In 1953, a time when women's roles were rigidly defined, free-spirited, novice art history professor Katherine Watson begins teaching at the... In 1953, a time when women's roles were rigidly defined, free-spirited, novice art history professor Katherine Watson begins teaching at the prestigious all-female Wellesley College--which despite its academic reputation, is an environment where success is measured by 'how well' the students marry. Encouraging these women to strive for a more enlightened future, Watson challenges the administration and inspires her students to look beyond the image of what is, and consider the possibilities of what could be--contrary to popular belief...
The most remembered scene in the story is when the teacher asks her students rhetorical questions: What makes art good or bad? Who decides? It shows how important it is to discover things for yourself, to have your own imagination and thinking, not abide by rules and syllabus. It's an inspiring movie, and Julia Roberts plays a good teacher indeed..
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If you're a feminist, then you'll probably love this movie. I'm not, but I still found it mildly entertaining. At least the plot made sense. Julia Roberts is a new art history teacher at a rich all girls college. She stands out since it's the 1950s and has never been married. The girls at the college are smart and want a degree, but afterwards they just want to get married and be a house wife. Roberts thinks they should strive for something more, such as encouraging one girl to apply to law school. But it's a letdown since she opts to get married instead.
ReplyDeleteKristen Dunst plays a spoiled brat who does what her mom wants. She marries while still in school, but is miserable because she knows her husband is cheating on her. So, she says mean things to be hurtful because she is so miserable. Of course, the girls grow to like the new teacher, but she is eventually forced out because the school board is so strict and doesn't like her forward-thinking ways.
One side plot that could have been left out is Roberts has an affair with a teacher that is known for sleeping with students. That seemed out of place for her character (because why would she put up with some guy who's always sneaking around?).
Yet, there were other good points about the film- it is, for example, beautifully photographed and there are some good supporting performances, notably from Maggie Gyllenhaal as another of Katherine's students and from Juliet Stephenson as the college nurse- and overall I thought it was worth watching.