Dead Poets Society

Factual error: The film takes place in a private boarding school the 1950's, however one of the students is studying from a 1980's chemistry textbook. The obvious giveaway is that the spine of one book shows HBJ as the publisher. Jovanovich was not added to Harcourt Brace until the 1970s.

Factual error: Keating misquotes Whitman's "Song of Myself". The word "rooftops" should have been "roofs". An English Lit teacher of his caliber would not have made this mistake. This is a deliberate mistake on the part of the filmmakers.

Macalou

Continuity mistake: When Neil is talking to Todd about doing the play, Neil takes off his jacket. In the next shot, he's holding the jacket differently.

Brad

More mistakes in Dead Poets Society

John Keating: We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And 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. To quote from Whitman, "O me! O life! Of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... Of cities filled with the foolish; what good amid these, O me, O life?" Answer. That you are here - that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?

More quotes from Dead Poets Society

Question: Just before Todd Anderson has his emotional breakdown about Neil's death, one of his friends grabs a handful of snow and shoves it at his mouth. Why did he do that? It makes no sense.

Matty Blast

Chosen answer: He is just trying to get something to help wash the taste of vomit out of Todd's mouth.

Macalou

More questions & answers from Dead Poets Society

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.