20 Coming-Of-Age Movies That Are Totally Flawless

20. Dead Poets Society (1989)

Unlike many movies on this list, the focal point of Dead Poets Society is actually a grown-up, who through expressing his progressive and life-affirming beliefs changes the lives of the English students in his class.

The late, great Robin Williams stars as John Keating, a teacher who preaches carpe diem and encourages his students - trapped in an elite boarding school in the 1950s - to chase their dreams and find solace in poetry.

It's a gorgeous drama that uses Williams' effortless charm and energy to paint a striking portrait of friendship, academia, and grasping opportunities, but it's also amusing and dark in equal measure.

Few films better highlight the skills of Williams' or the potential power of a teacher's relationship to their students, and fewer still will leave you as teary-eyed with their final moments.