Dead Poets Society: The Extra Scenes


If you are interested in checking out Quicktime movie clips of most of the extra scenes, drop on over to the multimedia page.

Scene One:

        After Neil's father demands that Neil drop the school annual, Neil returns to his room and speaks to his roommate, Todd.
Neil fidgets with the medals on his uniform and Todd straightens up his desk. Todd takes a picture of his family and shoves it in one of the drawers.
 
Neil
So, what do you think of my father?

Todd pauses, goes to say something and then remains silent.

Neil

Todd, if you're going to make it around here you've got to speak up. The meek might inherit the earth but they don't make it into Harvard.

Scene Two:

Before classes begin, just after "Slow down you horrible phalanx of pubescence", there is a long line up the stairs to Mr. Nolan's office.
 
Hager
Overstreet, Perry, Dalton, Anderson, Cameron.

Pitts

Who's the new boy?

Meeks

Anderson.

Hager

Mr. Pitts, Meeks, demerits.

Pitts lets out a sigh.

Hager

That's another demerit Pitts.

Inside Mr. Nolan's Office:

Nolan
Welcome back Mr. Overstreet. Has your family moved into that new house yet?

Knox

Yes sir, about a month ago

Nolan

I hear it's beautiful. Ahh, there you are Mr. Cameron, how's your father?

Cameron

Doing fine sir.

Nolan

Ahh, that's nice to hear.

Mr. Nolan takes a dog biscuit from his desk and feeds it to the dog sitting beside him.

Nolan

Mr. Anderson, since you're new here, let me explain that at Welton I assign all extra curricular activities based on merit and desire. These activities are to be taken every bit as seriously as classwork, right boys.

Others

Yes sir.

Nolan

Failure to attend required meetings will result in demerits. Mr. Dalton: School newspaper, service club, soccer, rowing. Mr. Overstreet: Welton Society Candidates, school paper, soccer, sons of alumni club.

Knox

Yes sir.

Nolan

Mr. Perry: Welton Society Candidates, chemistry club, mathematics club, soccer, no school annual.

Neil

No sir.

Nolan

Mr. Cameron.

Cameron

Yes sir.

Nolan

Welton Society Candidates, debate club, rowing, service club, forensics, Honor Council.

Cameron

Thank you sir.

Nolan

Mr. Anderson, based on your record at Ballen Crest: soccer, service club, school annual. Anything else I don't know about?

Todd

Well-

Nolan

Speak up Mr. Anderson.

Todd

I, I, I, I'd prefer rowing sir.

Nolan

Rowing? Did he say rowing? It says here you played soccer at Balincrest.

Todd

Yeah, I did, but, I-

Nolan

You'll like soccer here Mr. Anderson. All right boys, dismissed.

Scene Three:

At the Danburry's house, Knox meets Chris and is then intoduced to Joe Danburry.
 
Joe
Have you met our daughter Virginia? Virginia, turn it down will ya?

Mrs. Danburry

Virginia, say hello.

Ginny

It's Ginny Mom. Hi.

Joe

Did he ever tell you about the case we had together? He didn't tell you what happened?

Knox

Uh, no, no.

Joe

Oh, well, we were really stuck, I was sure I had lost the biggest case of my life and then your father came to me and told me that he could weasel a settlement, but only if I gave him the entire fee from our client. Uh, that son of a gun. You know what I did.

Knox

No, no.

Joe

I let him have it.

Joe breaks into foolish laughter.

Joe

I was so desperate, I let your father take the whole fee.

Mrs. Danburry

Excuse me while I see how things are going for dinner.

Chet and Chris come downstairs.

Chet

Dad, can I take the caddie?

Joe

What's wrong with your car?

Mrs. Danburry

Chet, where are your manners? This is my son Chet and his girlfriend, Chris Noel. This is Knox Overstreet.

Knox

Yes ma'am, we sort of met, almost.

Chris

Yes.

Chet
(abruptly) 

Yes hi. Uh Dad, come on, why is it always such a big deal?

Joe

Because I bought you a sports car and suddenly you want to take my car all the time.

Chet

Yes, I know, but Chris' mom feels safer when we're in a bigger car, right Chris.

Chris

It's okay Chet.

Chet

No it's not okay. Dad, what's the problem?

Chris

It's all right.

Chet

No, I don't think so.

Joe

Now, now look Chet, we need to talk about this, no no no, I'm not giving in this time.

Joe and Chet leave the room.

Knox

So, ah, Chris, where are you in school?

Chris

Ridgeway High. How do you like Henley Hall Ginn?

Ginny

It's okay.

Chris

That's your sister school, right?

Knox

Sort of.

Chris kneels down on the floor with Ginny.

Chris

So, Ginn, are you going to go out for the Henley Hall play?

Ginny

Ahh, maybe.

Chris

They're doing "A Midsummer Night's Dream". You know you really should Ginn, you would be great.

Ginny

I don't know.

Knox

So how'd you meet Chet? I mean, I mean ah...

Chris

He plays football for Ridgeway and I'm a cheerleader. He used to go to Welton, but he flunked out.

Knox

Yeah, I know.

Chris
(to Ginny)

Please try out-

Chet

Chris? Come on Chris let's go, I got it.

Chet jingles the car keys. Chris goes to leave.

Chris

It was nice meeting you Knox.

Knox

Bye Chris.

Knox goes to the window, whistling, and watches Chris and Chet jump into the car and immediately begin kissing.

Ginny

Something wrong?

Knox

No. No, no, no, nothing's wrong.

Scene Four:

In the cafeteria, the boys are looking at Mr. Keating's old annual. Instead of Mr. Nolan yelling out "that boy there, see me after", he approaches the table.
 
Charlie
Here comes the beak.

Nolan

Enjoying your meal Mr. Perry?

Neil

Yes sir, very much.

Nolan

Our Mr. Keating; finding him interesting boys?

Boys

Mmm hmm, yes sir.

Charlie

We were just talking about that.

Nolan

Good, he has a very impressive record, he was a Rhodes scholar you know.

Nolan
(as he walks away)

Carry on.

Charlie
(whispering)

Carry on ripping.

The boys begin laughing, growling "rip rip rip".

Scene Five:

After the "phone call from God" scene, Neil goes to Henley Hall for a practice. We then see him curled up by the window in a blanket, silently rehearsing his lines. Afterwards, Neil and Todd are outside, heading towards the wharf. Todd has the play in his hands. Neil, carrying a long stick, is yelling his lines dramatically while Todd quietly reads his lines aloud.
 
 
Neil
Here villain, drawn and ready, where art thou?

Todd

I will be with thee straight.

Neil

Follow me then, to plainer ground. Ahh I love it.

Todd

What, the scene?

Neil

No, acting. Acting's got to be one of the most wonderful things in the world. Think about it, most people, if they're lucky, get to lead half an exciting life, right. If I get the parts I could live dozens of great lives. (wielding his stick as a sword) To be or not to be that is the question! Yaaaaaa, for the first time in my life I feel completely alive. You, you should come to rehearsals.

Todd

Oh I should?

Neil

Yes, it's the best, I know they need people to run the lights and stuff.

Todd

Nah, I don't think...

Neil

Come on, girls, the girl who plays Hermia is incredible.

Todd

Yeah? What's she look like?

Neil

What, you're not coming, forget it, forget it, go back, go back, go back.

Todd

Follow me to plainer ground. Yeah art thou there?

Neil

What?
Todd
Uhh, yea art thou there?

Neil
(screaming)

Put more into it!

Todd
(screaming out across the water)

Yea art thou there!

Neil

That's it, that's it. Follow my voice, we'll try no manhood here.

Neil begins swatting at Todd with the stick and Todd begins hitting him with the play book.

Scene Six:

Just after Neil's father insists that Neil quit the play, we go to the cafeteria, where everyone is eating spaghetti. Charlie and all the other boys at the table are trying to eat with their left hands. Dr. Hager comes up to them
 
 
Hager
Mr. Dalton.

Charlie

Sir?

Hager

Are you gentlemen all normally left handed?

Boys

No sir.

Hager

Then why are you eating with your left hands?

Knox

We thought it would be good to break old habits sir.

Hager

And what's wrong with old habits Mr. Overstreet?

Knox

Well they perpetuate mechanical living sir, they limit your mind.

Hager

Mr. Overstreet, I suggest that you worry less about breaking old habits and more about developing good study habits. Do you understand?

Knox

Yes sir.

Hager

That goes for all of you. (Grabs one of the students by the left hand.) Now, eat with your correct hands. 

Everyone returns to eating with their right hands. Charlie waits until Hager is at another table before he shoves an enormous meatball into his mouth with his left hand.

Scene Seven:

Just after Charlie tells of reading his poem to Chris, we go to Keating's classroom, with the lights off. All the students have blindfolds on, listening to a classical piece on the record player. The school bell rings and Keating turns the music down.
 
 
Keating
Words can never contain as music does, the unsayable grace that cannot be defined. It leaps like light from mind to mind. That's it for today boys, keep it in there.

Everyone gets up to leave except Neil, who stays at his desk, hands clasped, with the blindfold still on. Keating slowly approaches him and sits down.

Keating

Did you talk to your father?

At this point it continues with the scene where Neil says that he talked to his father and he was letting him stay in the play. If you look at the books on Neil's desk in the normal version, you can see the blindfold there.

Scene Eight:

Just after Neil's suicide, after Keating looks at the poetry book in Neil's desk, we see Keating and McAllister together in the room off his class. McAllister has two cups of tea and adds a little from a flask to each of them.
 
 
McAllister
Don't be so tough on yourself John, this is not the first school to have to cope with this kind of... John, these acts of adolescent desperation can be touched off just as easily by failing exams or unfulfilled puppy love. You know as well as I do.

Scene Nine:

At the church service. Before Nolan gives his "there shall be a full enquiry" speech, we see the minister speaking. As he speaks, we see the boys and then we go down the line of teachers, finally stopping at Keating.
 
 
Minister
Let us pray. Oh God, of grace and glory, we remember before thee today our classmate, Neil Perry. We thank thee for giving him to us, to know and to love as a companion on our Earthly pilgrimage. In thy boundless compassion, console us to mourn and give us faith to see in death the gate of life eternal. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

And that's all of them. I'm uncertain whether the scenes were cut because of overlength or just because they seemed unnecessary. Some scenes like one and two don't really add anything too much. Scene three helps explain a little more of why Knox fell for Chris. I miss the others scenes, especially six and seven, when I'm watching the normal version, they add a little extra magic to the movie.

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