Carpe Diem: a term that many have heard, but that far fewer truly understand. This term, however, is one that had great meaning in this film. From the opening moments, through to the end, the characters and the story reflected the idea of seizing the day; the idea of taking chances and doing the difficult thing, of stepping outside of one’s shell for the sole reason that it may, in some way, be beneficial. Robin Williams’ John Keating was a Mr. Feeny before there was a Mr. Feeny. His odd sense of humor, his unique teaching methods and his astonishing life lessons mirror that of the beloved principal, teacher and friend from Boy Meets World (1993). Keating reaches out to the children of his class in a way that I feel many people struggle with. He sees them less as students or as someone who possesses the need for knowledge, but more as equals. He treats them with complete respect and because of this they give it back to him. Williams’ character was relatable because of the wonderful teachers and professors I had growing up (this made the film even more enjoyable). What made this character even more appealing was the fact that his methods of education were so unorthodox and frowned upon. He, like the children, faced much adversity throughout the film. To see someone stand up for what they believe in--no matter how small it may seem--and be willing to risk a great deal for it is not only incredibly charming, but a borderline unparalleled quality for a person to possess. Parts of the film were darker than the rest, but these parts led to something. They led to a greater understanding for (and of) the film’s characters and a better appreciation of the film. I think that even though the result of some of these scenes were horrific, they led to certain realizations about life. It’s unlikely that two people would come to the same realizations as one another, but nonetheless, I felt that these potential epiphanies were present throughout the film. The film consisted of little to no action and moved at what could be considered a snail’s pace. While some films can be detrimentally affected by things like this, Peter Weir and Tom Schulman succeeded producing a successful film void of these common Hollywood qualities. The hook in this film was that idea of Carpe Diem (due to its constant presence, I felt it appropriate to bring it up again). The idea that, at any moment, these characters could step up and change their fate, change their way of thinking or simply cause a laugh kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting for the next character to have their moment. Josh Charles’ Knox Overstreet was the embodiment of this idea in the film. He regularly looked to the idea of living in the moment, not worrying about the potential negative outcomes and taking the leap. What was so tantalizing about this film was, in fact, the life lessons taught throughout the story. While the purpose of the film would have been entertainment and not necessarily the imparting of knowledge, the slew of ambitious characters present in this film allowed for more than that. While Robert Sean Leonard’s Neil Perry went down a road that should never be considered, I think that the choice by Weir and Schulman to have this character go out like that was appropriate. Moreover, while the lessons that would have been learned by this act would have been dark and hard to swallow, I believe that they were essential to the story. It allowed the audience to see both sides of the coin; to see both the positives and the negatives of free will. Similarly, the final scene of the film shows the flip side of that coin. The audience has already seen the negatives that one’s actions can have on a group of people and now they see how positively one can affect a group as well. While the film was fantastic, the lessons learned were far greater. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097165/?ref_=nv_sr_1
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