Review of Mona Lisa Smile (2003) by Tonypolito — 20 Nov 2010

Certainly not among the cream of "teacher" films, a rather pretenious effort to cast Julia Roberts' character as a charismatic teacher. And it's an effort that falls way, way short.

Aside from Roberts' send-off of sunshine, smiles and song, none of the actions/decisions of the other major characters have actually been influenced by her message or presence. Not a soul alters his/her behavior in the least. It is as though she had never taught there at all.

Her students drop jaws, her superiors have fired eyes, but none are changed. As such, Roberts' smiley-faced exit is really more like sneaking out of town under cover of darkness.

The constrained role of 1950s women is accurately portrayed. The role of Wellesley women is not. Perhaps Wellesley was part finishing school, but constantly infusing students with exclusive obsession/compulsion to marry well? If so, then how did it produce graduates such as Madeleine Albright, Hillary Clinton, Nan Keohane, Cokie Roberts and Diane Sawyer?

Just as Roberts states, these are the brightest women in the country, so how is the viewer to believe they are so easily seduced by the narrow role that larger American culture was defining for women at the time? Well, anyway, I sure didn't believe it. Even mid-Century, Wellesley was clearly graduating female leadership, not apron-strung Stepford wives.

The culture of Wellesley has been given a seriously bent "revisionist" treatment to suit the messages intended by the film, and it is hardly fair to Wellesley's reputation to do so.

The soundtrack is excellent. One highpoint is Tori Amos' homage to Jo Stafford's rendition of "You Belong To Me.".

The lovely Wellesley campus is also starred well.

The film also deserves some credit for calling out educational administrative boondoggles such as master syllabi and lesson plans. Such devices do little more than oppress talented & visionary instructors, provide an elbow rest for mediocre teachers with little knowledge/message - and self-justify paper-pushing administrators who would like to believe they can "manage" effective teaching into a classroom.

RECOMMENDATION: Films such as "Emperor's Club," "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," and the 1939 (& fact-based) version of "Goodbye Mr. Chips" serve far, far better to exhibit the effect of influential teachers within elite private schools than this film does. See it ... but don't buy in.