Articulating a Vision

In the following scenes from the movies Scent of a Woman, Dead Poets’ Society, and The Postman, each leader presents a vision to his followers.


In Scent of a Woman, Colonel Slade appears at a hearing to help defend Charlie, a student at the prestigious Baird School. Charlie is being pressured to reveal who has vandalized the headmaster’s new Jaguar. George, another student who also knows who is responsible, is also at the hearing along with his father. The headmaster has promised Charlie that if he reveals the vandals he will write a scholarship recommendation for Charlie. Without the scholarship, Charlie will not be able to afford the college of his choice. Because George’s father is a big money donor to the school, the headmaster does not have leverage over him. Although the future looks bleak for Charlie, Colonel Slade presents a vision of the situation that is masterful. Via rhetorical strategies (which rely more on emotion than logic), Slade’s vision of the situation sways the verdict. Ironically, Colonel Slade is blind.




"Dissatisfaction and discouragement are not caused by the absence of things but the absence of vision." — Anonymous

In Dead Poet’s Society, Mr. Keating (aka “the Captain”) attempts to get his students to think about literature for themselves. The setting of an all boys’ preparatory school stifles creativity and encourages conformity. However, Keating makes a repeated point to present a different vision of education. Indeed, he offers up a physical exercise in order to illustrate the importance of having a different “vision” or point of view outside the norm.




"The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious." — John Scully

The Postman takes place in 2013; the United States of America as we know it has been destroyed. In this apocalyptic wasteland there are no dreams of a better tomorrow, only scattered survivors struggling to exist. However, a single man discovers a way to inspire hope. Simply by creating a fictitious story about the reorganization of the federal government and the re-establishment of the postal service, the “postman” delivers not only the mail, but the possibility of a brighter tomorrow. This small vision, even though it is not true, is so powerful that it sparks a movement and encourages people become more than they ever thought possible.



"You've got to think about big things while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction."
— Alvin Toffler