Favorite Movies.
People will laugh at me when I mention my list of favorite movies. I’m never sure why; maybe it’s because my favorite movies vary. My top two favorite movies of all time are extremely different. The Lion King and the Dead Poets Society.
The Lion King:
I watched it every single day when I was younger. Every single time I would cry (SPOILER ALERT) when Mufasa died. Or, when Scar killed him. This movie has moved me for a long time, and being fifteen, people giggle or sneer when I mention it as my favorite movie of all time ever… EVER. This movie moves me in a way that cartoons rarely do. The Lion King reminds me that, no matter what problems I must face, I cannot run away. It seems silly to people, that I can actually get something more than enjoyment from watching a children’s movie; but it makes more sense to me than most of my classes. The Lion King rocks my mismatched socks.
Dead Poets Society:
The first time I saw this movie I was in sixth grade. It first drew me in because the main character, Neil Perry, instead of wishing to be a doctor or a lawyer, wanted to act and read/create poetry. When I watched it a second time, Neil’s terrific English teacher, John Keating, reminded me exactly of the type of teacher I wanted to be (that I still want to be). And every time, the very last scene, when John Keating is just about to leave his classroom for the final time and almost all the boys stand up on their desks, calling out, “O, Captain, my captain!” I. Get. Chills. Every time I watch Dead Poets Society I find a new reason to love it, and every time I get more and more drawn in. Many of my peers disagree with me, saying that the Dead Poets Society is “boring,” and “too educational,” and “a waste of time.” I am a nerd trapped in an anti-nerd world.
I can only imagine that these two movies will remain my favorite movies for quite some time; and I can only hope that other people will appreciate them the way I do. They are both incredibly different but also awesome in the literal sense. (Tangent: Why must people ruin the true definition of the word awesome? It has a true and beautiful meaning, but by describing something such as a NASCAAR race or a loud burp as something “awesome,” it ruins the entire idea of the word.)
The Lion King and Dead Poets Society are phenomenal movies, and I highly recommend both of them to anyone interested in a good film.
OVS Journalism Blog 
I agree completely with your recent post: two great movies. And while I enjoy the music and friendship themes in Lion King, not to mention the coming-of-age storyline of a boy cub who becomes a man lion, I have to pick DPS as one of the all-time movie classics.
Now, the irony, in my view, is how Whitman’s “Oh Captain, my Captain” has entered the modern lexicon as an uplifting poetic piece when it is actually quite tragic, not unlike the story of our protagonist teacher in the film. Consider the last verse:
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
The verse quoted early in the movie is really a foreshadowing of the tragedy to come to Neil and Mr. Keating.
In any event, enjoyed your post. It made me miss my days as an English major!
Sieze the day boys, sieze the day!