This week, I rewatched the movie Dead Poets Society for the first time in about a decade. This movie has always stood out in my memory as a moving, influential film that portrays a strong life lesson: to seize the day, stand up for your individual beliefs, and follow your heart. As a lost teenager, drowning in a sea of societal and parental expectations, this film was like a life raft. Professor Keating, played by the late, great Robin Williams, tells his students that,”…The human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” These words struck me then and they still resonate with me, even today. It was this kind of sentiment that had Keating’s students standing on their desks for him, proclaiming, “Oh Captain, my captain,” and it was the same kind of sentiment that convinced me to take the risk of quitting my Silicon Valley corporate job for a more beautiful, meaningful life here in Lake Tahoe.

I think this movie would be considered a mainstream film, and a successful one at that. According to IMDB, it was made with an estimated $16.4 million dollar budget and though it only made around $340,000 on opening weekend, it went on to gross a total of $95.8 million dollars in the US! That’s a pretty decent return on investment, if you ask me. Dead Poets Society was directed by Peter Weil, who isn’t a massively mainstream, but he is known for The Truman Show, and Master and Commander which are both very well-known films. Though the subject matter can be a bit artsy, the storyline is easy to follow and the plot can be described as a more-or-less “typical” coming of age story.

Though the story retains meaning for me, I have matured beyond my teenage years and I no longer identify so strongly with the challenges that the students are facing in their lives. I still think this film is well worth a watch and I strongly recommend that everyone check it out and take Professor Keating’s words to heart: Carpe Diem!