Dead Poets Society (1989)

He was their inspiration. He made their lives extraordinary.

At an elite, old-fashioned boarding school in New England, a passionate English teacher inspires his students to rebel against convention and seize the potential of every day, courting the disdain of the stern headmaster.

Directed by: Peter Weir

Written by: Tom Schulman

Music by: Maurice Jarre

Starring: Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles, Gale Hansen, Dylan Kussman, Allelon Ruggiero, James Waterston, Norman Lloyd, Kurtwood Smith

Genre: Drama

Released: 1989-06-02

Runtime: 129 minutes

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Dead Poets Society (1989): trivia & fun facts

Fun facts

• Principal photography began on November 14, 1988, with a budget of $16.4 million.
• However, Kanew was subsequently replaced by Peter Weir, after Weir met with Jeffrey Katzenberg, the CEO of Disney in 1988, and suggested that Weir read Schulman's script.
• Dead Poets Society was written by Tom Schulman in 1985, based on his experiences at the Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennessee.
• Robin Williams cracked many jokes on set during filming, which Ethan Hawke found irritating.
• The website's critical consensus reads: "Affecting performances from the young cast and a genuinely inspirational turn from Robin Williams grant Peter Weir's prep school drama top honors."
• Jeff Kanew was originally hired as director, but was eventually replaced by Weir.
• The film also received many accolades, including the BAFTA Award for Best Film at the 43rd British Academy Film Awards, with producers Steven Haft, Paul Junger Witt, Tony Thomas, and Weir collecting the award.
• Dead Poets Society was released on June 2, 1989, initially as a limited theatrical release, before receiving a wide release in the United States on June 9.
• During its fourth and fifth weekends, it grossed $6,708,768 and $5,186,264 respectively, with Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) passing it in its sixth.
• In its final week in August 1989, it concluded with $963,442 at number 17.
• At the 62nd Academy Awards, producers Steven Haft, Paul Junger Witt, and Tony Thomas were nominated for the Best Picture award, along with Weir and Tom Schulman being nominated for Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, with the latter winning the category.

Source: Wikipedia

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