The Same Birthday Gift Every Year
Dead Poets Society, Turning 40, and the Oscars
TL;DR
I’m turning 40 on Sunday, which is the same day the Oscars happen. As an Oscar nerd, this is a dream come true.
Trying something new. Scroll to the bottom of the post for some content ideas.
One of the greatest scenes in Dead Poets Society is one I never see people discuss. While returning from his rehearsal for “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Neil (Robert Sean Leonard) finds Todd (Ethan Hawke) sitting alone on a bridge, despondent. He checks on his new friend and discovers that it’s Todd’s birthday.
His parents have sent him a gift: a desk set. It’s the same gift they gave him the year before. Neil suggests that the desk set wants to fly—and Todd obliges by sending the crappy, thoughtless gift sailing off the bridge.
Every year, I also get the same gift from my wife, but it’s far more thoughtful.
I love the Oscars and when we first married, we would go see almost all of the nominees, even the short films and documentaries. But because life is more lifey now, that’s difficult to do.
But since Cinemark does a special Oscars Pass week, every year I spend the week before the Oscars going to see any of the Best Picture nominees I haven’t seen yet. (And rewatching ones I really want to see on the big screen.)
Speaking of, around the time this newsletter drops, I’ll be sitting in a theater watching Nickel Boys. Most people think it’s weird going to see a movie by yourself. I love it.
What I love most about movies is their ability to transport you into a new worldview for a couple hours. A great movie nails the concept of “everything is storytelling.” Not just the writing, but the directing, the camera work, the acting, the sound design, the makeup, the costumes, the music. Each component tells a story but also comes together to tell a single story.
With the Oscars falling on my birthday, it softens the blow of turning 40 a little. (But only a little.)
Now, enough about me.
Here are some content ideas for you this week:
What’s the best birthday gift you ever received and why?
What was your worst birthday present ever and why?
Do you love, hate, or love/hate award shows?
What’s your favorite movie from 2024 and why?
Which famous actor would you want to play you in a movie about your life?
And if you’re a subscriber, I’ve got bonus content ideas for you down below.
Still looking for content ideas? Visit my Stan Store to Go from Zero to 100+ Content Ideas with 25 Questions.
Until next time, keep changing the world—one story at a time.
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