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Amazon.co.uk Review
Julia Roberts' command of the screen is so effortless, it's easy for moviegoers to take her for granted--but we shouldn't. Mona Lisa Smile--about a non-comformist teacher at a private school who encourages students to pursue their individuality--is pretty much an all-girls version of Dead Poets Society that mixes 50s fashions with 70s feminist thought. However, its lack of ambition doesn't diminish the talent that's gone into it: the writing and directing are well-honed and skilful; the actors--a talent-studded cast featuring Marcia Gay Harden, Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Julia Stiles and Juliet Stevenson--are uniformly excellent. But without question, Mona Lisa Smile rides on Roberts' shoulders and she carries it with ease. She's possibly the only contemporary actor who simply owns a movie the way Bette Davis, Jean Arthur, or Claudette Colbert once did, radiating a engaging mix of intelligence, drive, and emotional warmth that cannot be matched. --Bret Fetzer
DVD Description
Academy Award winner Julia Roberts stars in Mona Lisa Smile as Katherine Watson, a recent UCLA graduate hired to teach art history at the prestigious all-female Wellesley College, in 1953. Determined to confront the outdated mores of society and the institution that embraces them, Katherine inspires her traditional students, including Betty (Kirsten Dunst) and Joan (Julia Stiles), to challenge the lives they are expected to lead.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The line up was promising; Julia Roberts, Kirstin Dunst, Maggie Gylenhaal and Julia Stiles. This film delivered. It's feministic approach was refreshing to see, and delivered in the form of Julia Roberts character, who incidentally was not a man-hating feminist, showed that the movement was not a way of women attempting to rise up against the oppressive and hateful men that ruled their lives, but a motion towards some kind of respect and equality. Roberts' character dated, loved, and worked hard for all she wanted. She motivated the girls to make a life for themselves that existed beyond the boundries of masculine expectation, so they would not regret letting the oppertunities pass them by.
Kirstin Dunst impressed me immensley in this film. I remember her saying in an interview a while ago, she'd like her acting to be taken more seriously and that she's sick of being the love interest or the girl next door... well, to me, all you need to do is look at her in Mona Lisa Smile and you can clearly see that this girl is headed for something major. She was spectacular, and the part suited her to a T. I wouldn't really have picked her out before watching this film, but if I see her in a serious role again, it will compell me to watch it.
Similarly, Maggie stood out as more than Jake's sister. She was, perhaps, the second most outstanding actress in the movie, besides Kirstin.
This film opened my eyes. In a way, it also showed me that you can't change people who've held beliefs in their minds for their entire lives to a, perhaps, more positive opinion, unless you're prepared to really fight. Or maybe the film shows that people should give advice, but allow others to make their own unaided decissions? Either way, it's a film worth watching, and I loved every minute.
Kirstin Dunst impressed me immensley in this film. I remember her saying in an interview a while ago, she'd like her acting to be taken more seriously and that she's sick of being the love interest or the girl next door... well, to me, all you need to do is look at her in Mona Lisa Smile and you can clearly see that this girl is headed for something major. She was spectacular, and the part suited her to a T. I wouldn't really have picked her out before watching this film, but if I see her in a serious role again, it will compell me to watch it.
Similarly, Maggie stood out as more than Jake's sister. She was, perhaps, the second most outstanding actress in the movie, besides Kirstin.
This film opened my eyes. In a way, it also showed me that you can't change people who've held beliefs in their minds for their entire lives to a, perhaps, more positive opinion, unless you're prepared to really fight. Or maybe the film shows that people should give advice, but allow others to make their own unaided decissions? Either way, it's a film worth watching, and I loved every minute.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Julia Roberts is giving an outstanding performance in what can be called a social drama film. The messages passed to the audience are about the life of the women in the 1950s when their goal in life was to finish college and get married to financially healthy men. Katherine Watson uses the course she teaches to broaden the girls' horrizons and let's them understand that marriage is not something that they should chase. Instead they should go after the learning and should also leave their minds open for new ideas.
Mrs Watson is the common example of a lady that can see a step further than the people around her, in a community that is sticking to its strict academic background.
Magnificent film
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is the type of film that Sunday afternoons were invented for. Nice gentle pace and Julia Roberts superb as ever. An interesting insight to the US upper class in the 1950's....
best seen with partner in hand and big box of choclates.
best seen with partner in hand and big box of choclates.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Boring, unconvincing film
I dug this out of my DVD collection, not having seen it before. But I must have tried because I was disappointed and there aren't many films in my collection I haven't seen all the... Read more
Published 10 months ago by R. Whitlock
A poor clone of Dead Poets Society
There isn't much original about 'Mona Lisa Smile' at all. The story of a good hearted yet radical and initially misunderstood teacher trying to make a difference to the lives of... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Ernie
Mona Lisa smile
Excellent film. this replaces my old video so that means I can watch it again,and again and againMona Lisa Smile [DVD] [2003]
Published on 19 Feb 2010 by Mrs. P. A. Matthews
Carpe Diem girls!
The best to summarise the film would be to call it "The feminist Dead Poets' Society". The storylines are very similar. Read more
Published on 11 Feb 2008 by Ogun Eratalay
THREE SOLID STARS!
Maybe director Mike Newell was at a Hollywood cocktail party starring Julia Roberts and through bleary-eyes decided that a movie should be made about her "Mona Lisa smile. Read more
Published on 24 Aug 2006 by F. Sweet
A female dead poet's society...
Comparisons to Dead Poet's Society - virtually the same film, but set in a boy's school and english lessons rather than a girl's school and art lessons - are... Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2006 by Mr. J. WARE
I've read mixed reviews but it was brilliant!
I've read mixed reviews about this film. However I would definately recommend it, WE thoroughly enjoyed it (proving its not a girls film either! Read more
Published on 31 Aug 2005 by C. L. Norton
Pretty good from a blokes perspective
I didn't expect to enjoy this film as it was my girlfriend's choice. I found it pleasantly entertaining, however, and Julia Roberts was her usual impressive self. Read more
Published on 17 Jan 2005
Not my kind of film
A very slow moving film with little action. I fell asleep after watching it after 30 minutes. I think it's more suited to people who likes art and women of the 1950s!
Published on 12 Jan 2005 by Mr. David A. Ingham
Mona Lisa Smile
This is a movie which gives some insight into the world of America in the fifties; as seen through the eyes of female college students. Read more
Published on 30 Dec 2004 by Mr. Will Sivier
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