Why should every teenager watch the “Dead Poets Society” film by Peter Weir?
In today's fast-paced society, teenagers often struggle with societal expectations, academic pressures, and a feeling of having to find their identity. To me, one of the best films that accurately represent these problems teenagers face today is called “Dead Poets Society”. This is an ageless classic made in 1989.1989. It showcases themes such as the struggles and triumphs of youth but also paints an affecting picture of the importance of thinking independently, forging strong friendships, and embracing one’s passions.
Through the inspiring and father-liked figure of the character Mr. Keaton (Robin Williams), he is to his students often give the viewers a sense of caring and welcoming to new ideas. The film encourages young viewers to reflect on their lives and the choices shaping their futures. After exploring the essential themes, "Dead Poets Society" offers invaluable lessons that can empower teenagers to embrace their true selves.
One of the many themes that this movie expresses is “Inspiration to Think Independently” Throughout the movie Mr. Keaton states “I brought them up here to illustrate the point of conformity” When he is saying this to me it means that he wants to show them how to rise above rules and laws, to think bigger and more independent when it comes to writing and situations outside of school. He encourages the students and the viewers to challenge societal expectations and chase their dreams.
Another amazing theme that the movie shows and expresses is the “Exploration of Friendship and Brotherhood”. We all know what it feels like to be in a group of friends with different personalities, different views of things, and even different families. In the movie, they have about everything you could imagine with these boys. Between Family abuse, emotionally neglected family troubles, teen troubles, love troubles, and many more. Everyone could relate some way or another and that is what is so brilliant about this film. Throughout the movie, you can see the group of boys interact with each other in different areas. One of the best scenes is when they find out what the Dead Poets Society is and end up going to the place that the old members used to go to. They all read from the book and talk about different poems and different school subjects. They all have this bond that feels like what everyone needs and the way they all accept each other, even though they are different. For instance, Neil Perry almost immediately allowed Todd Anderson to be a part of their group. He was very accepting and so was the group to a member they didn’t even know. This shows how loyal and respectful they are to each other.
Moving on to the next theme that is very important to the movie is “The Power of Individualism and Self-Discovery”. Many teens nowadays and even back then struggle to figure out who they are. You are only a teen, so how would you expect to know what you would want to do with your life or even who you are as a person? In the film, we are shown a beloved character named Neil Perry and his dad. His dad wanted him to be a doctor and Neil strives to be an actor. That is what he wants to do, and that is what he thinks he's destined to be. He ends up being in a play. He later states when he gets into an argument with his father that “I was good, I was really good” because he knew his potential and when he was up on stage, he was free. A lot of teenagers these days strive to be free, to be their own person, but are often held back by their parents. In this example, it shows he was trying to discover himself through the things he is passionate about. He as an individual wanted to be away from his family and be his own person but unfortunately he fell under the pressure of his family. This happens with a lot of teens and even children nowadays.
In conclusion, I feel as if many teenagers these days could relate to the film how it talks about self-improvement, self-discovery, Friendships, and the inspiration to think for themselves. Teenagers these days have to struggle a lot more to get what they want done before they fall into society's expectations or even their family's expectations. The movie has resonated with many people and ended up making teenagers and even adults feel as if they found a piece missing in themselves after watching the film. I highly recommend you to watch this movie.
Thank you for reading all this and I hope you take the time and watch this movie if you haven't already!
