If you are a teacher today, there is probably a small part of you that wanted to be as inspiring and passionate as John Keating. And if you were a student – ever – you probably yearned for a teacher who stood on desks, encouraged you to rip pages out of the text book, and enticed you to read poetry in dark caves. Join Bill and Carla for a walk through Dead Poets Society as we discuss these and many other questions:
- Was John Keating responsible for the death of Neil Perry?
- Was he a “progressive” educator?
- Is there such a thing as “pedagogical charisma”?
- How is it that nobody ever smells the cigarette smoke in the dorm rooms?
- Is standing on desks an essential quality for inspiring teachers?
Not everybody loved this movie, including Roger Ebert who wrote “Dead Poets Society” is a collection of pious platitudes masquerading as a courageous stand in favor of something: doing your own thing, I think.” You can read his full review of the movie here. Kevin Dettmar, English Professor at Pomona College, composed an inspired hate letter to the movie in the Atlantic Monthly in 2014 writing, “I’ve never hated a film quite the way I hate Dead Poets Society.”
What do you think about the film? Take a watch, then tune in as we discuss the good, bad, ugly and ridiculous of Dead Poets Society in Episode 02!
And. . . be sure to watch the SNL parody, Farewell, Mr. Bunting, if you have an extra few minutes. Gruesome but hilarious.
If you want to hear the full, unedited interview with Joe Romano, listen below!