moonspinner55 Glossy, yet ham-fisted star-vehicle for Julia Roberts, unconvincing as a California Bohemian teacher who transplants herself at all-girl Wellesley College for the Fall semester in 1953. Once there--despite "single-mindedly" campaigning for Wellesley to hire her--Roberts finds she's a fish-out-of-water: the students are textbook-fed little prigs and the faculty is made up of gossips, boors and a male teacher who apparently sleeps with his students...and pretty soon, our plucky heroine is crying on the phone. When Roberts gives her introductory speech to her art students, they verbally one-up her with their too-quick, too-clever answers (one young woman, complete with heavy lipstick and rogue like a femme fatale, gleams with mean-spirited delight when Roberts appears flustered). So of course, she has to catch them off-guard with non-textbook examples of what art may be and what art could be. This formula plot-line, as old as the Hollywood Hills, seems to get resurrected in some form or another every few years at the movies--and always with a major star in the leading role. There's something about the chance to stand in front of a disrespecting class and face down inner-demons in order to win the students over that appeals to actors. They may be working out personal demons of their own, but are audiences ever as enlightened as the students appear to be on-screen? *1/2 from ****

Python Hyena Mona Lisa Smile (2003): Dir: Mike Newell / Cast: Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ginnifer Goodwin: Recycled rehash about finding the good among the bad. That is pretty much an even clash with this film. Julia Roberts is set to teach art history at an all female college where she battles various obstacles from snide students to her students graduating to become wives. It plays like Mr. Holland's Opus and The Emperor's Club in drag. Directed by Mike Newell whose films often address history and character as with Donnie Brasco and the pitiful The Newton Boys. This one falls into the same category as the last mentioned film. The ending is laughable with Roberts departing with all of those tearful misfits biking along side her frustrated cab driver. Roberts is basically reciting what many other actors have done better. She endures the clichés and stereotypes with a fake smile that even Mona Lisa could see through. Kirsten Dunst plays the rebellious student who will change her ways and shed tears when Roberts leaves. Julia Stiles bares a phony accent and accepts the simple demand for marriage before shedding tears upon Roberts leaving. Maggie Gyllenhaal plays the sexually active student who will also join in the shedding of tears. It misses the mark by inducting formula storytelling. Its familiar plot leaves little to smile about. Score: 3 / 10

Svetlana Silina Not the worst movie out there, If you need to pleasantly kill a couple of hours of your life.This could be a good TV show for teaches. Decent cast, decent lines, decent visual, mostly summer. Little daily life at a decent college. The students are the girls from the decent /rich/ families.The only divination from the total decentness is Maggie's Gyllenhaal young character, however mild enough if to compare with her usual roles. Vintage fashion will be a bonus for those who fancy artichoke cuts, bouffant dress and the whole era of the first bikinis (no bikini in the movie).Shame that fashion will be pretty much all you'll learn about girls education of the time, as well as the time.

fedezucchi-rs This movie is absolutely interesting in the way of view that the women had at ''that time'' if i can use this definition for 60 years ago. I really enjoyed watching it, was nice to see how the story evolved, was really good organize. The only one aspect that i'm afraid i have to criticized is that, in my opinion, the relationship that the protagonist had with the Italian teacher was something that the story had to contain until the end. In complex i would give a 7.5 at the movie (thing that i can't do...you should add half votes i guess). The absolute change that involves some character is amazing; the fact that Betty, who was the girl used to be against everything that was said by the teacher, at the end is the one who's the most attached to Katherine.