Dead Poets Society Page #5

He steps off the desk and walks out. The students sit, not

sure what to do, then realize they are to follow him. They

quickly gather their books, pick up texts, and follow.

18 INT. THE WELTON OAK PANELED HONOR ROOM - DAY 18

This is the room where the boys waited earlier. The walls

are lined with class pictures: dating back into the 1800s.

School trophies of every description fill trophy cases and

shelves. Keating leads the students in, then faces the class.

KEATING:

Mister...

(Keating looks at his roll)

Pitts. An unfortunate name. Stand up,

Mister Pitts.

Pitts stands.

KEATING (CONT'D)

Open your text, Pitts, to page forty and read for us the

first stanza of the poem.

Pitts looks through his book. He finds the poem.

PITTS:

To The Virgins to Make Much Of Time?

KEATING:

That's the one.

Giggles in the class. Pitts reads.

PITTS:

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may

Old time is still a flying

And this same flower that smiles today

Tomorrow will be dying.

KEATING:

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. The

Latin term for that sentiment is "Carpe

Diem." Anyone know what that means?

MEEKS:

Carpe Diem... seize the day.

KEATING:

Very good, Mr._?

MEEKS:

Meeks.

KEATING:

Seize the day while you're young, see

that you make use of your time. Why does

the poet write these lines?

A STUDENT:

Because he's in a hurry?

KEATING:

Because we're food for worms, lads!

Because we're only going to experience a

limited number of springs, summers, and

falls. One day, hard as it is to

believe, each and every one of us is

going to stop breathing, turn cold, and

die! Stand up and peruse the faces of

the boys who attended this school sixty

or seventy years ago. Don't be timid, go

look at them.

The boys get up. Todd, Neil, Knox, Meeks, etc. go over to

the class pictures that line the honor room walls.

ANGLES ON VARIOUS PICTURES ON THE WALLS. Faces of young men

stare at us from out of the past.

KEATING:

They're not that different than any of

you, are they? There's hope in their

eyes, just like in yours. They believe

themselves destined for wonderful things,

just like many of you. Well, where are

those smiles now, boys? What of that

hope?

THE BOYS are staring at the pictures, sobered by what Keating

is saying.

KEATING (CONT'D)

Did most of them not wait until it was

too late before making their lives into

even one iota of what they were capable?

In chasing the almighty deity of success

did they not squander their boyhood

dreams? Most of those gentlemen are

fertilizing daffodils! However, if you

get very close, boys, you can hear them

whisper. Go ahead, lean in. near it?

(loud whisper)

'Carpe Diem, lads. Seize the day. Make

your lives extraordinary. -

Todd, Neil, Knox, Charlie, Cameron,

Meeks, Pitts all stare into the pictures

on the wall. All are lost in thought.

19 EXT. THE WELTON CAMPUS - DAY 19

The class files out of the honor room. Todd, Neil, Knox,

Charlie, Cameron, Necks, and Pitts walk together, books in

hand. All thinking about what just happened in class.

PITTS:

Weird.

NEIL:

But different.

KNOX:

Spooky if you ask me.

CAMERON:

You think he'll test us on that stuff?

CHARLIE:

Oh come on, Cameron, don't you get

anything?

EXT. THE WELTON CAMPUS - CONTINUOUS

MEEKS:

How about a trig study group? Right

after dinner.

VARIOUS BOYS:

Good by me. Sure. Great.

KNOX:

I can't make it. I got a sign-out to

have dinner at the Danburrys' house.

PITTS:

Who are the Danburrys?

CAMERON:

Big alum,. How'd you pull that?

KNOX:

They're friends of my dad. Probably in

their nineties or something.

NEIL:

Listen, anything's, better than mystery

meat.

CHARLIE:

I'll second that.

The group disperses. Neil finds himself walking near Todd

who has been silent through this whole discussion.

NEIL:

Want to come to the study group?

TODD:

Thanks but I'd better do history.

20 INT. TODD AND NEIL'S DORM ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON 20

Todd enters alone. He puts down his books and sits at his

desk. Flipping through the stack of books in front of him, he

sighs at the work load that is piling up.

Todd takes out his notebook and opens his history book. He

stares at his notebook for a moment, then writes "SEIZE THE

DAY" in big letters. He looks at the words that he's written,

sighs, tears the page off, then plunges into his homework.

A21 EXT. THE WELTON CAMPUS - DUSK - WIDE SHOT A21

The autumnal colors are muted by the onset of nightfall. Old

Dr. Hager drives the school "woody" station wagon out of the

campus.

B21 EXT. WALTON VILLAGE (NEW CASTLE) - DUSK - WOODY DRIVE-BY B21

21 EXT./INT. A LARGE MANSION - DUSK 21

Knox Overstreet gets out of the woody. Dr. Hager pulls away.

Knox walks to the door of the home and is admitted by a maid.

Knox is amazed by this palatial home.

22 INT. THE DANBURRY MANSION LIBRARY - DUSK 22

JOE DANBURRY is a sharp looking man of about 40, well

dressed, friendly. His wife, an attractive blonde about the

same age, sits beside him.

JOE DANBURRY:

Knox, come in. Joe Danburry. This is

my wife, Janette.

KNOX:

(surprised)

Nice to meet you.

MRS. DANBURRY

You're the spitting image of your

father. How is he?

KNOX:

Great. Just did a big case for GM.

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