Dead Poets Society

I'm just like you--aghast at the inexcusable fact that I'd never seen this movie before. It came out while I was in high school, and I'm pretty certain that every other person in my graduating class saw it. I don't know how I missed it.

I kind of thought this might turn out a lot like the book A Separate Peace by John Knowles (which, incidentally, was one of the only two assigned reading books I recall really enjoying in high school. The other one was Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, in case you felt like you needed to know.) As I'm sure you know, though, there wasn't much similarity between the two, other than both stories being about a group of boarding school chums, one of whom dies.

I only wish there were more such inspired and inspiring teachers as Mr. Keating as portrayed by Robin Williams in this movie. Or if only every person could experience at least one such teacher during their education. I think I even learned from Mr. Keating. My favorite lesson of his was about how we should constantly remind ourselves to look at things in a different way. It is only my preference for crawling into bed that keeps me from climbing onto my desk right now.