Marking a turning point in the career of Robin Williams, who heretofore had been best known for his manic, stream-of-consciousness-comedy, Dead Poets Society shows him to be equally talented at straight drama. The story is set in 1959 and centers on the struggle of an unorthodox, energetic English teachers to inspire students at a posh New England prep school to appreciate poetry and understand how it can be used as an inspiration in their own lives.