When the deaths of 47 sailors on an ill-fated training exercise are blamed on a single despondent crew member, the ship's hardened captain supports the Navy's official position in order to save face. But a skeptical lieutenant with a different theory risks his own reputation and his career to discover the truth behind the tragedy.

Robin Williams portrays English professor John Keating, who, in an age of crew cuts, sport coats and cheerless conformity, inspires his students to live life to the fullest, exclaiming "Carpe Diem, lads! Seize the day. Make your lives extraordinary!" The charismatic teacher's emotionally charged challenge is met by his students with irrepressible enthusiasm--changing their lives forever.