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Dead Poets Society

Play trailer 2:35 Poster for Dead Poets Society PG 1989 2h 8m Drama Comedy 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

What to Know

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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Evelyn S @evelyn09 2d oh captain my captain See more Jasmine W @jasniquejewels 3d "O Captain!, My Captain!" forever a favorite I sobbed so good. See more Jack F @MovieFan111 4d I thought the whole thing was cheesy and stupid. I don't get why people cite this as their favorite movie. So many loose ends that weren't tied up made it unsatisfying. See more Antoni W @Antonir 4d While Dead Poets Society touches on too many separate subjects to truly excel at any, the message of loyalty(and anti-snitching) succesfully makes for a nice watch given the undoubtedly praiseworthy acting of Robin WIlliams and his class. Next movie though, I want a little more originality. See more Karen H @RT85294852 Aug 21 I really enjoyed watching this film again. The location is absolutely beautiful and the music score is very good. Though it has a lot of holes in it for being truly believable as is, the meanings of the film are timeless. Robin Williams gives a warm, genuine performance just like he did in Good Will Hunting. Robin Williams at his very best! See more Smaranda B @Smara_daisy Aug 12 One of my favourites See more Read all reviews
Dead Poets Society

My Rating

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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, Comedy
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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