Maverick teacher John Keating returns in 1959 to the prestigious New England boys' boarding school where he was once a star student, using poetry to embolden his pupils to new heights of sel... Read allMaverick teacher John Keating returns in 1959 to the prestigious New England boys' boarding school where he was once a star student, using poetry to embolden his pupils to new heights of self-expression.Maverick teacher John Keating returns in 1959 to the prestigious New England boys' boarding school where he was once a star student, using poetry to embolden his pupils to new heights of self-expression.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 20 wins & 19 nominations total
- Ginny Danburry
- (scenes deleted)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhat 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.
- 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
This movie shattered me. There's the expression that something "tugs at your heartstrings," well this movie ripped mine out.
I'll be honest, I could find things to critique about this film, the instance of a scene that was used twice and felt sloppy perhaps; but this movie never claimed to be perfect, just to be emotionally moving, and that it certainly is. This review is written by a boy who also finds himself on the edge of adolescence and adulthood, does that mean I'm biased, absolutely, but everyone who watches this film is, everyone can relate. Your feelings I can assure you will be the same as mine when the credits start rolling, rolling like the tears down your cheeks.
This movie makes you think. Conformity is easy, conformity is comfortable, conformity gets you good grades, trust me you're listening right now to a past perfect GPA teacher's pet. The thing conformity doesn't give you though, is a life, one worth living. For something to be beautiful it must also have a side of danger, and that's what freedom of thought is, as is mentioned in the movie "we must constantly look at things in a different way," and that's beautiful! Yes, it means at times we don't agree, yes it means you might give this movie a 4/10 but I'll be damned if that changes my opinion of it.
The themes this movie explores such as, never letting a moment slip by where you don't think for yourself, where you don't seize an opportunity, it does so beautifully. Robin Williams was not acting he was believing, everything in this movie comes across as genuine, a slice of reality, a harsh but beautiful one at that.
Will I watch this movie again, I don't think so. But please, please watch it just once, you won't ever regret it.
Carpe Diem.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- La sociedad de los poetas muertos
- 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