Dead Poets Society

For the American rock band, see Dead Poet Society.

Dead Poets Society
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPeter Weir
Written byTom Schulman
Produced by
StarringRobin Williams
CinematographyJohn Seale
Edited byWilliam Anderson
Music byMaurice Jarre
Production
companies
Distributed byBuena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date
  • June 2, 1989 (1989-06-02)
Running time
128 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$16.4 million[2]
Box office$235.9 million[3]

Dead Poets Society is a 1989 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Peter Weir and written by Tom Schulman. The film, starring Robin Williams, is set in 1959 at a fictional elite boarding school called Welton Academy,[4] and tells the story of an English teacher who inspires his students through his teaching of poetry.

Dead Poets Society was released in the United States on June 2, 1989. The film was a critical and commercial success. It grossed $235 million worldwide, became the fifth-highest-grossing film of 1989, and received generally positive reviews from critics. The film received numerous accolades, including Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Director, as well as a Best Actor nomination for Williams. The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Film,[5] the César Award for Best Foreign Film and the David di Donatello Award for Best Foreign Film. Schulman received the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work.

  1. ^ "Dead Poets Society". BBFC. February 5, 1999. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  2. ^ "Dead Poets Society (1989)". The Numbers. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference boxoff was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Canby, Vincent (June 2, 1989). "Dead Poets Society (1989) June 2, 1989 Review/Film; Shaking Up a Boys' School With Poetry". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved November 8, 2011.
  5. ^ "1990 Film Film | BAFTA Awards". Awards.bafta.org. Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2016.