I saw Dead Poets Society last night....

[HEyHEY]

I know it was the 50s, but I still can't imagine any group of young men getting together to read poetry. I guess that's what made the society special. :shrug:

ANyone else watch it?

[Guaranteed]

1. Yeah, it was one of my favorite movies for awhile

The ending is one of the most moving I've ever seen.

I think it was just a different time, back then...going out into the woods at night to read poetry in a cave was rebellious, I guess.

[boxster]

2. It's not about the poetry.

It's about rebellion. It's about fighting the status quo and bending the rules. And, it's about thinking for yourself and being an individual.

People will do unexpected things when they're told that they can't.

[markses]

11. Yeah uh huh

Like when they all get up on the table and conform in their non-conformity. That was pretty special...:eyes:

Oh Fuhrer, Mein Fuhrer....

[peekaloo]

3. '50's gave birth to the Beat Generation

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. Seize the Day!!!!

I think it is a wonderfully done movie, and yes I can see young men getting together in the 50's to do that. There was no internet, no video games so it's totally believable. Especially at a college prepratory school. :hi:

[populistmom]

5. I saw it when I was 17 I think

It made me swoon big time- a group of handsome, strait, poetry reading, adoloescent males- I thought I died and went to movie heaven.

[frogfromthenorth2]

6. Most annoying film ever made....

Overated, overbloated...

[beawr]

7. Absolutely Right

Almost as bad as Mr. Holland's Opus. In that particular vein.

[absyntheNsugar]

10. YES FINALLY SOMEONE AGREES!!!

Part of Robin Williams long descent into sappy pap hell. After that he made such crap like "Awakenings" and ultimately "Patch Adams."

[NightTrain]

8. I saw it theatrically in 1989--several times, in fact.

Haven't seen it since, though. Wonder if I'd still like it as much?

[devilgrrl]

9. Yeah, I watched it and thought it...

SUCKED!

One of the most pretentious movies I've ever scene. :puke:

[markses]

12. Plenty of young folks get together and read poetry today

Matter of fact, I just went to a poetry reading last night, and it was friggin' PACKED with 16-30 year-olds.

Also, if you consider the expansion of poetry out of the Dead White Guy canon, there is all kind of poetic activity going on in our culture (hip hop being only one example).

What people can't picture is a bunch of 16 year-olds going to their homoerotic cave to read Whitman. Well, this was just as unimaginable in the 1950's, and in the 1930's, etc., except for a very small portion of the population. If anything, i'd argue that poetry is MORE popular today than it was in the 1950's, probably because the kind of obnoxious mode of Arnoldian elitism so proudly on display in the AWFUL "Dead Poets Society" has evaporated. Best that was thought and said? Well, fine, but gimme NAS, too.