The Dead Poet's Society

So, I'm kind of blogging about the same thing twice, but I absolutely love this movie. You should watch it if you haven't.

I can't find a clip of it on youtube, but there is a scene where they quote Thoreau, which is what made me think of this movie.

If you've never seen it, Dead Poets Society is about a group of friends in a very conservative all boys boarding school, and how their English teacher, John Keating (Robin Williams), teaches them to see the world differently.
While the Welton Academy actively curbs the idea of freedom of thought, Professor Keating encourages the boys to think for themselves. He teaches them of free thinkers from transcendentalist literature to Walt Whitman. His motto is carpe diem.

Though all of the boys in their group of friends are important, I'd say that two characters, Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) and Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke) are the major characters.
Neil has struggled with his father all his life. He comes from a middle class family, and his father strives for him to be a doctor. Mr. Perry will not allow Neil to be distracted in any way from his studies - he even makes him resign from being the editor of his school's newspaper. When Neil gets the role of Puck in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream and finally realizes that he wants to act, he and his father get in a great disagreement.
Todd Anderson is a very quiet boy, living in the great shadow of his hugely successful brother. He is constantly overlooked by his parents. He struggles with his shyness, though Professor Keating and his roommate Neil encourage him as best they can to break out of his shell. The scene I posted before was of Todd: When he failed to write a poem to preform in front of the class, Professor Keating asks him to make one up on the spot about Walt Whitman.

Anyway, this movie is fantastic. It is rich with literary references, and is a great story about friendship and free thought.
Watch it.