The air is chilling, the leaves are changing, and, boy, do these back-to-school films love to show us just that. On this week’s podcast, we discuss three films shaped around a new year at boarding school. Whether at Hogwarts in 2004 or Ivy League prep academies in 1959, these boarding school movies all hinge on how an outsider fits into an environment steeped in WASP-ness, wealth, or tradition. English teacher and returning friend-of-the-pod Brent Rivers sits in with us to discuss how Dead Poets Society, School Ties, and Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban all propagate certain myths about inspiring teachers.

Other big questions include:

• Does Dead Poets Society deserve its reputation as a classic choice for high school movie days? Like, is John Keating a good teacher?
• What was going on in 1992 when School Ties thought Brendan Fraser had more star power than Matt Damon?
• And does director Alfonso Cuaron’s lack of interest in Harry Potter canon make Prisoner of Azkaban a great or irritating black sheep within the series?

*Dead Poets is streaming on Netflix now if you want to watch before or after you listen to us, my captain.