MovieChat Forums > Dead Poets Society (1989) Discussion > Upstaged by other educational movies

Upstaged by other educational movies

posted 4 years ago by redban (5145)
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Simply because it’s focus on wealthy, privileged white young men lowered the stakes. Had they never met a teacher like Keatings, all of those boys would’ve still went on to live good lives. They would have gone on to be doctors, lawyers, & businessmen.

But in movies like Stand & Deliver, Lean on Me, Dangerous Minds, and Walkout, the stakes are higher because of its focus on lower-class minorities. Without meeting Jamie Escalante, the children in Stand and Deliver would’ve went on to be criminals, welfare queens, drug dealers, or vagrants. Hence, these reduce the importance of Dead Poet Society.

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

It's kind of telling that we live in a society where so many equate a profession with leading a fulfilling life.

[–] Owlwise (1485) 4 years ago

But would they have been happy as doctors, lawyers & businessmen? Not all of them. And missing the chance to become your true self would eventually return to haunt them. Privilege & money don't necessarily protect people from a loss of self. They might bury & repress it for a time, but all too often, it returns as a sense of emptiness, an opportunity missed, later in life.

In short, it's important for everyone to have the chance to be true to themselves. Privilege does give some people a leg up, I'll give you that … but at the same time, it can also be a comfortably numb prison that prevents real personal growth & wholeness. It's not a guarantee of "success" in the deepest sense of the word by any means.