Dead Poets Society (notes)

The movie begins with opening ceremonies at a very elite academy for boys, the Welton Academy. The professors and staff are older and stuffy. Most of the students have a look of dread.

Neil and Todd are roommates. Neil is very energetic outgoing person but is under his fathers thumb, has no range to make his own decisions. Todd is very quiet and reserved.

Neil clearly has many friends at Welton, and introduces a few of them(Knox, Charlie and Pitts) to Todd. They consistentl invite Todd to join them for study groups and other activities, but Todd always declines.

First day of school, very full load, professors are already giving out a great amount of homework and are very strict except for a new English professor, Mr. Keating, a graduate of Walton Academy. Mr. Keating is very different from the rest of the professors. He has very non traditional teaching techniques.

Knox is invited to dinner at a friend of the families house and meets a beautiful girl(Chris) who is dating someone else,( an all start football player)  Knox is crazy about Chris and can not stop thinking about her.

Keating has the students(Charlie, Todd, Neil) rip out the introduction out of the poetry textbook, wanting them to think for themselves, not to be told what to think. His students learn that Keating was a member of a literary club, the "Dead Poets Society". The boys decide to bring the Dead Poets Society club back to life. They sneak out at night, in long dark coats with hoods. Foggy and spooky, through the woods to a cave. Where they meet regularly.

Keating uses humor to get his students attention and to keep it. In one example he has them stand on top of a desk to see things from a different view. Reads poetry in Assignment write a poem and read it front of the whole class. decides he wants to act, dream, knows his dad will disapprove. Neil got the part in Shakespeare's Midsummer dream.
Todd struggles to write his poem, class times comes and he has not written his poem. Keating guides him through the process of using his imagination. Teaches them to walk to their own tune.

Tom gets the nerve to call Chris, and she invites him to a party. Tom gets a desk set for his birthday, the same thing he got last year. His parents put no thought into his gift.