Apr 27, 2004 10:16 AM
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(Updated Apr 27, 2004 10:20 AM)
When The Mona Lisa was painted it broke norms. It captures change brought on by the industrial revolution and a woman who is smiling this amazingly mysterious smile. It captures a woman who looks vulnerable and yet you can?t tell whether she?s sad or happy...
After WWII the soldiers have returned and all the women have been sent back from their jobs. So now suddenly after all the freedom and choices that women had enjoyed, the ?national agenda? was to keep the women, mothers and wives HOME so that they could have dinner ready on time while the men went out and earned the bread.
Even though the movie is set in 1950s America, you still strangely see the similarities today. And it brings up a lot of issues that we all have faced or are still facing. From graduation from high school to undergrad to grad school we need to make these huge choices at a young age. The other issue is the role of sexes. Granted the degree of disparity has changed. But even today how many women are required to put their career on hold for their husbands? Or for their kids?
Mona Lisa Smile is a period film that has resonant effects and connects the ?then and now?. The ?where we were and where we?ve come?. It essentially states that you can conform and do what is expected or learn to question and make your own path. Not the most original topic? We?ve seen this before in plenty of movies. In fact the whole school and student ? professor relationships have been explored in Dead Poets Society and All I Wanna Do. Then what is the difference you ask? Well for starter we have the star cast. And I mean STAR cast; Julia Roberts, Kristen Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Marcia Gay Hardenwho have all performed brilliantly.
The Story line: We have Julia Roberts playing Katharine Watson who comes to teach in the best girl?s college in the country called Wellesley. Except that she realizes that its just a glorified ?finishing school? that produces brilliant wives for the future leaders of the country. The rest of the story is her trying to awaken the girls to the opportunities that they could have if they saw beyond marriage and children after graduation. Miss Watson does what in many ways was unheard of, breaking tradition and suggesting a career after marriage.
All in all Mona Lisa Smile will be remembered as one of Julia Robert?s best performances. A coming of age movie that I think everyone will like. But you may have a tough time getting your guy friends to watch it. I guess it just helps to appreciate all the freedom that we have today and makes you feel better about the world because it is coming of age?slowly?
