Mona Lisa Smile (released in theaters on Dec. 19, 2003), set against the backdrop of the 1950s, serves as a lush, intellectual exploration of the tension between societal expectations and personal agency. Directed by Mike Newell, the film uses the prestigious Wellesley College as a microcosm for a changing America, examining the stifling boundaries of the mid-century feminine ideal through the lens of art history and rebellion.
In 1953, Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts), a free-spirited graduate student from UCLA, arrives at Wellesley College to teach History of Art.
She expects to find the best and brightest young women ready to be challenged; instead, she finds a student body that has already memorized the syllabus and is more concerned with finding a “suitable” husband than a career.
Katherine is met with cold resistance from the conservative administration and the students themselves, led by the formidable and traditionalist Betty Warren (Kirsten Dunst).
Katherine’s classroom becomes a battlefield of ideas. She challenges the girls—including the brilliant but conflicted Joan Brandwyn (Julia Stiles), the sexually liberated Giselle Levy (Maggie Gyllenhaal), and the insecure Connie Baker (Ginnifer Goodwin)—to look beyond the canvas and question the “roles” they were born to play.
As Katherine navigates her own complicated romantic life involving an Italian professor (Dominic West), her students grapple with the pressures of their era.
Betty’s rigid worldview begins to crumble under the weight of an unhappy marriage to a man played by Jordan Bridges, while Joan must decide between Yale Law and domesticity.
The faculty, including a lonely etiquette teacher (Marcia Gay Harden) and a charming colleague (John Slattery), add further depth to the school’s stifling atmosphere.
By the end of the year, Katherine realizes that her goal wasn’t to make the girls like her, but to give them the tools to choose their own lives.
Topher Grace, Jordan Bridges and Krysten Ritter round out the cast.
Julia Roberts in Mona Lisa Smile (Photo/Sony Pictures)
Reception for Mona Lisa Smile
Mona Lisa Smile grossed $11.5 million on its opening weekend, finishing second at the box office.
The film would gross $141.3 million worldwide.
Roger Ebert gave Mona Lisa Smile three out of four stars in his review.
Legacy
The legacy of Mona Lisa Smile lies in its status as a cornerstone of “academic awakening” cinema, often compared to a feminine counterpart of Dead Poets Society.
It is remembered for its incredible ensemble cast, which featured several young actresses on the verge of superstardom, including Dunst, Stiles, and Gyllenhaal.
The film’s meticulously crafted 1950s aesthetic—from the period costumes to the picturesque campus—has made it a perennial favorite for fans of historical dramas.
The movie remains a popular cultural touchstone for its themes of mentorship and the enduring power of a single teacher to change the trajectory of a student’s life, proving that the most important lessons are often the ones not found in the textbook.
