1989 Dead Poet's Society

The big surprise of 1989 was this little Robin Williams starring drama about an English teacher who uses poetry to inspire his class. The movie, a drama, was up against the summer blockbusters of Batman and Indiana Jones, as well as Lethal Weapon 2. Yet the gently uplifting tale managed to muscle its way into the top five for the year.

Robin Williams was not known for his box office strength. His only hit movie had been Good Morning, Vietnam the previous year, having failed to come out of the shadow of his hit tv show Mork & Mindy. After the success of Dead Poet's Society, he was considered box office gold.

The story is set in an elite school in 1959, and is a coming of age tale for the boys who attend. Stuck with the stuffy ideals of the school, they are inspired by the teachings of Williams character who encourages them to make their lives extraordinary. The script was written by TomSchulman, based on his experiences in a similar environment.

The director, Peter Weir, who had found success with Witness, was waiting to shoot a film called Green Card when this script was given to him by Jeffery Katzenburg at Disney. He loved it and a few weeks later was ready to go. The film was produced by Disney's adult arm, Touchstone Pictures.

Schulman was an Oscar for best screenplay as the movie garnered many awards; Weir was nominated. The film did win at the British Academy Awards. Robin Williams was also nominated for an Oscar for best actor, the second year in a row. His usual wild and eccentric style was toned down, and the actor was praised for giving the attention to the kids in the school rather than on him; it is a very understated and beautiful performance. A contrast to his nominated performance in 1988.

The movie also has a few young faces, some of which are still doing the rounds today, not least Ethan Hawke.

The movie was brought together on a budget of $16m and took a massive $235m at the box office.

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