Review of Mona Lisa Smile (2003) by Amanda Y — 01 Jul 2009

The central message seems to be that marriage is imprisonment and old-fashioned values are holding everyone back--along with the idea that you should never give up your dreams for something as trivial as marriage.

Mona Lisa Smile is not as much about art history as it is human history and development. It's not terrible to be married, as long as you're not getting married just to be getting married. The same can be said about having a career. For decades girls have been under pressure to be married, and many girls today are under the pressure to have their own careers. Sure, we've come far, right into a 180 of everything we once were.

Joan is the only contrasting voice who says she doesn't want to wake up one morning and regret not being there to raise her children. Sadly, this conversation is a blip in a movie filled with feminist messages that are not necessarily truthful.