Dead Poets Society

Robin Williams ("Keating") arrives at an all boys school where he is to teach them English. As you'd expect, they weren't particularly interested, but when he begins by telling them to rip up the poetry manual, and continues with an inspirational and vocational approach the pupils start to engage not only with him, but they set up the eponymous club which helps each of them to develop as a person. This is quite a task for the shy young "Todd" (easily the most effective performance of Ethan Hawke's career) and for aspiring actor "Neil" (a terrifically measured and sincere Robert Sean Leonard) who is struggling to reconcile his own desires with those of his loving, but over-bearing, father who wants him to go to Harvard and become a lawyer. This is a terrific character based drama with Williams on great form, but he features quite sparingly - the thrust of this potent, funny and thought-provoking narrative rests with the young men. Their ensemble effort exposes a myriad of layered teenage foibles from trauma to Tennyson; Shakespeare to sex (or sax!) - with well written and delivered dialogue that focuses poignantly and cleverly on their maturing personalities. This film is highly recommended.