Review of Liberal Arts (2012) by Christopher G — 29 Sep 2012

There have been a lot of reviews saying this movie is kind of like Garden State at college, and I'm not inclined to disagree. Jesse (Josh Radnor), an admissions official at a university in NYC, goes back to his small-town college for the retirement of one of his favorite professors (Richard Jenkins). He's a bit aimless in life, and uses the trip as a sort of vacation away from everything. He befriends the daughter of his professor's friends, who is a sophomore at the school. The have a strong and instant connection despite their 16-year age difference, and Josh uses that relationship as a springboard to reexamine his life and what he wants.

Radnor does his best Zach Braff impression. Elizabeth Olsen is splendid, as always. In small roles, Allison Janney and Zac Efron steal their scenes.