-Ray
    Clip 1:48
    Dead Poets Society: Blu-Ray
    Head Back to School With These Classic Movies and TV Shows
    Interview 3:06
    Head Back to School With These Classic Movies and TV Shows
    When You Need a Good Cry
    Video 1:51
    When You Need a Good Cry

    Photos228

    Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society (1989)
    Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society (1989)
    Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard, Josh Charles, Gale Hansen, Dylan Kussman, Allelon Ruggiero, and James Waterston in Dead Poets Society (1989)
    Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Josh Charles, Allelon Ruggiero, and James Waterston in Dead Poets Society (1989)
    Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society (1989)
    Robin Williams and Dylan Kussman in Dead Poets Society (1989)
    Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society (1989)
    Robin Williams and Allelon Ruggiero in Dead Poets Society (1989)
    Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society (1989)
    Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Josh Charles, and Gale Hansen in Dead Poets Society (1989)
    Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society (1989)
    Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robin Williams
    Robin Williams
    • John Keating
    Robert Sean Leonard
    Robert Sean Leonard
    • Neil Perry
    Ethan Hawke
    Ethan Hawke
    • Todd Anderson
    Josh Charles
    Josh Charles
    • Knox Overstreet
    Gale Hansen
    Gale Hansen
    • Charlie Dalton
    Dylan Kussman
    Dylan Kussman
    • Richard Cameron
    Allelon Ruggiero
    Allelon Ruggiero
    • Steven Meeks
    James Waterston
    James Waterston
    • Gerard Pitts
    Norman Lloyd
    Norman Lloyd
    • Mr. Nolan
    Kurtwood Smith
    Kurtwood Smith
    • Mr. Perry
    Carla Belver
    • Mrs. Perry
    Leon Pownall
    Leon Pownall
    • McAllister
    George Martin
    George Martin
    • Dr. Hager
    Joe Aufiery
    • Chemistry Teacher
    Matt Carey
    • Hopkins
    Kevin Cooney
    Kevin Cooney
    • Joe Danburry
    Jane Moore
    • Mrs. Danburry
    Lara Flynn Boyle
    Lara Flynn Boyle
    • Ginny Danburry
    • (scenes deleted)
    • Director
      • Peter Weir
    • Writer
      • Tom Schulman
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Good Will Hunting
    8.3
    Good Will Hunting
    The Truman Show
    8.2
    The Truman Show
    A Beautiful Mind
    8.2
    A Beautiful Mind
    Into the Wild
    8.1
    Into the Wild
    Stand by Me
    8.1
    Stand by Me
    Groundhog Day
    8.1
    Groundhog Day
    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
    8.3
    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
    The Sixth Sense
    8.2
    The Sixth Sense
    Catch Me If You Can
    8.1
    Catch Me If You Can
    8.6
    Dead Poets Society
    Rocky
    8.1
    Rocky
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
    8.1
    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      What attracted Robin Williams to the role of John Keating more than anything else was that he was the type of teacher he, in his school days, always wished he had.
    • Goofs
      The desk set given to Todd is packaged in shrink-wrap, invented in the 1970s.
    • 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 versions
      TV version shown on USA Network (and released on laserdisc) includes 14 minutes of extra footage not included in the original theatrical release.
    • Connections
      Edited into Everything Wrong with...: Everything Wrong with Battle Los Angeles in 18 Minutes or Less (2017)
    • 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

    User reviews751

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    Anti-conformity at its most inspiring.
    Do not go where society tells you to. Find the things you love and pursue them with every fibre of your being until the day you die. That's the message I took from Dead Poets Society. Weird, inspiring and heartbreaking, DPS is a one of a kind film and one of the reasons Robin Williams is so renowned worldwide as not just a comedian, but a remarkable actor as well. After watching this movie you'll want to change the world. Amazing!
    helpful•23
    0
    • liamkellybusiness
    • Jun 17, 2020

    FAQ1

    • when does this story take place?Fall and Winter of the 1959-1960 The Dead Poets Meet in a Cave, Where John Keating and The Original Dead Poets Met. They spend Time taking Turns Quoting Poetry. After Neil Perry Commits Suicide, It's Snowing So Winter and The Film Opens on a New School Term So Fall, and Miss October 1959 is in a Playboy Magazine in one of the cave Scenes.

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 9, 1989 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Latin
    • Also known as
      • Der Club der toten Dichter
    • Filming locations
      • St. Andrew's School - 350 Noxontown Road, Middletown, Delaware, USA
    • Production companies
      • Touchstone Pictures
      • Silver Screen Partners IV
      • A Steven Haft Production
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • 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
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 8 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society (1989)
    Top Gap
    What is the streaming release date of Dead Poets Society (1989) in Canada?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in August
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    These Stars Are on the Rise
    See the gallery

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Back to top
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.