The words written on the title page of the "Treasure Book" of the Poetry Club come from Thoreau's "Walden"; "Oh, Captain!" read by Teacher Keating. My captain! "From Whitman's "Leaf of Grass"; there are also Shakespeare's "Sonnet No. 18" and Byron's "She Slowly Walks in the United States".
Director Peter Weir chose to shoot this film in chronological order, with the purpose of better showing the progress of the friendship between the children and Teacher Keating and the increasing admiration for him.
Peter Weil is studying at a private boys' high school called Scots College in Sydney. Many scenes in the film reproduce the style of the school, such as uniforms, discipline, and overall feelings about the school.
The film was shot in a boarding school on Andrews Avenue in Delaware, in the eastern United States.
In the original book, Teacher Keating died of leukemia, but the director believes that the main focus of the film should be the children.
Liam Neeson originally handed over the rights of director to Jeff Kanew, but after Robin Williams joined the film, Peter Weil became the director of the film.
The role of John Keating was considered by Dustin Hoffman.
Keating’s quote from Whitman’s verse is incorrect. The correct verse should be: "I heard my unfettered screams breaking through the top of the world."
Although the background of the movie is in the 1950s, the chemistry textbook "Chemistry: A Modern Course" students are using is the 1987 version of Robert Smoot.
Many musical instruments were mistakenly used in the film in 1959, such as fiberglass tuba, metal drum stand, and tweeter. These appeared at least 20 years earlier.
