Great Scene: “Dead Poets Society”

The final scene in the Academy Award-winning movie.

Plot summary: Maverick teacher John Keating uses poetry to embolden his boarding school students to new heights of self-expression.

Written by Tom Schulman.

Scene setup: Keating has been fired, but there is a final farewell with the boys.

Here is the movie version of the scene:

The story is based on screenwriter Tom Schulman’s experience attending a private boys school in Nashville, Tennessee. This final scene is a wonderful denouement which captures the bittersweet emotion of the moment.

You may read the screenplay here.

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