Episode 74 - Dead Poets Society

Carpe diem! It's time to sneak out of the dormitory at your elite all-boys prep school and go to the old Indian cave to read poetry into the wee hours of the morning. The 1989 film "Dead Poets Society" won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for showing its audience that life isn't worth living unless you are fiercely pursuing the things you are passionate about regardless of the consequences.

Robin Williams plays John Keating (no relation to one of this show's hosts), an irreverent young English teacher who returns to the stodgy school that he once attended in order sow the seeds of discontent amongst his students, but somehow he is surprised and hurt when the administration isn't happy with what he's doing.

Robert Sean Leonard plays Neil Perry, an unstable and brittle-spirited student who has a desire to pursue acting against his tyrannical father's wishes. After being inspired by his teacher to follow his dreams, Neil's quest to become his own man spins wildly out of control and ultimately ends tragically in a self-inflicted bullet to the ol' noggin.

Ethan Hawke plays Todd Anderson, a timid student who lives in the shadow of his illustrious older brother. With a little help from his friends and his favorite teacher, Todd is able to break out of his shell and tap into his limitless hidden potential like some sort of Tony Robbins seminar attendee. 

Josh Charles plays Knox Overstreet, a horny student who misconstrues his teacher’s instruction to seize the day as permission for him to creepily obsess over the girl he is pursuing to the point where he eventually sexually assaults her while she is passed out.

Gale Hansen plays Charlie Dalton (a.k.a Nuwanda), a fun-loving student who is the only character in the film to actually embody the carpe diem attitude. Also, he's the only character who doesn't turn on John Keating and become a rat fink after the school administration applies the slightest pressure.

Join us as we discuss how and why Keating & Jim were both permanently kicked out of one of their high school classes, our speculation that the Robin Williams character in this is basically a cult leader, and how Jim was once on a high school wrestling team with a future Playboy Playmate.

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This episode is sponsored by Build-A-Relationship.