The part where Keating has Todd ad-lib a poem about Whitman makes me tear-up every time. This film has stuck with me since I saw it as a kid, and I have only to see certain clips, and my eyes get watery.
I was a senior in high school when this came out and I was one of those kids that always had my nose in a book. Was always a teacher's pet of the English teachers I had. So I really connected with a lot of the characters in this. Everyone knows the "Oh captain, my captain" scene from this film (30+ years later) but when I saw it in theatre I had no idea what was about to happen. That was probably the closest I ever came to crying in public....
I have many favorite parts, but they all deal with Robin Williams quietly' compassionate performance and he motivates and articulates righteous creativity particularly when Todd comes to class without a poem and Keating seizes the moment to motivate expression. Now having said that i really want to recommend a book by Christian psychologist M. Scott Peck called PEOPLE OF THE LIE, an examination of human evil because Neil's father is an exemplar of that kind of evil. He's malignantly narcissistic and only sees Neil as an extension of his egoistic desire. Evil people in the real world are not sinister mustache twirlers with a sinister laugh, but people who demand that everyone and everything around only serve his needs and Dr. Peck's book explains this quality and its symptoms beautifully in his book. Just a recommendation for further insight, but keep in mind that some of the patient histories he relates are quite chilling. Great resction, Chris. 👍
While I don't agree with everyone here (specifically regarding Neil's father being categorized as evil), I will say the the standout part for me was the exact moment you mentioned Robert Sean Leonard's serious acting chops when he was confiding in Dr. Keating his feelings about talking to his father. "I'm trapped." Just typing those words with respect to that scene is causing me to well up. The pain behind Neil's eyes is so visceral to me. To have been in that similar position too many times in my life now feeling like a lifetime ago only to portrayed so honestly, right in my face is almost too much to bear. This is why Neil's fate, while jarring, was not surprising to me. The quiet desperation of someone feverishly trying to get out of a no-win situation he put himself in (for the best of reasons and intentions) was made all the more unbearable at the reality many of us feel when we are an inch short of holding onto hope for a better and more fulfilling future and no other course of action feels like it is available to us. You said it perfectly, taking a permanent course of action for temporary conditions is just about never the best course of action. Thank you so much for reviewing this movie as you do with thoughtful words and wonderful perceptions. It's one of my favorites of all time.
As someone who believes that Todd was in love with Neil, this is one of my favorite details: 26:25, when Todd runs into the snow, he finally finds his true “Barbaric Yawp”, screaming from the depths of his agony… and it’s Neil’s name. Heartbreaking.
I believe the writer of the novel the film is based on confirmed this on twitter. Neil and Todd ARE gay, it also isn't a coincidence Neil is scared to tell his dad he wants to act (a industry dominated by the queer community since it's conception).
Not to forget: Neils tender "no❤" as an answer to Todd's "I can take care of myself", the way Neil looks at Todd after doing his poem in front of the class, the moment when Knox calls Chris (Neil leans on Todd's shoulder and they change obvious looks)
Jeez not another person reading something into a movie that isn't there... No. Todd was NOT "in love" with Neil. He bonded with him. They were after all roommates. More importantly, Neil recognized in Todd the shy inarticulate timid young man _he_ used to be. Because of their friendship, and Neil's mentoring of Todd and telling him to stand up for what he believed in and not just go along to get along, Todd's whole life and point of view was opened up. Augmenting what Keating was trying to instill in all of them. Carpe diem. Seize the day. Don't let others expectations of you hold you back. Don't let fear rule your choices. And Todd learned from him and took those lessons to heart. Neil was the "big brother" Todd could look up to, esteem, and emulate. But, as we know, Neil's attempt at personal emancipation backfired. Try as he did to break away from his father's ironclad grip, it only served to tighten it further. And in desperation and hopelessness, he took his life as the only escape from that cage. So Todd's loss of Neil was more than just the loss of a brother, but a realization that even Neil couldn't escape the pressures of the family strictures he was fighting against. He screamed out his disbelief that ultimately Neil couldn't break free. But Todd was not cowed. In the end, he stood up -- figuratively and literally. For Neil, for Keating, for all the others, and for himself.
My personal connection to this move; I graduated high school in 1991 and this movie had a big influence on me and many of my classmates during our last few years of high school because we had an AP English teacher who was a lot like Mr. Keating. He always wanted us to find our voice and wanted to develop us not only as students, but as free thinking young adults. It just so happened that our senior year was also the year he was retiring. Our valedictorian also loved and respected him and she devised a tribute to him. At the end of her graduation speech she talked about Mr. Morton and how much of a great teacher he was and when she said "Oh Captain, my Captain" many of us stood up in our chairs.
My dad was the same way. The only difference was that my passion was music, but my father opposed it with every fibre of his being. Like every parent, he wanted me to pursue a ‘real’ career, one that actually made money. Of course I rebelled and pursued my rock’n’roll dreams, albeit in my spare time. He only ever saw me perform once. I never even knew he had attended. I only found out about it years later from my mom. She said his only comment was “he’s actually pretty good…” I just wish I had heard that from him. So, as you can see, this film hit pretty close to home for me. It’s probably the reason why I only ever watched it once.
My father was the same, though my passions were woodcarving, drawing and writing. Same expectation of my need to get a "real job," too. I love this film, because I identified with both Todd, as a natural introvert, afraid to speak with his own voice, and Neil, as a creative boy, pressured by his father to deny his impulse to create.
@Thread Bomb It isn't a competition of who had it worse, both are a devastating experiences. You want your parents to care what you do, but you also want them to respect who you are and what you are passionate about. Being denied either will send the message that you don't matter. In one situation it is that you don't matter in the sense your parent can't be bothered caring about what you are doing. In the other situation it is that you don't matter in the sense that what YOU want doesn't matter, and how YOU feel isn't a consideration at all. Either way you are left feeling invisible and worthless in their eyes.
My parents are Marine and Navy... and showing affection was never their thing. They so wanted me to be in football and enlist... i did baseball, track... and majored in Biochemistry... work in healthcare now. But still I never had real support from my parents.
I remember seeing this as a teen. It made a big impact. My highschool english teachers were shitty and abusive, so I decided to quit and complete my Highschool education at College. 16 years old getting Cs and Bs in highschool english- and just a month later that same 16 year old got As in advanced literature courses at the local community college. Changed my life, saved my life. We had a lot of teen suicide in my town- at my highschool especially. Too much pressure and neglect, by parents, the school system.
When I was 14 years old, my english teacher taught us the Oh Captain, My Captain poem. Searching for it, the scene from the movie appeared. Later I saw the movie and 3 years later I was a Neil but my Mr. Keating saved me. So I decided to become a teacher so I can be the Mr. Keating of others. In my time studying education I have experienced mistreatment, loss and the heartbreak of lonely children. My passion is a laughable topic in my environment, bringing disappointment for the ones who expected "greater things" for me. But it saved me and can save others. Isn't the greatest also found in the most simple, visible, daily experiences and environments? Connection, knowledge, passion, growth, giving, changing. How unmeasurable and deep it can be for a mortal like me.
I cry whenever I watch this movie, not only because of what happened to Neil but because of Robin Williams passing away. I still remember where I was when I heard Robin Williams passed away, I was in my room and I was reading a book when I heard my Mom shout, "oh my god, Robin Williams passed away." ... I looked up to Robin Williams as a father figure and I wish I could have had the chance to meet him and to thank him for inspiring me, not just with this movie but with many of his movies and for also teaching me humour. I'm Autistic and I didnt always understand humour, then when I was about 8 or 9 I watched Disney's Aladdin for the first time. I remember first seeing the genie and I noticed that I was laughing and from the genie I learned humour. As I grew up I kept imitating Robin Williams from every movie I saw him in. After he passed away I stopped imitating him and I never have imitated him since then.
This film breaks me to this day. It left an indelible mark on my soul. I decorated my graduation cap with quotes from this movie imposed over a typewriter. "Carpe Diem" and "What will your verse be?" People loved it. Especially because I was going on to college to study English Literature. Now I work in an independent bookstore. Although I didn't earn my degree, I left school because of family illness, and became a caregiver, I still followed my passion and my dream came true. Next step: own my own bookstore.
@@CasualNerdReactions Another film that runs along similar lines is "White Squall." If you can find it, there's a great Canadian film called "Brotherhood" that you might also enjoy.
@oliverbrownlow5615 Kurtwood has been in a ton of films. Some good, some not so great. A lot of Sci-fi. When he was cast on That 70's Show, I immediately got a creep factor due to his back catalog of rolls. Excellent actor.
There's so many amazing Robin William movies but this is one of my all-time favorite. It makes me cry everytime I watch it. The lines in this movie are absolutely incredible!❤
The fact that anyone could come away from this movie on the school's/dad's side is completely unfathomable to me. It's such an amazing movie about the importance of accepting people for who they are and not blindly sticking to 'traditions' just for the sake of doing so.
This is one of those rare movies that changed my life. I watched it with a few good friends sometime in the 90s. We were so inspired by it that we ended up having our own Dead Poets Society for a few months. I lived in apartment with a ladder climbing up to a little skylighted loft that used to be an attic. The group of us would climb up and sit on the carpeted floor, reading or singing our own work or reading passages of books or poems. It was such a joy and still is a joy to remember we had that time. It was beyond inspiring in my own art and Carpe Diem became my motto for life. It still is. I'm glad to see it affected you so deeply, and yes you are a force for good in this world, Chris -- and you do make it a better place.
My parents are military, and i had a very "structured" upbringing... expected to play football and enlist someday. I didnt do any of those things... i have a career in healthcare.
"Never violent" can mean not physically. But as you categorize him as "overbearing," I wonder if there wasn't verbal/emotional abuse happening. That is quite violent on the inside. Leaves wounds no one can see, but the harm is real, and lasting. 😢 I hope your experience was not as devastating as mine or some others.
ps: YOUR thoughts and remarks at the end of the video are inspiring and encouraging and profound unto themselves. Things are getting better and we can either be a part of it, or we can keep things crappy. I get it! Thanks, Chris!!!!
The ending scene is one of the most iconic of any movie with the bagpipes playing as the boys choose to show their support for Mr. Keating knowing it could get them expelled.
My father wanted me to be a Marine and when i decided not to and went to college for business major instead, he was furious and told me i was going end up being a secretary sitting on my bosses lap. To appease him i told him i was just doing it to get some credits that were required for being a marine pilot. At college i met like 3 proffesors that where like the one at this movie that helped me a lot to be more open to my dad and truthful to myself as well, helping him see my point and accepting it.
I find it very unlikely that ANY of those boys who stood up on those desks were expelled. That headmaster may have been a tight ass, but he couldn't have been stupid. Those boys' minds had been freed. He would know that the first thing they would do if ANY of them were expelled would have been to go to the nearest newspaper with the real story and take that school and Neal's father down. Don't forget, Neal's father killed him. He didn't pull the trigger, but he killed him. This movie is the perfect example of why you should never try to live your child's life for them.
I'm not so sure they would have been expelled, because it would have been easy for the administration to blame their outburst on the departing Keating's presence, and sweep it under the table, perhaps giving the boys some lesser punishment and/or a warning that any further disorderly conduct would be dealt with harshly. The simple fact is that a school doesn't make money by expelling students.
Chris, what a fabulous reaction to this movie! I wa born in 1942, and spent most of my life following society's demands, so this movie made me cry, and I cheered inside for those boys. You do bring sunshine - you're my favorite reactor.
I was firmly rooted in my 40s when I first saw this film, but it skillfully took me back to an earlier period of my life. The message is timeless for young and old alike. Thanks, Chris, for doing a big service for the people, who watch your channel, by reacting to it.
Not everyone stands up for the table in the end. It depends on the personal decision to stand up for yourself or to submit. Those who end up defying the headmaster's order do so knowing they will pay, but they do it anyway, showing that they are no longer children but serious adults who are ready to deal with the consequences to live for their self-determined actions, while the others accept to continue to let others make decisions for and about them (until they perhaps break out of this role). What wonderful symbolism.
I also recommend School Ties. Brendan Fraser is a Jewish man hiding in a WASP boarding school after he gets in for football. Has Affleck and Damon. The tagline was "Just because you're accepted doesn't mean you belong." I was a scholarship kid in private schools and it hit.
Goose Bump Alert: Notice how it shows Neil in the shot at 4:14 on the line "...stop breathing, turn cold and die." I've seen this film numerous times and just now caught that. So subtle. The director of this film, Peter Weir, was always one of my favorites. He's a master painter except he uses film instead of paint.
I feel like Neil had the air of desperation in his scenes, specifically how his voice would squeak during certain line deliveries. Made it feel very authentic. He said, "I don't give a damn about any of it." Neil and Charlie (aka Nuwanda are my faves). Also, Nuwanda is my bowling name whenever I'm playing. I feel like his character embodied the spirit of carpe diem and the lessons of Mr. Keating the most.
Mr. Keating told them that poetry, beauty, romance, and love is what they live for. Neil thought that all of those things got taken away from him when his dad made the decision to take away the things he loved.
Awwww what a nice surprise!! The Dead Poets is a classic in my opinion, great story, great casting and Robin Williams is superb in this!! Great reaction and all I can say is: CARPE DIEEEEMM!!!
"O Captain My Captain" was Walt Whitman's honorific for Abraham Lincoln, who freed the slaves; Mr Keating had hopes to free these boys' minds, and at the end they acknowledged that Keating was their Lincoln. I have to wonder if the 'slave name' borne by Neo in the Matrix franchise was a nod to this character: 'Mr Anderson'. A character who seemed so meek and unsure of himself, but who became the moral center and irresistible leader of this little group, who in the end stood to be counted and thought for himself. I can't hear the boy being warned by the head of the school, his name "Mr ANDERSON!" voiced almost as a threat, and not hear Agent Smith attempting to negate Neo's individuality. Also: I have a reply below to BigGator5 that addresses the culture of this film, something a lot of people seem to miss. This film is set in 1959; that impacts the events in this film TREMENDOUSLY and puts a lot into perspective. Please read that comment below.
1:19 Also, notice how tradition was the first flag displayed by the boarding school and excellence (being the "best you" you could be) was dead last. Great symbolism, subtext, direction and script!
I absolutely love this movie. The lesson of thinking for yourself, and being your own unique person had a big impact on me growing up. I was seven when this first came out, and took that lesson to heart. I'm so glad I did.
The Roman poet Horace used the phrase carpe diem to express the idea that one should enjoy life while one can. It is part of Horace's injunction “carpe diem quam minimum credula postero” (translation: "pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the next one”), which appears in his Odes (23 BCE). Scale back your long hopes to a short period. While we speak, time is envious and is running away from us. Seize the day, trusting little in the future. -Horace
Yes! I rewatched that film recently. I remember people being unkind about Keanu's performance, but I think he is decent. The real burr under the saddle is Michael Keaton's grotesque and unfunny performance in the chief "clown" role. The pity of it is that Ben Elton is relegated to playing his almost silent sidekick -- Elton is a serious Shakespearian, as shown by his writing of Upstart Crow.
Once one of my mother's students and his mother were watching this movie. Afterwards the mother said "Wouldn't it be something to have a teacher like that?" And the son replied that he DID have a teacher like that, and it was my mother. You don't get a better compliment than that as a teacher. We had her funeral yesterday and I shared that story.
Little Trivia - the actor who portrays Gerard Pitts (James Waterston) is the the son of the actor Sam Waterston (Capricorn One, The Killing Fields, Law and Order, Newsroom and so on)
This movie is kinda like a hidden gem 💎. When you see it for the 1st time, you wonder how you never new about it before. What a classic! Keep smiling 🤘 🙂
This came out between my junior and senior years of high school, and I was doing a lot of reading for my AP English class in my senior year. I was a drama kid already and one of my idols was Robin Williams. Hands down, this is my favorite Robin Williams film. The funny thing is my entire AP class decided to call ourselves the Dead Poets Society...we even listed it in our activities in the yearbook (Dead Poets Society 4 is how we listed it). I identified with most of the boys...Neal and acting, Todd an his shyness and creativity, Meeks and Pitts and their love of music, Knox and his romantic streak, and Charlie Nuwanda Dalton's rebellious spirit...even Cameron's studiousness. This is in my top 10 all time favorite films. I never attended college...but for the first 2 or 3 years after high school, I studied literature all alone....reading classics, Shakespeare, and lots and lots of poetry.Thanks for doing this gem. Robin should have won the Oscar...but it still won Best Screenplay...well deserved, too!
This film brings me so many different thoughts and emotions. I felt for Neil and respected Todd for standing up at the end, and becoming a leader for probably the 1st time in his life (but likely not the last time). The class having to regress to that terrible way to "grade" poetry, is very sad. Thank you for bringing this movie back into our experiences.
The thing about this movie that is so strong is that you can actually see inside the minds of all the characters. Neil's father was wrong, yes. But he came from a very different starting place: he'd clawed his way from (I assume) working class to financial success without any advantages, and wanted to give those advantages to his son. But because of that life and background, he had a very particular vision of what "success" would mean for Neil, and the notion that he might want to become some kind of an artist instead of a doctor (a sturdy profession, highly respected and highly lucrative) must have seemed like an impossible threat. Neil, realistically, might have imagined a future in which he would be free of his father and able to do what he wanted, but that was at least five years in his future (nine, if he went to medical school), and to a 17-year-old, that must have seemed impossible. (And indeed, how warped by experience will you become in five years? Will you still even want the same things, or will they have been beaten out of you?) Neil's father will imagine that Keating corrupted his son and made this happen, which is more tolerable than understanding what he himself did.
The date is important. This is set in 1959, and Neil is the tail end of the Silent Generation -- that group who were born during the Depression or the War, who grew up learning that things were tough all over and that you didn't get what you wanted. They put their dreams on hold and became good corporate citizens, leading those lives of "quiet desperation" until it became too much for them and they had their mid-life crises in the 1970s -- or alcoholism, or extra-marital affairs, or early heart attacks. Neil's suicide is the cry of that generation.
Oh, this one is special. I saw this when I was in high school and suffering from extreme depression. It still makes me cry every time I watch it. Ethan Hawk is particularly great and I think it was only his first or second film, Explorers being the other film he did really early on that I also completely love.
well, you brought... joy into my evening tonight? *grabs more tissues* knew watching this would make me cry, but it's great to see that a movie some impactful to me impacted others. I've enjoyed your reaction videos and hope you have a lovely week :)
One, thank you for this! You're the second channel to upload a reaction to this classic in the past 2 days. I hope this gets the ball rolling on this film. Far too few have tackled this one. 18:06 Perhaps, the film is a little too subtle about its setting. The film was made in the late 1980s but it's set in the 1950s. Note the cars in the parking lot (@ 22:12, 21:52, 21:58), and also why Mr. Keating does impressions of '50s movie stars like Marlon Brando and John Wayne at 8:50 and not impressions of '80s stars like Schwarzenegger or Tom Cruise. That would explain the headmaster's use of corporal punishment on Nuwanda and why Neil's mother can't speak up to her husband because women in the '50s had no say... in basically anything. And Todd's development really is the central arc/heartbeat of the film. As he says @11:00 ("You say things and people listen and... I'm not like that."), to which Neil replied "Don't you think you could be?". And we see that Keating's influence did indeed make the most impact in Todd's character as he ends up leading the cause at the end of the film in which most everyone else soon follows: If you rewatch the ending, you'll notice that the first few students are looking directly at Todd for inspiration RIGHT BEFORE they make the decision in their head to stand on their desks (specifically Knox Overstreet [@3:03], Pitts [@2:57] and Meeks [@3:23]): th-cam.com/video/u_N6ezGK8XE/w-d-xo.html
Great Reaction! The "lessons" and " messages of this movie are timeless and transcend all generations. However, I think it is very important to understand the time period in which the movie is set, which I believe is the 1950's. If there was EVER a time when conformity was important, it was the then. Fathers have always had the tendency to believe they know what is best for their children in general, and their sons in particular. But when you add to that, the fathers of the 1950's had experienced the Great Depression and THEN World War II, there was an even stronger desire to make sure that their sons had better opportunities for success than they themselves had experienced. Also, during that time period relatively few women worked outside the home and were expected to keep the house in good order and leave the important decisions to the husband. It was a different time, and it's good that a lot of those societal norms have evolved and changed over the past 70 years. I really enjoyed watching your reaction video and appreciated your thoughts and insights. I look forward to seeing more of your reactions.
Thank you for a great and heart-felt reaction. I grew up in a town where the local university was the #1 suicide leader in the entire U.S. (including a childhood friend of my sister). I loved this film and haven't seen it for years and years. You didn't "ramble on". You shared your insights and emotions and it was a gift.
Reminds me of the school I went to as a kid. Everything went by the book: no talking or running along the corridors and stairs, skirt should be one inch below the knees, white socks two inches above the ankles, hair ribbons should only be black or white. No fancy notebook covers, bags should contain only certain things. My 6th grade language teacher showed us this movie. I bet that's not what's written on her lesson plan that day.
Does anyone remember lots of people posting videos standing on their desks after Williams' death? It was such a beautiful tribute and positive way to express their grief.
Paddling. It's still common practice in some US schools. When I enrolled my kids in a certain district I was given corporal punishment permission forms. One was a kindergartener, the other was in middle school. It applies for high school students as well. I denied permission, as did my dad when I was enrolled there, but other kids were paddled as punishment and it went as shown in the movie.
Peter Weir is such a great filmmaker, someone who specializes in mood and atmosphere. His early work is fascinating, as well. Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave are strongly recommended.
One thing to remember when watching this movie. The relationship between Neil and his father is very challenging. The time of the movie was a transitional time. In the past fathers would pave the way for their sons. Dad was a butcher because his father was a butch his son would be a butch too. Neil's father was at the end of a changing time that almost completely has become non-existent. More than likely Neil's father did exactly as his father had directed without question, it just didn't make sense that his son wouldn't be and do as he directed. He couldn't/wouldn't see the changing times.
John Keating : "But only in their dreams can men be truly free. 'Twas always thus, and always thus will be." This movie is filled with great lines, this is one of them that I've always enjoyed. Neils story is a sad one, and yes comes out of left field. What you have to remember is he has dealt with that his whole life. I'm also guessing the father treats his wife the same way, and people like that don't allow anyone to do their own thing. As long as they can keep you under their thumb they will.
29:59 I mean I do think the film leans heavily towards the side of bucking tradition, thinking differently, etc. But I can see what you're saying here. When this came out and all the times I watched this as a youth and younger adult, I was always 100% on board with the anti-tradition narrative. But as I've gotten older and have also found value in tradition and practicality as well, I do find myself keeping a foot held back towards the point of view of Neil's father and the school more than I used to. That's not to say I think Neil's father was right to be so hard and controlling of him. Or that the school's complete lack of flexibility in how a teacher approaches their class was correct either. And I certainly don't think pinning Neil's death on Keating was appropriate or logical at all. But as someone that used to be 100% on the side of bucking tradition and societal norms, and bounced around between various career paths for way longer than I should have in my youth, I can definitely also appreciate the notion of maintaining some value in the older traditions as well. I think various things in our culture, including movies like this, make it real easy for young people to think that society needs to be completely torn down and all tradition needs to be abandoned in the name of progress and individuality. And I think it maybe goes a bit too far on that pendulum swing sometimes and could use some level of respect for the older values. Challenge them when necessary, for sure. But I don't think its good to completely devalue them either. I think they probably became tradition for some good reasons too that often get overlooked or carelessly dismissed because its so easy and intoxicating to jump on that rebellious post-modern type of mentality these days. But anyways, I'll cut it here before this delves too far into the politcal territory lol.
I remember watching this on TV pay per view when i was in elementary school. Our uncle pirated cable TV for us and this movie was so instrumental to me... and I had my daughter watch it when I had a rare opportunity to send her to private school. School can be so formal and "solid", but you still have to feel free
Love your content. Neal’s fate is even more painful when you remember Robin took his own life. I miss him dearly. For anyone else reading this who is contemplating suicide, please know you are not alone, you are loved deeply, and the world is better with you in it. ❤️
I have a difficult time watching this film since Robin Williams chose to end his life. It’s especially difficult as someone approaching middle age and grew up with him long before Aladdin made him a superstar children’s entertainer. He could have knocked on any door in America and found at least one person who’d have told him how much he was loved and how much he meant to all of us. I guess you just never know the struggles happening behind someone’s smiling eyes. I guarantee that if his funeral had been public there would have been literally millions of Gen X and Millennials who were brought up on Robin standing up as he was laid to rest and shouting “Oh Captain! My Captain!”
No! After Robin Williams suicide, there was an autopsy. They discovered he had Lewy Body disease, a brain disease that is very hard to diagnose. It causes dementia, loss of smell, depression, hallucinations, cognitive problems, sleep disorders, severe anxiety. Robin Williams was experiencing a lot of these symptoms. Everyone thought he killed himself because he was depressed or because he thought he had Parkinson’s. It was this disease that twisted his brain. At that point he wasn’t even himself. I wouldn’t even consider that a normal suicide.
Robin Williams had developed an illness that would have taken him out of acting, both in serious drama and in comedic roles. He was already suffering symptoms that obstructed his use of voice and body. Robin took the same route that the character of Neil Perry took; both were facing being shut out of the work that they loved so much and drew life and purpose from. Both chose death rather than life without what they viewed as necessary to their being. Sometimes art imitates life all too closely.
@@chris...9497 This but also he was having a lot of paranoia and losing his mind quite literally. I think people judge him far too harshly for ending his life. There is also no way for us to really know how difficult his life was at the end.
1:10 Opening credits bagpipes -- You cringing like crazy. 29:47 Closing credits bagpipes -- Boy, those bagpipes REALLY hit differently, don't they? Amazing how with just a little context, one instrument can evoke two completely opposite emotional reactions.
SUCH a great film. Williams drew from his own private school experiences. On a lighter note- Robin gives it a nod in Mrs Doubtfire in the restaurant scene w his ‘Carpe dentim’ 😝 Oh, how the world does miss you, Mr Williams. Nice reaction! Thank You! Stay safe & love much💖
I don't think it's about finding your purpose, there's lots of people who find purpose and are still miserable. It's about finding your passion and making that your purpose.
My high school had a club called Living Poets Society, where we gathered together to write poetry. Sometimes we would send people’s work (if they wanted) to the literary magazine on campus.
😊 the talk you had with yourself that morning. I’m going to start giving myself that advice - that I don’t want the day ahead to be affected by the crappy mood I’m in now. Hopefully it will have some effect on it.
Robin Williams is a delight here. Can't believe he was the only Oscar nod among the actors (plus, he was nominated as the Lead Actor, which seems like it should have gone to Robert Sean Leonard). He did at least as well here as in Good Will Hunting, where he did win. Didn't win for The Fisher King or Awakenings, either. Really underrated as a dramatic actor, he is, Robin Williams. (Plugging The Fisher King once more, just for good measure.) I loved all the techniques for seeing things in new ways. I had an art class, pencil drawing, where we did much the same thing, learning to see what's really there, not what we think we're supposed to see. Really a fundamental exercise in getting over yourself. I don't want to talk about the suicide scene much -- been there. Spot on performances. Absolutely, crushingly, real. The hysterical, "He's okay! He's okay! He's okay!" wrenches at me, as I've heard it before. Trauma sucks.
Loved this reaction. Haven't seen this movie since the 80s, I never click on reactions for it, almost didn't for this one either, so happy I did! I got chills watching Robin Williams, takes on such a poignant meaning now. I think I took this movie for granted, thanks to your patron who had you do this one, and shine a light back on it, at least for me! Small thing, though: this movie doesn't take place in the late 80s! They weren't paddling people in prep schools in the late 80s! This takes place in the 1950s! Maybe I misunderstood you? / 16:50 I don't think I've ever seen you cringe so much as this kid tries to kiss the girl. :D Thanks, Chris!
I definitely missed the fact it was in the 50s or simply forgot. I definitely cringed there, but I think I cringed more (maybe cringe is the wrong word) during the upcoming the talented mr Ripley.
@@CasualNerdReactions That's a good one! Yes!!! Looking forward to that! Love Philip Seymour Hoffman in that. Everyone is great in that movie! Dang, really looking forward to that one!
The death of Robin Williams changes the meaning of this movie drastically from the time it was released, its such a perfect movie in lieu of his death.
Your response inspired me. You didn't ramble on too long! If anything I could have listened to more insights from you. It's been a long time since I last watched this even though it's a film I really love, but I used to think Neil's suicide was too abrupt. Your thoughts really helped me put in context, and there's a lot to this film that leaves it to us, the audience, to draw our own conclusions. And it's great to have this shared experience of understanding together.
Thanks so much! I did shorten my end thoughts a bit, but I’m glad you enjoyed them. The film does a great job of allowing the audience to form its own conclusions and I’m so glad seeing as it was such a strong part of the films lesson.
Suicide can seem abrupt to outsiders, but my understanding that people who commit suicide have been thinking of it as a possible option for some time, so it's not abrupt to them, even if they didn't give an obvious outward sign.
The practice of paddling, or the strap, was rare by the time I was starting elementary school in the late 70's. I believe this movie is set in the 50's when it was more accepted. I do remember in grade 5 being threatened with the strap when I had snuck into the school during recess to play around in the gym, but it never went to that. It's an eye opener for my kids when we are watching an old movie and there are things done to people that are no longer acceptable by today's standards.
I love this movie but it breaks my heart. Such wonderful performances from such young men and Robin Williams, of course. My heart is always in my throat as the "boys" salute their teacher by standing UP on their own. Fantastic.
It's amazing how little choices, that may seem insignificant, can really make a huge difference in a scene. At the end, the kids standing on their desks. If they had all the kids stand up, it would've been like, over the top, and not with the tone of the movie. He clearly didn't reach every student, but reached a lot of them. So the kids he didn't reach wouldn't stand up. And realistically, he wouldn't have reached every kid. I was in an art class where one kid said 'art is a scam'. That kid would not have stood.
Hey, Chris! I don't know what it is... You didn't really say something groundbreaking, something new, but somehow your outro really resonated with me. It's probably a combination of *what* you said and *how* you said it, all spirited and vivacious. Good for you, wanting to be a part of things getting better. I forget trying to be that way too often. It's nice to hear it from someone else as a reminder from time to time. Thank you for that, and I loved your vid. 🙂
'If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.' Ray Bradbury This is a great film.
It took 34 years for me to realize the symbolism of the “o captain, my captain” reference. It was a poem by Walt Whitman about Abraham Lincoln, the man who freed the slaves. Keating took on that mantle because he was trying to free the boys’ minds. 🤯 Great reaction! 💙💙💙
If he would have just waited that's what's so tragic about this movie is when were kids everything seems so unbearable. And if we were just to wait until we move out and then we can do whatever we want it just seems like that's so hopeless and it's too far away that we can't see it. It truly does feel hopeless at the time but all we have to do is hold on.
Some days you look behind and realize the sun is setting. What do you see in those oh, so many anemic moments? That you have been on a public bus all these many years, sitting and waiting for your end of the line. You recognize the journey is repetitive, futile and inevitable. And then it comes to you in your own revelation… you don’t have to ride this bus any longer all the way to it’s empty conclusion. You can stand up and ring that bell. You can choose to get off at any unfamiliar street that you have never dared to walk before. With the first step onto the pavement, you have made your decision that this strange, unknown neighborhood is now your new end of the line. And you gratefully do not have to ride any longer. Simply breath.
This movie was so intense, especially since I had a couple of friends, though not close friends, who committed suicide in high school. My uncle taught at the school where the events that this movie were loosely based on but only for a few years and he left several years before the events happened. On the subjective level, Todd was the hero though Mr. Keating's lessons were absolutely the inspiration for his growth and journey in the movie. I'd have loved to be in a class like Mr. Keating's. I would have showed up for that class, and I was an AWFUL student in H.S. 😀
And yeah, keep fighting for the little ways day by day to make things better. Kindness, sincere compliments, making sure people know that you appreciate them, caring. Those are the things that bring improvement. I'm not much of a human being, but I do all I can to focus on those things so I'm not the worst. 🙂
I think Neil's mother's actions (or lack thereof) need to be taken in the context of the time and the place in society she occupied. It never would have occurred to her to disagree with her husband in front of their child. Or even out loud, ever. It's been drilled into her head to obey, first her father and then her husband. Not excusing her, just putting things into some perspective.
Some people don’t know this- After Robin Williams suicide, there was an autopsy. They discovered he had Lewy Body disease, a brain disease that is very hard to diagnose. It causes dementia, loss of smell, depression, hallucinations, cognitive problems, sleep disorders, severe anxiety. Robin Williams was experiencing a lot of these symptoms. Everyone thought he killed himself because he was depressed or because he thought he had Parkinson’s. It was this disease that twisted his brain. At that point he wasn’t even himself. There should be another name for suicide when the cause is such extreme mental duress.
Thanks for another fun and thoughtful video! I appreciate the way you look for the ethical messages that can be drawn from the film, a fresh approach to reaction videos that I don't think I've seen before. I confess that I wonder if your gift comes from the experience of writing sermons or magazine columns. Don't really know your background there! Not that it matters. I just wanted to say that I appreciate it. All the best.
Haha I was a youth pastor for much of the last decade so no doubt it shades my impressions and the things I’m interested in talking about from the film. Thanks for watching!
This film was so full of insight and inspirations wrapped in a heartbreaking and tragic story. What is your favorite part of the film?
The part where Keating has Todd ad-lib a poem about Whitman makes me tear-up every time. This film has stuck with me since I saw it as a kid, and I have only to see certain clips, and my eyes get watery.
I was a senior in high school when this came out and I was one of those kids that always had my nose in a book. Was always a teacher's pet of the English teachers I had. So I really connected with a lot of the characters in this. Everyone knows the "Oh captain, my captain" scene from this film (30+ years later) but when I saw it in theatre I had no idea what was about to happen. That was probably the closest I ever came to crying in public....
The last scene of course! 🙃
I have many favorite parts, but they all deal with Robin Williams quietly' compassionate performance and he motivates and articulates righteous creativity particularly when Todd comes to class without a poem and Keating seizes the moment to motivate expression. Now having said that i really want to recommend a book by Christian psychologist M. Scott Peck called PEOPLE OF THE LIE, an examination of human evil because Neil's father is an exemplar of that kind of evil. He's malignantly narcissistic and only sees Neil as an extension of his egoistic desire. Evil people in the real world are not sinister mustache twirlers with a sinister laugh, but people who demand that everyone and everything around only serve his needs and Dr. Peck's book explains this quality and its symptoms beautifully in his book. Just a recommendation for further insight, but keep in mind that some of the patient histories he relates are quite chilling. Great resction, Chris. 👍
While I don't agree with everyone here (specifically regarding Neil's father being categorized as evil), I will say the the standout part for me was the exact moment you mentioned Robert Sean Leonard's serious acting chops when he was confiding in Dr. Keating his feelings about talking to his father. "I'm trapped." Just typing those words with respect to that scene is causing me to well up. The pain behind Neil's eyes is so visceral to me. To have been in that similar position too many times in my life now feeling like a lifetime ago only to portrayed so honestly, right in my face is almost too much to bear. This is why Neil's fate, while jarring, was not surprising to me. The quiet desperation of someone feverishly trying to get out of a no-win situation he put himself in (for the best of reasons and intentions) was made all the more unbearable at the reality many of us feel when we are an inch short of holding onto hope for a better and more fulfilling future and no other course of action feels like it is available to us. You said it perfectly, taking a permanent course of action for temporary conditions is just about never the best course of action. Thank you so much for reviewing this movie as you do with thoughtful words and wonderful perceptions. It's one of my favorites of all time.
As someone who believes that Todd was in love with Neil, this is one of my favorite details:
26:25, when Todd runs into the snow, he finally finds his true “Barbaric Yawp”, screaming from the depths of his agony… and it’s Neil’s name.
Heartbreaking.
I believe the writer of the novel the film is based on confirmed this on twitter. Neil and Todd ARE gay, it also isn't a coincidence Neil is scared to tell his dad he wants to act (a industry dominated by the queer community since it's conception).
Not to forget: Neils tender "no❤" as an answer to Todd's "I can take care of myself", the way Neil looks at Todd after doing his poem in front of the class, the moment when Knox calls Chris (Neil leans on Todd's shoulder and they change obvious looks)
Jeez not another person reading something into a movie that isn't there...
No. Todd was NOT "in love" with Neil. He bonded with him. They were after all roommates. More importantly, Neil recognized in Todd the shy inarticulate timid young man _he_ used to be. Because of their friendship, and Neil's mentoring of Todd and telling him to stand up for what he believed in and not just go along to get along, Todd's whole life and point of view was opened up. Augmenting what Keating was trying to instill in all of them. Carpe diem. Seize the day. Don't let others expectations of you hold you back. Don't let fear rule your choices.
And Todd learned from him and took those lessons to heart. Neil was the "big brother" Todd could look up to, esteem, and emulate.
But, as we know, Neil's attempt at personal emancipation backfired. Try as he did to break away from his father's ironclad grip, it only served to tighten it further. And in desperation and hopelessness, he took his life as the only escape from that cage.
So Todd's loss of Neil was more than just the loss of a brother, but a realization that even Neil couldn't escape the pressures of the family strictures he was fighting against. He screamed out his disbelief that ultimately Neil couldn't break free. But Todd was not cowed. In the end, he stood up -- figuratively and literally. For Neil, for Keating, for all the others, and for himself.
@@sadee1287 how would you think about it if one of them were a girl?
@@sadee1287 for somebody saying not to read too much into a film, you sure wrote a fucking essay reading into it.
My personal connection to this move; I graduated high school in 1991 and this movie had a big influence on me and many of my classmates during our last few years of high school because we had an AP English teacher who was a lot like Mr. Keating. He always wanted us to find our voice and wanted to develop us not only as students, but as free thinking young adults. It just so happened that our senior year was also the year he was retiring. Our valedictorian also loved and respected him and she devised a tribute to him. At the end of her graduation speech she talked about Mr. Morton and how much of a great teacher he was and when she said "Oh Captain, my Captain" many of us stood up in our chairs.
❤
That must have been a moment for you all that you'll never forget! 💓
My dad was the same way. The only difference was that my passion was music, but my father opposed it with every fibre of his being. Like every parent, he wanted me to pursue a ‘real’ career, one that actually made money.
Of course I rebelled and pursued my rock’n’roll dreams, albeit in my spare time. He only ever saw me perform once. I never even knew he had attended. I only found out about it years later from my mom. She said his only comment was “he’s actually pretty good…” I just wish I had heard that from him.
So, as you can see, this film hit pretty close to home for me. It’s probably the reason why I only ever watched it once.
My father was the same, though my passions were woodcarving, drawing and writing. Same expectation of my need to get a "real job," too. I love this film, because I identified with both Todd, as a natural introvert, afraid to speak with his own voice, and Neil, as a creative boy, pressured by his father to deny his impulse to create.
Might it be worse to have parents who don't care what you do? That was my experience.
@Thread Bomb It isn't a competition of who had it worse, both are a devastating experiences. You want your parents to care what you do, but you also want them to respect who you are and what you are passionate about. Being denied either will send the message that you don't matter.
In one situation it is that you don't matter in the sense your parent can't be bothered caring about what you are doing. In the other situation it is that you don't matter in the sense that what YOU want doesn't matter, and how YOU feel isn't a consideration at all. Either way you are left feeling invisible and worthless in their eyes.
My parents are Marine and Navy... and showing affection was never their thing. They so wanted me to be in football and enlist... i did baseball, track... and majored in Biochemistry... work in healthcare now. But still I never had real support from my parents.
You need to see a medium so you can have your Toni Collette moment!
The last shot of the few who stood up is unforgettable. Wonderful film. Excellent acting.
I remember seeing this as a teen. It made a big impact. My highschool english teachers were shitty and abusive, so I decided to quit and complete my Highschool education at College. 16 years old getting Cs and Bs in highschool english- and just a month later that same 16 year old got As in advanced literature courses at the local community college.
Changed my life, saved my life.
We had a lot of teen suicide in my town- at my highschool especially. Too much pressure and neglect, by parents, the school system.
Wow! It’s amazing the difference between your high school experience and college.
When I was 14 years old, my english teacher taught us the Oh Captain, My Captain poem. Searching for it, the scene from the movie appeared. Later I saw the movie and 3 years later I was a Neil but my Mr. Keating saved me. So I decided to become a teacher so I can be the Mr. Keating of others. In my time studying education I have experienced mistreatment, loss and the heartbreak of lonely children. My passion is a laughable topic in my environment, bringing disappointment for the ones who expected "greater things" for me. But it saved me and can save others. Isn't the greatest also found in the most simple, visible, daily experiences and environments? Connection, knowledge, passion, growth, giving, changing. How unmeasurable and deep it can be for a mortal like me.
I cry whenever I watch this movie, not only because of what happened to Neil but because of Robin Williams passing away. I still remember where I was when I heard Robin Williams passed away, I was in my room and I was reading a book when I heard my Mom shout, "oh my god, Robin Williams passed away." ... I looked up to Robin Williams as a father figure and I wish I could have had the chance to meet him and to thank him for inspiring me, not just with this movie but with many of his movies and for also teaching me humour. I'm Autistic and I didnt always understand humour, then when I was about 8 or 9 I watched Disney's Aladdin for the first time. I remember first seeing the genie and I noticed that I was laughing and from the genie I learned humour. As I grew up I kept imitating Robin Williams from every movie I saw him in. After he passed away I stopped imitating him and I never have imitated him since then.
This film breaks me to this day. It left an indelible mark on my soul. I decorated my graduation cap with quotes from this movie imposed over a typewriter. "Carpe Diem" and "What will your verse be?" People loved it. Especially because I was going on to college to study English Literature. Now I work in an independent bookstore. Although I didn't earn my degree, I left school because of family illness, and became a caregiver, I still followed my passion and my dream came true. Next step: own my own bookstore.
This film has infinite re-watchability. I wish more people would react to it!
Hopefully this reaction will do well and inspire other reactors to do it as well!
@@CasualNerdReactions Another film that runs along similar lines is "White Squall." If you can find it, there's a great Canadian film called "Brotherhood" that you might also enjoy.
RIP and long live Robin Williams (July 21, 1951 - August 11, 2014), aged 63
You will always be remembered as a legend.
The 'oh my son' and the frantic 'he's alright' was very real, frief can be strange. This was a very real portrayal
What's astonishing is that the actor who plays Neil's dad, Kurtwood Smith, is the same guy who plays Eric's dad on the sitcom *That 70s Show.*
@oliverbrownlow5615 Kurtwood has been in a ton of films. Some good, some not so great. A lot of Sci-fi. When he was cast on That 70's Show, I immediately got a creep factor due to his back catalog of rolls. Excellent actor.
31:20 "When you're in those temporary circumstances they dont feel temporary". Well thought out words my friend, thank you.
There's so many amazing Robin William movies but this is one of my all-time favorite. It makes me cry everytime I watch it. The lines in this movie are absolutely incredible!❤
Easily imo his best and most passionate performance… my favorite of his as well…
The fact that anyone could come away from this movie on the school's/dad's side is completely unfathomable to me.
It's such an amazing movie about the importance of accepting people for who they are and not blindly sticking to 'traditions' just for the sake of doing so.
This is one of those rare movies that changed my life. I watched it with a few good friends sometime in the 90s. We were so inspired by it that we ended up having our own Dead Poets Society for a few months. I lived in apartment with a ladder climbing up to a little skylighted loft that used to be an attic. The group of us would climb up and sit on the carpeted floor, reading or singing our own work or reading passages of books or poems. It was such a joy and still is a joy to remember we had that time. It was beyond inspiring in my own art and Carpe Diem became my motto for life. It still is. I'm glad to see it affected you so deeply, and yes you are a force for good in this world, Chris -- and you do make it a better place.
My dad was overbearing (never violent) but was very similar to Neal’s dad.
This movie spoke to me in a lot of ways. Have a degree in theatre ✊🏻
My parents are military, and i had a very "structured" upbringing... expected to play football and enlist someday. I didnt do any of those things... i have a career in healthcare.
"Never violent" can mean not physically. But as you categorize him as "overbearing," I wonder if there wasn't verbal/emotional abuse happening. That is quite violent on the inside. Leaves wounds no one can see, but the harm is real, and lasting. 😢 I hope your experience was not as devastating as mine or some others.
ps: YOUR thoughts and remarks at the end of the video are inspiring and encouraging and profound unto themselves. Things are getting better and we can either be a part of it, or we can keep things crappy. I get it! Thanks, Chris!!!!
The ending scene is one of the most iconic of any movie with the bagpipes playing as the boys choose to show their support for Mr. Keating knowing it could get them expelled.
My father wanted me to be a Marine and when i decided not to and went to college for business major instead, he was furious and told me i was going end up being a secretary sitting on my bosses lap. To appease him i told him i was just doing it to get some credits that were required for being a marine pilot.
At college i met like 3 proffesors that where like the one at this movie that helped me a lot to be more open to my dad and truthful to myself as well, helping him see my point and accepting it.
I find it very unlikely that ANY of those boys who stood up on those desks were expelled.
That headmaster may have been a tight ass, but he couldn't have been stupid. Those boys' minds had been freed. He would know that the first thing they would do if ANY of them were expelled would have been to go to the nearest newspaper with the real story and take that school and Neal's father down.
Don't forget, Neal's father killed him. He didn't pull the trigger, but he killed him.
This movie is the perfect example of why you should never try to live your child's life for them.
Given the time the story is set, the 1950s, I'm pretty sure the boys would have been expelled and the papers wouldn't have given a damn.
I'm not so sure they would have been expelled, because it would have been easy for the administration to blame their outburst on the departing Keating's presence, and sweep it under the table, perhaps giving the boys some lesser punishment and/or a warning that any further disorderly conduct would be dealt with harshly. The simple fact is that a school doesn't make money by expelling students.
@@oliverbrownlow5615 Exactly. Money talks. There's the high principles and tradition of that school of pomp. 😐
"I've got to tell you what I feel!" ... "nothing..."
That wasn't just him backing out. That was the truth, too.
Chris, what a fabulous reaction to this movie! I wa born in 1942, and spent most of my life following society's demands, so this movie made me cry, and I cheered inside for those boys. You do bring sunshine - you're my favorite reactor.
I was firmly rooted in my 40s when I first saw this film, but it skillfully took me back to an earlier period of my life. The message is timeless for young and old alike. Thanks, Chris, for doing a big service for the people, who watch your channel, by reacting to it.
Not everyone stands up for the table in the end. It depends on the personal decision to stand up for yourself or to submit. Those who end up defying the headmaster's order do so knowing they will pay, but they do it anyway, showing that they are no longer children but serious adults who are ready to deal with the consequences to live for their self-determined actions, while the others accept to continue to let others make decisions for and about them (until they perhaps break out of this role). What wonderful symbolism.
I also recommend School Ties. Brendan Fraser is a Jewish man hiding in a WASP boarding school after he gets in for football. Has Affleck and Damon. The tagline was "Just because you're accepted doesn't mean you belong." I was a scholarship kid in private schools and it hit.
I loved the Maurice Jarre music at the end. That really hammered that ending scene home emotionally.
Goose Bump Alert: Notice how it shows Neil in the shot at 4:14 on the line "...stop breathing, turn cold and die."
I've seen this film numerous times and just now caught that. So subtle. The director of this film, Peter Weir, was always one of my favorites. He's a master painter except he uses film instead of paint.
That is a REALLY great detail!
I feel like Neil had the air of desperation in his scenes, specifically how his voice would squeak during certain line deliveries. Made it feel very authentic. He said, "I don't give a damn about any of it." Neil and Charlie (aka Nuwanda are my faves). Also, Nuwanda is my bowling name whenever I'm playing. I feel like his character embodied the spirit of carpe diem and the lessons of Mr. Keating the most.
Mr. Keating told them that poetry, beauty, romance, and love is what they live for. Neil thought that all of those things got taken away from him when his dad made the decision to take away the things he loved.
Awwww what a nice surprise!! The Dead Poets is a classic in my opinion, great story, great casting and Robin Williams is superb in this!! Great reaction and all I can say is: CARPE DIEEEEMM!!!
"O Captain My Captain" was Walt Whitman's honorific for Abraham Lincoln, who freed the slaves; Mr Keating had hopes to free these boys' minds, and at the end they acknowledged that Keating was their Lincoln.
I have to wonder if the 'slave name' borne by Neo in the Matrix franchise was a nod to this character: 'Mr Anderson'.
A character who seemed so meek and unsure of himself, but who became the moral center and irresistible leader of this little group, who in the end stood to be counted and thought for himself.
I can't hear the boy being warned by the head of the school, his name "Mr ANDERSON!" voiced almost as a threat, and not hear Agent Smith attempting to negate Neo's individuality.
Also: I have a reply below to BigGator5 that addresses the culture of this film, something a lot of people seem to miss. This film is set in 1959; that impacts the events in this film TREMENDOUSLY and puts a lot into perspective.
Please read that comment below.
I love the idea the the matrix might be referencing this film. It works so well.
1:19 Also, notice how tradition was the first flag displayed by the boarding school and excellence (being the "best you" you could be) was dead last. Great symbolism, subtext, direction and script!
RIP, Robin Williams.
"Oh, Captain, my Captain."
"Carpe Diem."
I absolutely love this movie. The lesson of thinking for yourself, and being your own unique person had a big impact on me growing up. I was seven when this first came out, and took that lesson to heart. I'm so glad I did.
The Roman poet Horace used the phrase carpe diem to express the idea that one should enjoy life while one can. It is part of Horace's injunction “carpe diem quam minimum credula postero” (translation: "pluck the day, trusting as little as possible in the next one”), which appears in his Odes (23 BCE).
Scale back your long hopes
to a short period. While we
speak, time is envious and
is running away from us.
Seize the day, trusting
little in the future.
-Horace
Dr. Wilson was in Kenneth Brannaugh's adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing, along with Denzel Washington, Emma Thompson, and Keanu Reeves.
Yes! I rewatched that film recently. I remember people being unkind about Keanu's performance, but I think he is decent. The real burr under the saddle is Michael Keaton's grotesque and unfunny performance in the chief "clown" role. The pity of it is that Ben Elton is relegated to playing his almost silent sidekick -- Elton is a serious Shakespearian, as shown by his writing of Upstart Crow.
One of my absolute favorite movies!!!!!
Once one of my mother's students and his mother were watching this movie. Afterwards the mother said "Wouldn't it be something to have a teacher like that?" And the son replied that he DID have a teacher like that, and it was my mother. You don't get a better compliment than that as a teacher. We had her funeral yesterday and I shared that story.
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful memory. I’m sure there are many who felt the same. Sorry for your loss.
@@CasualNerdReactions Thank you.
By the 80s, paddling was long over. Like, ancient. The movie takes place in the 50s, which was the very last gasp of that.
Oddly enough I went to a private school in the early 90s when I was very young and there was paddling at that school.
Little Trivia - the actor who portrays Gerard Pitts (James Waterston) is the the son of the actor Sam Waterston (Capricorn One, The Killing Fields, Law and Order, Newsroom and so on)
This movie is kinda like a hidden gem 💎. When you see it for the 1st time, you wonder how you never new about it before. What a classic! Keep smiling 🤘 🙂
Great reaction to an amazing film!
I remember seeing it in the theater and thinking Robin Williams would have made a damn fine teacher.
This came out between my junior and senior years of high school, and I was doing a lot of reading for my AP English class in my senior year. I was a drama kid already and one of my idols was Robin Williams. Hands down, this is my favorite Robin Williams film. The funny thing is my entire AP class decided to call ourselves the Dead Poets Society...we even listed it in our activities in the yearbook (Dead Poets Society 4 is how we listed it). I identified with most of the boys...Neal and acting, Todd an his shyness and creativity, Meeks and Pitts and their love of music, Knox and his romantic streak, and Charlie Nuwanda Dalton's rebellious spirit...even Cameron's studiousness. This is in my top 10 all time favorite films. I never attended college...but for the first 2 or 3 years after high school, I studied literature all alone....reading classics, Shakespeare, and lots and lots of poetry.Thanks for doing this gem. Robin should have won the Oscar...but it still won Best Screenplay...well deserved, too!
This film brings me so many different thoughts and emotions. I felt for Neil and respected Todd for standing up at the end, and becoming a leader for probably the 1st time in his life (but likely not the last time). The class having to regress to that terrible way to "grade" poetry, is very sad. Thank you for bringing this movie back into our experiences.
Every time I see Robin Williams i reel a little sad he no longer with us, that he gave so much joy but felt such pain,
Same.
The thing about this movie that is so strong is that you can actually see inside the minds of all the characters. Neil's father was wrong, yes. But he came from a very different starting place: he'd clawed his way from (I assume) working class to financial success without any advantages, and wanted to give those advantages to his son. But because of that life and background, he had a very particular vision of what "success" would mean for Neil, and the notion that he might want to become some kind of an artist instead of a doctor (a sturdy profession, highly respected and highly lucrative) must have seemed like an impossible threat. Neil, realistically, might have imagined a future in which he would be free of his father and able to do what he wanted, but that was at least five years in his future (nine, if he went to medical school), and to a 17-year-old, that must have seemed impossible. (And indeed, how warped by experience will you become in five years? Will you still even want the same things, or will they have been beaten out of you?) Neil's father will imagine that Keating corrupted his son and made this happen, which is more tolerable than understanding what he himself did.
The date is important. This is set in 1959, and Neil is the tail end of the Silent Generation -- that group who were born during the Depression or the War, who grew up learning that things were tough all over and that you didn't get what you wanted. They put their dreams on hold and became good corporate citizens, leading those lives of "quiet desperation" until it became too much for them and they had their mid-life crises in the 1970s -- or alcoholism, or extra-marital affairs, or early heart attacks. Neil's suicide is the cry of that generation.
Oh, this one is special. I saw this when I was in high school and suffering from extreme depression. It still makes me cry every time I watch it. Ethan Hawk is particularly great and I think it was only his first or second film, Explorers being the other film he did really early on that I also completely love.
*Explorers* (1985) featured the film debuts of both Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix.
well, you brought... joy into my evening tonight? *grabs more tissues* knew watching this would make me cry, but it's great to see that a movie some impactful to me impacted others. I've enjoyed your reaction videos and hope you have a lovely week :)
The realization of "is that a gun?" HIT SO BAD
3:59 Carpe Diem !
One, thank you for this! You're the second channel to upload a reaction to this classic in the past 2 days. I hope this gets the ball rolling on this film. Far too few have tackled this one.
18:06 Perhaps, the film is a little too subtle about its setting. The film was made in the late 1980s but it's set in the 1950s. Note the cars in the parking lot (@ 22:12, 21:52, 21:58), and also why Mr. Keating does impressions of '50s movie stars like Marlon Brando and John Wayne at 8:50 and not impressions of '80s stars like Schwarzenegger or Tom Cruise. That would explain the headmaster's use of corporal punishment on Nuwanda and why Neil's mother can't speak up to her husband because women in the '50s had no say... in basically anything.
And Todd's development really is the central arc/heartbeat of the film. As he says @11:00 ("You say things and people listen and... I'm not like that."), to which Neil replied "Don't you think you could be?". And we see that Keating's influence did indeed make the most impact in Todd's character as he ends up leading the cause at the end of the film in which most everyone else soon follows:
If you rewatch the ending, you'll notice that the first few students are looking directly at Todd for inspiration RIGHT BEFORE they make the decision in their head to stand on their desks (specifically Knox Overstreet [@3:03], Pitts [@2:57] and Meeks [@3:23]):
th-cam.com/video/u_N6ezGK8XE/w-d-xo.html
Great Reaction! The "lessons" and " messages of this movie are timeless and transcend all generations. However, I think it is very important to understand the time period in which the movie is set, which I believe is the 1950's. If there was EVER a time when conformity was important, it was the then. Fathers have always had the tendency to believe they know what is best for their children in general, and their sons in particular. But when you add to that, the fathers of the 1950's had experienced the Great Depression and THEN World War II, there was an even stronger desire to make sure that their sons had better opportunities for success than they themselves had experienced. Also, during that time period relatively few women worked outside the home and were expected to keep the house in good order and leave the important decisions to the husband. It was a different time, and it's good that a lot of those societal norms have evolved and changed over the past 70 years. I really enjoyed watching your reaction video and appreciated your thoughts and insights. I look forward to seeing more of your reactions.
Thanks Pamela! I definitely didn’t realize it took place in the 50s and that’s a very important detail to consider. Appreciate the perspective. ☺️
Thank you for a great and heart-felt reaction. I grew up in a town where the local university was the #1 suicide leader in the entire U.S. (including a childhood friend of my sister). I loved this film and haven't seen it for years and years. You didn't "ramble on". You shared your insights and emotions and it was a gift.
You can't say the name Ethan Hawke without me thinking of the movie "The Explorers". Great film from the 80s. Goonies meets War Games
Reminds me of the school I went to as a kid. Everything went by the book: no talking or running along the corridors and stairs, skirt should be one inch below the knees, white socks two inches above the ankles, hair ribbons should only be black or white. No fancy notebook covers, bags should contain only certain things. My 6th grade language teacher showed us this movie. I bet that's not what's written on her lesson plan that day.
Does anyone remember lots of people posting videos standing on their desks after Williams' death? It was such a beautiful tribute and positive way to express their grief.
Paddling. It's still common practice in some US schools. When I enrolled my kids in a certain district I was given corporal punishment permission forms. One was a kindergartener, the other was in middle school. It applies for high school students as well. I denied permission, as did my dad when I was enrolled there, but other kids were paddled as punishment and it went as shown in the movie.
Peter Weir is such a great filmmaker, someone who specializes in mood and atmosphere. His early work is fascinating, as well. Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave are strongly recommended.
One thing to remember when watching this movie. The relationship between Neil and his father is very challenging.
The time of the movie was a transitional time. In the past fathers would pave the way for their sons. Dad was a butcher because his father was a butch his son would be a butch too.
Neil's father was at the end of a changing time that almost completely has become non-existent.
More than likely Neil's father did exactly as his father had directed without question, it just didn't make sense that his son wouldn't be and do as he directed. He couldn't/wouldn't see the changing times.
John Keating : "But only in their dreams can men be truly free. 'Twas always thus, and always thus will be."
This movie is filled with great lines, this is one of them that I've always enjoyed.
Neils story is a sad one, and yes comes out of left field. What you have to remember is he has dealt with that his whole life. I'm also guessing the father treats his wife the same way, and people like that don't allow anyone to do their own thing. As long as they can keep you under their thumb they will.
29:59 I mean I do think the film leans heavily towards the side of bucking tradition, thinking differently, etc. But I can see what you're saying here. When this came out and all the times I watched this as a youth and younger adult, I was always 100% on board with the anti-tradition narrative. But as I've gotten older and have also found value in tradition and practicality as well, I do find myself keeping a foot held back towards the point of view of Neil's father and the school more than I used to.
That's not to say I think Neil's father was right to be so hard and controlling of him. Or that the school's complete lack of flexibility in how a teacher approaches their class was correct either. And I certainly don't think pinning Neil's death on Keating was appropriate or logical at all. But as someone that used to be 100% on the side of bucking tradition and societal norms, and bounced around between various career paths for way longer than I should have in my youth, I can definitely also appreciate the notion of maintaining some value in the older traditions as well.
I think various things in our culture, including movies like this, make it real easy for young people to think that society needs to be completely torn down and all tradition needs to be abandoned in the name of progress and individuality. And I think it maybe goes a bit too far on that pendulum swing sometimes and could use some level of respect for the older values. Challenge them when necessary, for sure. But I don't think its good to completely devalue them either. I think they probably became tradition for some good reasons too that often get overlooked or carelessly dismissed because its so easy and intoxicating to jump on that rebellious post-modern type of mentality these days. But anyways, I'll cut it here before this delves too far into the politcal territory lol.
I remember watching this on TV pay per view when i was in elementary school. Our uncle pirated cable TV for us and this movie was so instrumental to me... and I had my daughter watch it when I had a rare opportunity to send her to private school. School can be so formal and "solid", but you still have to feel free
Love your content. Neal’s fate is even more painful when you remember Robin took his own life. I miss him dearly. For anyone else reading this who is contemplating suicide, please know you are not alone, you are loved deeply, and the world is better with you in it. ❤️
Beautiful comment.
I have a difficult time watching this film since Robin Williams chose to end his life. It’s especially difficult as someone approaching middle age and grew up with him long before Aladdin made him a superstar children’s entertainer.
He could have knocked on any door in America and found at least one person who’d have told him how much he was loved and how much he meant to all of us. I guess you just never know the struggles happening behind someone’s smiling eyes.
I guarantee that if his funeral had been public there would have been literally millions of Gen X and Millennials who were brought up on Robin standing up as he was laid to rest and shouting “Oh Captain! My Captain!”
Very very true all around. Thank you for this comment.
I still remember him as Mork from Ork. ("Nanoo, nanoo), such was my boyhood exposure to his comedic talent.
No! After Robin Williams suicide, there was an autopsy. They discovered he had Lewy Body disease, a brain disease that is very hard to diagnose. It causes dementia, loss of smell, depression, hallucinations, cognitive problems, sleep disorders, severe anxiety. Robin Williams was experiencing a lot of these symptoms. Everyone thought he killed himself because he was depressed or because he thought he had Parkinson’s. It was this disease that twisted his brain. At that point he wasn’t even himself. I wouldn’t even consider that a normal suicide.
Robin Williams had developed an illness that would have taken him out of acting, both in serious drama and in comedic roles. He was already suffering symptoms that obstructed his use of voice and body.
Robin took the same route that the character of Neil Perry took; both were facing being shut out of the work that they loved so much and drew life and purpose from. Both chose death rather than life without what they viewed as necessary to their being.
Sometimes art imitates life all too closely.
@@chris...9497 This but also he was having a lot of paranoia and losing his mind quite literally. I think people judge him far too harshly for ending his life. There is also no way for us to really know how difficult his life was at the end.
1:10 Opening credits bagpipes -- You cringing like crazy.
29:47 Closing credits bagpipes -- Boy, those bagpipes REALLY hit differently, don't they?
Amazing how with just a little context, one instrument can evoke two completely opposite emotional reactions.
Context definitely matters! Very emotional at the end and very effective use.
For a different experience of bagpipes, I suggest watching *Brigadoon* (1954).
Captain…..my Captain……RIP Robin Williams ❤
SUCH a great film.
Williams drew from his own private school experiences.
On a lighter note- Robin gives it a nod in Mrs Doubtfire in the restaurant scene w his ‘Carpe dentim’ 😝
Oh, how the world does miss you, Mr Williams.
Nice reaction! Thank You!
Stay safe & love much💖
1:50 watched this movie like 10 times. never noticed pastor guy has different coloured eyes.
The movie came out in 1989, but the plot took place 30 years earlier, thus more than 60 years ago. And times sure were different then.
I don't think it's about finding your purpose, there's lots of people who find purpose and are still miserable. It's about finding your passion and making that your purpose.
This one is another great, inspiring film. I miss films like this. I enjoy your reactions, Chris. Thanks for sharing them with us.
My high school had a club called Living Poets Society, where we gathered together to write poetry. Sometimes we would send people’s work (if they wanted) to the literary magazine on campus.
😊 the talk you had with yourself that morning. I’m going to start giving myself that advice - that I don’t want the day ahead to be affected by the crappy mood I’m in now. Hopefully it will have some effect on it.
Robin Williams is a delight here. Can't believe he was the only Oscar nod among the actors (plus, he was nominated as the Lead Actor, which seems like it should have gone to Robert Sean Leonard). He did at least as well here as in Good Will Hunting, where he did win. Didn't win for The Fisher King or Awakenings, either. Really underrated as a dramatic actor, he is, Robin Williams. (Plugging The Fisher King once more, just for good measure.)
I loved all the techniques for seeing things in new ways. I had an art class, pencil drawing, where we did much the same thing, learning to see what's really there, not what we think we're supposed to see. Really a fundamental exercise in getting over yourself.
I don't want to talk about the suicide scene much -- been there. Spot on performances. Absolutely, crushingly, real. The hysterical, "He's okay! He's okay! He's okay!" wrenches at me, as I've heard it before. Trauma sucks.
The fisher king has been in a Patreon poll or two and will eventually find its way here. :)
Loved this reaction. Haven't seen this movie since the 80s, I never click on reactions for it, almost didn't for this one either, so happy I did! I got chills watching Robin Williams, takes on such a poignant meaning now. I think I took this movie for granted, thanks to your patron who had you do this one, and shine a light back on it, at least for me! Small thing, though: this movie doesn't take place in the late 80s! They weren't paddling people in prep schools in the late 80s! This takes place in the 1950s! Maybe I misunderstood you? / 16:50 I don't think I've ever seen you cringe so much as this kid tries to kiss the girl. :D Thanks, Chris!
I definitely missed the fact it was in the 50s or simply forgot. I definitely cringed there, but I think I cringed more (maybe cringe is the wrong word) during the upcoming the talented mr Ripley.
@@CasualNerdReactions That's a good one! Yes!!! Looking forward to that! Love Philip Seymour Hoffman in that. Everyone is great in that movie! Dang, really looking forward to that one!
May 9th :)
@@CasualNerdReactions Look forward to the Ripley video too! Such a brilliant movie that feels bigger than its small cast and few locations.
The death of Robin Williams changes the meaning of this movie drastically from the time it was released, its such a perfect movie in lieu of his death.
Kurtwood Smith, everyone's favorite hardass.
Your response inspired me. You didn't ramble on too long! If anything I could have listened to more insights from you. It's been a long time since I last watched this even though it's a film I really love, but I used to think Neil's suicide was too abrupt. Your thoughts really helped me put in context, and there's a lot to this film that leaves it to us, the audience, to draw our own conclusions. And it's great to have this shared experience of understanding together.
Thanks so much! I did shorten my end thoughts a bit, but I’m glad you enjoyed them. The film does a great job of allowing the audience to form its own conclusions and I’m so glad seeing as it was such a strong part of the films lesson.
Suicide can seem abrupt to outsiders, but my understanding that people who commit suicide have been thinking of it as a possible option for some time, so it's not abrupt to them, even if they didn't give an obvious outward sign.
The practice of paddling, or the strap, was rare by the time I was starting elementary school in the late 70's. I believe this movie is set in the 50's when it was more accepted.
I do remember in grade 5 being threatened with the strap when I had snuck into the school during recess to play around in the gym, but it never went to that. It's an eye opener for my kids when we are watching an old movie and there are things done to people that are no longer acceptable by today's standards.
Also I would be down if my teacher started whistling the 1812 Overture as he walking into the classroom.
The guy this movie was based on, Sam Pickering, taught at the University of Connecticut for a long time.
I love this movie but it breaks my heart. Such wonderful performances from such young men and Robin Williams, of course. My heart is always in my throat as the "boys" salute their teacher by standing UP on their own. Fantastic.
we had the exact same thoughts at the end there! loved your reaction so much. subbed!!
Neil using his Dad's gun to kill himself, hmmm. One of my top 5 movies of all time.
Now, this is a classic.
I think I have to dive into my VHS box to find this in the collection
Definitely worth revisiting!
It's amazing how little choices, that may seem insignificant, can really make a huge difference in a scene.
At the end, the kids standing on their desks. If they had all the kids stand up, it would've been like, over the top, and not with the tone of the movie. He clearly didn't reach every student, but reached a lot of them. So the kids he didn't reach wouldn't stand up. And realistically, he wouldn't have reached every kid.
I was in an art class where one kid said 'art is a scam'. That kid would not have stood.
What a cast
Hey, Chris! I don't know what it is... You didn't really say something groundbreaking, something new, but somehow your outro really resonated with me. It's probably a combination of *what* you said and *how* you said it, all spirited and vivacious. Good for you, wanting to be a part of things getting better. I forget trying to be that way too often. It's nice to hear it from someone else as a reminder from time to time. Thank you for that, and I loved your vid. 🙂
Thank you for sticking around for the end ☺️
@@CasualNerdReactions It was the best part, far as I'm concerned. 😉
I loved the House reference!
It’s been so long since I watched that show!
@@CasualNerdReactions House is one of my favourite TV shows and Robert Sean Leonard(who played James Wilson) and looks young in this movie
'If we listened to our intellect, we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go into business, because we'd be cynical. Well, that's nonsense. You've got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.' Ray Bradbury
This is a great film.
It took 34 years for me to realize the symbolism of the “o captain, my captain” reference. It was a poem by Walt Whitman about Abraham Lincoln, the man who freed the slaves. Keating took on that mantle because he was trying to free the boys’ minds. 🤯
Great reaction! 💙💙💙
Great reaction. This is one of my favorite, inspirational movies of all time. I appreciate the insight and reaction!!
80s?!?!?!!😂 This was “set” in the 50’s, very common boarding school times.
If he would have just waited that's what's so tragic about this movie is when were kids everything seems so unbearable. And if we were just to wait until we move out and then we can do whatever we want it just seems like that's so hopeless and it's too far away that we can't see it. It truly does feel hopeless at the time but all we have to do is hold on.
Some days you look behind and realize the sun is setting. What do you see in those oh, so many anemic moments? That you have been on a public bus all these many years, sitting and waiting for your end of the line. You recognize the journey is repetitive, futile and inevitable. And then it comes to you in your own revelation… you don’t have to ride this bus any longer all the way to it’s empty conclusion. You can stand up and ring that bell. You can choose to get off at any unfamiliar street that you have never dared to walk before. With the first step onto the pavement, you have made your decision that this strange, unknown neighborhood is now your new end of the line. And you gratefully do not have to ride any longer. Simply breath.
This movie was so intense, especially since I had a couple of friends, though not close friends, who committed suicide in high school. My uncle taught at the school where the events that this movie were loosely based on but only for a few years and he left several years before the events happened.
On the subjective level, Todd was the hero though Mr. Keating's lessons were absolutely the inspiration for his growth and journey in the movie. I'd have loved to be in a class like Mr. Keating's. I would have showed up for that class, and I was an AWFUL student in H.S. 😀
And yeah, keep fighting for the little ways day by day to make things better. Kindness, sincere compliments, making sure people know that you appreciate them, caring. Those are the things that bring improvement. I'm not much of a human being, but I do all I can to focus on those things so I'm not the worst. 🙂
I think Neil's mother's actions (or lack thereof) need to be taken in the context of the time and the place in society she occupied. It never would have occurred to her to disagree with her husband in front of their child. Or even out loud, ever. It's been drilled into her head to obey, first her father and then her husband.
Not excusing her, just putting things into some perspective.
Yes! I didn’t realize this film took place in the 50s, that really makes a difference and contextualizas her actions.
Some people don’t know this- After Robin Williams suicide, there was an autopsy. They discovered he had Lewy Body disease, a brain disease that is very hard to diagnose. It causes dementia, loss of smell, depression, hallucinations, cognitive problems, sleep disorders, severe anxiety. Robin Williams was experiencing a lot of these symptoms. Everyone thought he killed himself because he was depressed or because he thought he had Parkinson’s. It was this disease that twisted his brain. At that point he wasn’t even himself. There should be another name for suicide when the cause is such extreme mental duress.
It's so heartbreaking to watch someone watch this movie for the first time. They have no idea what's about to hit them.
Thanks for another fun and thoughtful video! I appreciate the way you look for the ethical messages that can be drawn from the film, a fresh approach to reaction videos that I don't think I've seen before. I confess that I wonder if your gift comes from the experience of writing sermons or magazine columns. Don't really know your background there! Not that it matters. I just wanted to say that I appreciate it. All the best.
Haha I was a youth pastor for much of the last decade so no doubt it shades my impressions and the things I’m interested in talking about from the film. Thanks for watching!