Dead Poets Society : Film makes no sense. Little sympathy for characters. (Spoilers).

A bunch of rich, white, effeminate boys are encouraged to indulge themselves even further than their cushy lives already do.

One boy wants to act, but his father won't let him while he's in high school. Meaning the boy will simply have to wait a couple years until he's done with high school, or strike out on his own. (The dad obviously can't force him to do anything once he turns 18.)

However, unwilling to wait 24 months (or so) to pursue his dreams, the boy then kills himself in a self-indulgent tantrum as if that were the only option available to him.

Simply ridiculous, especially for those who would love the chance to attend an elite prep school, and/or have their parents pay for their college / grad school.

Clearly told from the perspective of someone who's had everything handed to him, and can't imagine having to wait even briefly for something they wanted.

Wow never has anybody missed the point of a movie so much!

Hey! You're not old enough to drink! Now go and die for your country!!!

So what do you think the movie's message is?

Wowyou seemed to have misunderstood..well, everything. Just starting with the obvious points, he couldn't just wait 24 months to follow his passion. His father was pulling him out of this school the next day and putting him in military school. Then after that he is to go to medical school and become a doctor. So not 24 months, but ten years. Ten years of not being allowed to follow his dreams. Ten years of being forced to only live how his father deems worthy. He didn't kill himself in a spoiled tantrum. He was freeing himself.

You clearly have no idea what it is to have family pressure like Neil. Jesus. Get some empathy in your life. There are many peoplerich and poor, white and black, accepted and marginalizedwho feel crippling levels of responsibility towards their families.

I agree that the movie doesn't make a lot of sense. I feel like the screenwriter wanted to do something different with the "inspiring teacher" genre but couldn't figure out how to conclude the story, or what its ultimate message is supposed to be.