Review on Mona Lisa Smile
The recent film Mona Lisa Smile, directed and scripted by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal, takes place in a 1953 setting at Wellesley College, a prestigious women's college. This film allows people to get an inside look into the society of a time that struggled with maintaining a conservative appearance while secretly desiring the new ideals and women's rights that were arising. In following the lives of four young 'Wellesley girls,' and a few revolutionary thinkers, we are forced to see both sides of the argument.In a time of conformity, Ms. Watson, played by Julia Roberts, presented numerous ideals contrary to what was expected. In the 1950's, a privileged girl of that age was expected to obtain an education for the sole purpose of pleasing her husband. Knowledge was a trophy; an accomplishment of a privileged girl meant to increase her chances of marrying in the right family. However, Ms. Watson believed it a crime to strive for academic excellence with no intentions of using it in the future. She believed that a woman was capable to live the dream of having a family, as well as a career. This forward attitude created individualism and allowed Ms. Watson to stand out, apart from the cookie cut
She cannot accept that many of them are happy with the traditional life that society expects of them. I say people because, at the time many of their husbands couldn't have gotten into, for example Yale Law School, like Joan Brandwyn, played by Julia stiles. She began to realize that she would have to reach them on a more emotional level. Watson's philosophy on art, and on the way she chose to live her life. Watson taught in a way that encouraged her students to think for themselves for the very first time; a practice that was strongly discouraged at Welsley. The dream of love that always scared her away because of her unwillingness to settle. Watson's views, as well as the girls' views are expressed in moderation, both taking on aspects of each other. Watson also learned a lot about listening to others opinions, and having to accept that not everyone has the same aspirations or desires. The story really forced me to see both the conservative and the modern view of societal roles. I also believe that in the end she began to admire a small part of the life that she had always rejected. With a critical mind everything is left to interpretation. She was taken back by their structured memorization of a subject that, she felt should be about emotion and personal critique. As she entered her first class, she was exposed to an atmosphere that expected the students to not only know the topic of discussion, but to be well versed on its related controversies.
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