Dead Poets Society

Movie Details:

Cast & Characters:

• Robin Williams as John Keating
• Robert Sean Leonard as Neil Perry
• Ethan Hawke as Todd Anderson
• Josh Charles as Knox Overstreet
• Gale Hansen as Charlie Dalton
• Dylan Kussman as Richard Cameron
• Allelon Ruggiero as Steven Meeks
• James Waterston as Gerard Pitts
• Norman Lloyd as Dr. Gale Nolan
• Kurtwood Smith as Thomas Perry
• Alexandra Powers as Chris Noel
• Melora Walters as Gloria
• Welker White as Tina
• Leon Pownall as George McAllister
• George Martin as Dr. Hager
• Carla Belver as Mrs. Perry
• Jane Moore as Mrs. Danburry
• Kevin Cooney as Joe Danburry
• Colin Irving as Chet Danburry
• Matt Carey as Kurt Hopkins
• John Cunningham as Mr. Anderson
• Lara Flynn Boyle as Ginny Danburry

Storyline:

Painfully shy Todd Anderson has been sent to the school where his popular older brother was valedictorian. His roommate, Neil Perry, 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 does so in his own way, and is changed for life.

About Movie:

Dead Poets Society is an American coming-of-age drama directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman, starring Robin Williams. The film centers around an unconventional English teacher, John Keating, who inspires his students at an elite all-boys preparatory school through poetry and free thinking.

Filming took place between November 1988 and January 1989 at St. Andrew’s School, the Everett Theatre, and other locations in Delaware. Classroom scenes were shot on a soundstage in Wilmington.

Director Peter Weir instructed the cast to avoid using modern slang, even off-camera, to maintain the period’s authenticity. Weir also allowed Williams creative freedom by filming an extra half-day without Disney executives’ knowledge, enabling him to improvise comedic moments.

Initially, Schulman’s script included a subplot in which Keating was dying of Hodgkin lymphoma, but Weir removed it to focus on Keating’s ideals rather than his illness. Disney had also proposed changes, such as making the boys’ passion dancing instead of poetry and renaming the film Sultans of Swing, but these suggestions were ultimately dismissed.

Released on June 2, 1989, Dead Poets Society was both a critical and commercial hit, grossing $235 million worldwide and becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of the year.

It earned multiple accolades, including Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (Williams), and won the BAFTA Award for Best Film, the César Award, and the David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Film. Schulman received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Budget & Box Office Collection: