Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
In 1953, Katherine Ann Watson, a 30-year-old graduate student in the department of Art History at UCLA and Oakland State, takes a position teaching History of Art at Wellesley College, a women’s private liberal arts college in Massachusetts. At her first class, Katherine discovers that her students have already memorized the entire textbook and syllabus, so she uses the classes to introduce them to modern art and encourages discussion about topics such as what makes good art. Katherine comes to know her students and seeks to inspire them to achieve more than marriage to eligible young men. Elizabeth “Betty” Warren is highly opinionated and outspokenly conservative. Betty does not understand why Katherine is not married and insists that a universal standard exists for good art.
She writes editorials for the college paper, exposing campus nurse Amanda Armstrong as a supplier of contraception, which results in Amanda being fired; other editorials attack Katherine for advocating that women should seek a career instead of being wives and mothers as intended. Betty cannot wait to marry Spencer, as their parents have arranged, and expects the traditional exemptions from attending class as a married woman; however, Katherine insists she will be marked on merit and attendance, resulting in more conflict. Constance “Connie” Baker begins dating Betty’s cousin, Charlie, but Betty persuades her that he is only using her as his parents have arranged for him to marry Deb MacIntyre.
Date of download: 2015-11-11T17:22:34+00:00
Cast:  Julia RobertsKatherine Ann Watson  Kirsten DunstBetty Warren  Julia StilesJoan Brandwyn  Maggie GyllenhaalGiselle Levy  Dominic WestBill Dunbar  Ginnifer GoodwinConnie Baker  Juliet StevensonAmanda Armstrong  Marcia Gay HardenNancy Abbey  John SlatteryPaul Moore  Marian SeldesPresident Jocelyn Carr |
In 1953, Katherine Ann Watson, a 30-year-old graduate student in the department of Art History at UCLA and Oakland State, takes a position teaching History of Art at Wellesley College, a women’s private liberal arts college in Massachusetts. At her first class, Katherine discovers that her students have already memorized the entire textbook and syllabus, so she uses the classes to introduce them to modern art and encourages discussion about topics such as what makes good art. Katherine comes to know her students and seeks to inspire them to achieve more than marriage to eligible young men. Elizabeth “Betty” Warren is highly opinionated and outspokenly conservative. Betty does not understand why Katherine is not married and insists that a universal standard exists for good art.
She writes editorials for the college paper, exposing campus nurse Amanda Armstrong as a supplier of contraception, which results in Amanda being fired; other editorials attack Katherine for advocating that women should seek a career instead of being wives and mothers as intended. Betty cannot wait to marry Spencer, as their parents have arranged, and expects the traditional exemptions from attending class as a married woman; however, Katherine insists she will be marked on merit and attendance, resulting in more conflict. Constance “Connie” Baker begins dating Betty’s cousin, Charlie, but Betty persuades her that he is only using her as his parents have arranged for him to marry Deb MacIntyre.
