Writer: Lawrence Konner & Mark Rosenthal
Director: Mike Newell
Starring: Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal
Rated: 12a
Running Time: 117 mins
Trailer: Quicktime, Various Sizes
Tagline: In a world that told them how to think, she showed them how to live.

Mona Lisa Smile is a well performed, well directed film that while adequate and even enjoyable, doesnÂ’t stray far from the norm. For a film that is about breaking down barriers, it does very little of it.

The film focuses on Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts), a new history of art teacher who has moved from the sunny shenanigans of California to the prim and proper Housewife Factory that is Wellesley College, a snobby, elitist girls-only college that is dedicated more to pumping out properly trained housewives than well educated women.

Anyway, Katherine comes into the school and is met with resistance from her students (Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Kirsten Dunst). Gradually she breaks down barriers and makes the girls see that there is more to life than pressing your husbandÂ’s shirt and that they can do whatever they want.

An admirable cause.

Fortunately, the film does not put forward KatherineÂ’s progressive attitude and totally demean and dismiss the traditional attitude. In fact, it explores the idea that maybe the women are doing exactly what they want and the two ideas face off against each other quite well. The film is very PC and a tad preachy though. While ultimately some of this is context (the film is set in 1950s New England after all), I got the feeling that the film was being a bit pretentious. Others didnÂ’t think so though, so it might be something personal to me.

In other areas, the film is very good. The acting is all very good. Julia Roberts is Julia Roberts, but she serves her purpose well as always. The girls are very good, especially Maggie Gyllenhaal. SheÂ’s one to look out for. ItÂ’s very good visually too. ThereÂ’s a convincing sense that they are indeed in the 50s and they do an excellent job of making New England look great in all seasons.

All in all, itÂ’s a film I would recommend. ItÂ’s definitely not great, but I still wouldnÂ’t want to miss it.