Dead Poets Society: Overrated Sentiment or Actual Genius?

Okay, so everyone loves Dead Poets Society. Like, it's practically a sacred cow in the film world. And yeah, Robin Williams is good, I'll give you that. But does anyone else think it's...kinda manipulative? "Carpe diem!" shouts Keating, and all the impressionable young lads are suddenly enlightened. I mean, come on. It's boarding school angst dressed up as profound wisdom. Don't get me wrong, the film is beautifully shot, and the acting is solid. But the whole "rebel against the man" shtick feels incredibly contrived. Neil Perry's story, in particular, just felt like a ham-fisted attempt to tug at the heartstrings. Was I the only one rolling my eyes when they all stood on their desks? It just felt so performative and lacking in genuine substance, like they were proving a point with theatrics rather than actual belief. And let's be real, Keating's a bit of a narcissistic loose cannon, no? Inspiring? Sure. Responsible? Debatable. He encourages them to question authority, which is great, but without giving them the tools to navigate the real-world consequences. Isn't it kind of irresponsible to tell teenagers to just 'seize the day' without any sense of the bigger picture? So am I a total philistine for thinking this movie is way overhyped, or is anyone else with me on this? Maybe I'm just a cynical old soul, but I can't help but feel like people mistake sentimentality for actual depth. Is it possible I just missed something? Tell me what makes this so special people, maybe you can change my mind but frankly I doubt it.