✗ SKIP — Not worth it

Mona Lisa Smile

Name: Mona Lisa Smile
Director: Mike Newell
Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Released: 2003-12-19
Duration: 117 min
Rating: 6.6
Cast: Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ginnifer Goodwin

2003 · 1h 57m · Drama, History, Romance

IMDb 6.6 Metacritic 45 RT 33%

Skip it. Despite its stellar cast (Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts), 'Mona Lisa Smile' is a by-the-numbers inspirational drama that preaches feminism without much wit or nuance. It's the kind of well-meaning but hollow film that mistakes earnestness for depth—watch 'Dead Poets Society' instead if you want a better version of this story.

Plot

Katherine Watson is a recent UCLA graduate hired to teach art history at the prestigious all-female Wellesley College, in 1953. Determined to confront the outdated mores of society and the institution that embraces them, Katherine inspires her traditional students, including Betty and Joan, to challenge the lives they are expected to lead.

Director: Mike Newell

Cast: Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ginnifer Goodwin

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