Inspiring, intense story of a teacher and his students.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Period smoking -- lots of it. Both pipes and cigarettes smoked by adults and snuck by teens. A high school party includes plenty of drinking -- Knox does whiskey shots with new acquaintances.
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One of the boys commits suicide off-screen via gun shot; parents are shown afterward hysterical as they hold him. One boy gets beaten up, his nose bloodied. One character says of his beau,"if I don't have Chris I'm going to kill myself." One student gets paddled by headmaster as punishment.
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Lots of nuggets of wisdom mostly spoken by Professor Keating: Think for yourselves, savor words and language, "words and language can change the world," and you should constantly look at things in a different way. Major themes include compassion and integrity.
Positive Role Models
a little
Almost goes without saying that kids pushed like crazy to succeed will rebel. The boys here smoke quite a bit and sneak out of the school repeatedly, but they sneak out to read poetry and bond. One boy lies to his seemingly heartless father so he can perform in a play. Professor Keating clearly cares a lot about his students. Authority figures in the school stoop to scapegoating one teacher and pitting students against him in order to keep order after a tragedy.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Dead Poets Society has very uplifting messages especially for teens about seizing the day and embracing poetry as a way toward thinking for yourself and positive self-expression. But it also deals with the suicide of one of the main characters (the gunshot isn't shown, but the parents are shown holding their son afterward, hysterical). Everyone smokes a lot (mostly a reflection of the time mixed with teen rebellion) and one main character drinks shots at a high school party. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
I watched this film when it first came out. It is, perhaps, Robin Williams' finest performance. But what has really struck me over the years is that this person depicts the critical importance of parents respecting and supporting their children as unique individuals with their own personalities, thoughts, interests and feelings. As adults we have hopes for our children, but if we forget that they are their own persons, we run the rest of destroying their sense of their own personhood. They have hopes and dreams and ideas just as we did when we were children and teenagers. In this film, a boarding school fosters an atmosphere of rigid, even harsh discipline. Teenagers are molded and taught what to think, what to value. One teacher, however, tries to teach them how to think for themselves and to value themselves as people. The school's philosophy is an oppressive extreme and, while the one teacher's "carpe diem" attitude leads to some irresponsible behavior that should be expected without thoughtful guidance about taking responsibility, it is the extreme of harsh, rigid discipline that leads to one student's tragic suicide.
"Dead Poets Society" is an excellent film, but it is intense. I would rate it PG-13. Parents should consider whether their children are ready to deal with the depiction of suicide and what leads up to it for the particular character. Hopefully, parents will also consider how they view and treat their own children.
I am shocked at how many parents have put poor ratings, but it just shows where there is such a disconnect. As a teen, I related to this movie when I also had a controlling parent that never understood me and I also struggled with anxiety and suicidal thoughts. I am currently a therapist and honestly, most teens I work with struggle with the same and I see my teen self in them. Open your mind to this because you just might learn more about your kid then you care to. This is a TIMELESS piece that the THEMES these kids felt in it- they still feel even more due to social media and COVID, etc with feeling disconnected.
What's the Story?
In DEAD POETS SOCIETY, the teens attending one of the most prestigious preparatory schools in the country aren't prepared for the new English teacher Mr. Keating (Robin Williams). He encourages these future doctors and lawyers with pushy parents to think for themselves and "seize the day!" He also subtly encourages the boys to form the Dead Poets Society. They sneak out at night repeatedly to read poetry and bond over girls they like and the pressures they face. It's all healthy fun until Charlie (Gale Hansen) taunts the school with hints of their activities, leading to a full inquiry. But that's only the start of the trouble Mr. Keating and the Dead Poets Society faces.
Older kids fall hard for this stirring coming-of-age drama; they love the way it challenges them to think for themselves. The story also tugs at their heartstrings. They get to know the boys -- their loves, their goals, and their fears. They root for the characters, wanting them to achieve their dreams (one boy wants to play the sax, another wants to become an actor).
Despite Robin William's fine (if a tad cloying) performance, Dead Poets Society belongs to the boys, and the ensemble cast of young male actors (including Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, and Robert Sean Leonard) is up to the task. The movie also has a spell-casting ambiance, especially in the cave scenes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how poetry is explained and used in Dead Poets Society. Did this movie inspire you to read more, be more creative, or even "seize the day"?
Which movies inspire you? Why? What about teachers?
Families can also talk about Neil, his oppressive father, and his irreversible decision. What help is out there for those contemplating the same actions? What are the warning signs that someone needs help?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
