Mona Lisa Smile Movie Information

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Movie Information

Overall Rank: 7671

Average Rating: 2.5/4

# of Ratings: 100

Theatrical Release Date: 12/19/2003

Language: English

Genre: Comedy, Drama

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Director: Mike Newell

Actors: Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ginnifer Goodwin, Dominic West

Plot: An Art History Professor challenges the gender roles of young women at Wellesey in the conservative early 1950's.

Daniel Corleone - wrote on 09/20/2012

Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts) is an art teacher with students Betty Warren (Kirsten Dunst), Joan Brandwyn (Julia Stiles) and Giselle Levy (Maggie Gyllenhaal). almost similar premise to Dead Poet's Society but not even remotely close to the impact and brilliance of the aforementioned movie. Had a few nice lines: "People change." "Not all who wander are aimless. Especially not those who seek truth beyond tradition, beyond definition, beyond the image." "But to change for others is to lie to yourself." and "Don't disregard our traditions just because you're subversive." Mona Lisa Smile wastes the talents of the cast with a mediocre script, lack of distinct emotion and inadequate character development.

Rod - wrote on 08/06/2012

Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) is a newly hired Art History professor at Wellesey College, with a dream fulfilled comes conflicts with her beliefs and the dominating culture in the all-women college. *** Our Art Appreciation professor made us watch this film. I like Julia Roberts, I like the whole picture, and I like the story line. Though, at several points, the film lacks powerful appeal, this particular film delivered well in terms of acting, as proven by a very stellar cast of women, and a great force of ideological background.

Topher - wrote on 01/31/2008

This movie goes through the motions of challenging received knowledge, but it's mostly shadow boxing. Asserting a woman's right to pursue both a family and a career does not constitute a progressive agenda in 2003. The characters are mostly types -- with the exception of Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance.

Camper
Producer

Mona Lisa Smile

Camper - wrote on 11/13/2016

I don't understand why this movie got such terrible reviews. I mean, it wasn't extraordinary or anything like that, but it certainly wasn't terrible. From what I'd read about it I was expecting it to be schmaltzy and pointless and while it had its moments, it kept my attention throughout, even with some of the unnecessary, predictable story lines and plot points. A lot of people seem to think of this as the female version of Dead Poets Society, and while I can understand the comparison, Dead Poets Society did this type of story much better. I really think this movie could have been great if it had just taken a little more risks and hadn't fizzled out at the end. Then again, maybe I just have an affinity for movies set in schools in the 1950s and my judgment is biased, meaning this movie …

MovieAddict
Producer

A finishing school disguised as a college??

MovieAddict - wrote on 05/30/2012

"A good wife lets her husband think that everything's his idea even when it's not."



It is 1953 and our progressive Californian Katerine Watson (Julia Roberts) goes to work at an exclusive all-female university, Wellesley College, eager to make a difference on the lives of senior college girls. This is the kind of college where you are called "subversive" when you handle things differently and Katerine finds herself in trouble with the conservative head with her unconventional teaching methods and modern way of thinking. It seems Wellesley is more concerned with turning the girls into dutiful, supportive wives and mothers than freethinking career women but Katerine is not willing to accept this and tries to show the girls that you can have both marriage and a career. Contrary to …

Nosferatu
Movie Star

"Mona Lisa Smile" By Nosferatu

Nosferatu - wrote on 11/12/2011

I must say I was expecting an extremely boring movie, but as soon as I started watching it I started liking it although this movie has some melancholic parts that I’m not really a fan of.

The movie focus on a very interesting and sensitive subject: the women place in our society back in the 50's. If this movie was played back then it would be scandalous or maybe censored. But even today it teaches a lot of women some very important lesson like self-respect, sacrifice and the birth-given right to have a place in the world and in the society they're placed in. The romance obviously had to have a place in this movie and the art theme gave the movie a bit more of class and diversity.

I thought the cast was very carefully chosen. The main parts were played by very good actresses that …