MONA LISA SMILE

US, 2003, 120 minutes, Colour.
Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Styles, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Juliet Stevenson, Dominic West, Ginnifer Goodwin, Topher Grace, John Slattery, Marcia Gaye Hardin, Jordan Bridges, Marian Seldes.
Directed by Mike Newell.

Whenever a film appears that shows an affluent American school, generally in the past, and a teacher who appears to be challenging the conservative system, everyone refers to Dead Poets Society. It was the same with Kevin Kline and The Emperor's Club. And it is the same with Mona Lisa Smile. It means that there is an education sub-genre to which these films belong and, instead of saying that Dead Poets did it once and for all (which seems to be what a lot of critics say), we can say that here is another addition. Mona Lisa Smile definitely adds to it because it is set in a girl's academy.

The setting is 1953-1954. Everything seems settled. The girls are given an intellectual education as well as training in more domestic arts so that they will be able to fulfil their expected role of wife, mother and society hostess. The school has a board of governors including powerful and wealthy parents. Lesson plans are supervised in detail. On the other hand, the girls themselves, while expecting a wife and mother future, are already foreshadowing some of the changes in values that would characterise the 60s.

Into this privileged world comes a teacher who lacks this background but who wants to make a difference. She is played by Julia Roberts whose famous laugh is far heartier than a Mona Lisa smile. What happens goes according to the conventions of the genre: she challenges the girls who are hidebound by their textbooks; she opens up new worlds of art; she urges them to be themselves; some resist, some welcome her; the authorities are not happy...

To be expecting surprises in this genre is to miss the point. We know the point and we watch how it is played out.

Julia Roberts acquits herself with some aplomb using art history (as Robin Williams once used poetry) to widen the girls' horizons. The difficulty always is that the 'progressive' teacher really wants students to be themselves according to their expectations. This is a lesson that Julia has to learn, to let the girls make decisions even if they are not the decisions she would like them to make.

The core group of girls includes Kirsten Dunst as the bitterly critical opponent, Julia Styles as the poised but vulnerable student, Maggie Gylenhaal as the permissive rebel, Ginifer as the put-upon girl at the margin who blossoms. Dominic West provides some ambiguous romantic connections.

At the time of the film's release in 2003, these girls would be 70 year olds and the Julia Robert's character 80. Watching this film and its portrait of school, families, America itself, we realise just how much these women have seen by way of change in 50 years.

1. The genre of privileged schools, conservative staff and students, the outsider coming in to change them? The world of affluence, conservative curricula, traditional teaching styles? Society and parents and their domination of the governing of a school? Conservatism, authority and authoritarianism? The 1953-54 setting?

2. The girls in the film being seventy at the time of the film's release, the Julia Roberts character being eighty? The extraordinary transitions from the mid-50s to the beginning of the 21st century?

3. The Massachusetts setting, the seasons of the year, the focus on Christmas and winter, Wellesley College? Locations, the halls, the residences, the lecture rooms, art galleries, the warehouse, homes? An authentic atmosphere? The glow of the period? The wide range of the songs from the time from Doris Day to Patti Paige and the lyrics reflecting the girls' attitudes?

4. The education tradition, Wellesley as a finishing school, as an academic college? The girls and their reliance on the textbooks, learning information by heart? Their perspective on their future, being married, being wives, running households - and the interjection of commercials for domestic appliances with the subservient woman all throughout the film? The supervised class plans, the board running the school, the headmistress, the department head? Parents, meetings? The girls' assemblies and behaviour? Accountability? The hire and fire? The surface respectability covering the shadow side of the American character?

5. The theme of being oneself, acknowledging one's potential and trying to achieve it? Katherine and her agenda? The suggestion that she wanted the students to be themselves according to her views? Her interest in Joan, filling in her form, discussing her future and her marriage, disappointed that Joan chose marriage? Betty and her antagonism, mocking the theme of being oneself - yet finding that she relied on it most of all with the girls? Giselle and her doing her own thing, sexual behaviour, her attitudes, her knowing the truth about Betty's marriage, supporting her at the end and letting her board with her in the village? Connie and her admiration of Katherine, trying to find herself, relationships, music, self-assertion as regards Betty and the other girls? Amanda as the nurse, her emotional relationship, advocating birth control? Nancy and her disappointment in love, staying on in the school, drinking, lonely? Bill and his doing his own thing, being himself in relationship with the girls, with Katherine, with the truth?

6. The opening, Katherine and her arrival, age, academic experience outside the affluent academic world, her relationship with Paul, the phone calls, his visit and proposal, his telling everyone, her shock and her breaking off the engagement? Her academic record, application to Wellesley, wanting to make a difference? The interview with the headmistress? The accommodation, sharing with Amanda and Nancy? Settling in, getting to know them? Her meeting the girls, the ritual of the initial assembly with Joan knocking at the door, her pride in being at the assembly, going into class, her slides - and the girls knowing everything about them, her leaving the class and the department head looking at her and later criticising her?

7. The effect of the girls, the warnings by the headmistress and the department head, classes, texts and reliance on memory? Her bringing in the picture of the carcass, wanting a response from them? Their confusion? Picasso, showing them the Jackson Pollock painting? Art history as a speciality but urging them to art experience? The van Gogh painting, the story of van Gogh and his non-commercial life, the paintings and filling in the dots - and the girls giving these paintings to Katherine? The picture of the Mona Lisa, Bill's reference to Katherine's smile, Betty showing her mother the Mona Lisa and trying to explain the difference between the surface and the depths? Art and its symbols for education?

8. Bill and his charm, flirting, his comment about the Mona Lisa smile, his place at the school, teaching Italian? His affair with Giselle? Known by the authorities but overlooked? His discussions with Katherine, dancing with her? The breakdown of the affair with Giselle, his discarding her, Katherine disapproving? The bars, the talks? With Giselle and hearing of the engagement, his response? His change, the beginning of the affair, his Italian story about the war and his heroism, his friend turning up, Katherine discovering that it was all lies? Her disillusionment with him, his pleading for her to stay? Her leaving him for Europe?

9. Amanda, a good woman, her grief at the death of her lesbian companion, the birth control advice? The discussions with Nancy and Katherine? The editorial against her by Betty, her being called in by the authorities, their letting her go? Her protests?

10. Nancy, the caricature of elegance and poise, her lessons, clothes, her own stories and her heartbreak about the war? The wedding reception and her drinking? Her disappointments, warning Katherine? Having the party for her because of her renewal at Wellesley and Katherine not turning up? Katherine inviting her out, watching the television quizzes instead? The same thing for next year?

11. The principal, the interviews with Katherine, presiding over the board, her tough attitudes and warnings, the final warning, the discussion with Katherine, the possibility of Katherine coming back or not?

12. The girls as a group, seeing them in class, Betty and her hold over them, the change in the various girls because of the contact with Katherine, their inviting her into the sorority with all its rituals, her acceptance, her growing friendship with the girls? Trying to help them? Betty and her editorial, her coming back to class, Katherine and her attack on the girls, their prissiness, arrogance, their future? The end and their following Katherine in the car on their bikes, especially Betty?

13. Joan, her family background, her expectations, very proper, her helping Betty with the wedding, her interest in law, her boyfriend and being accommodating to him, the discussions with Katherine, the application forms, her deciding not to follow through, her eloping and marrying, her decision being hers and not Katherine's? Her future as a wife?

14. Betty, hypercritical, the girls saying she was like her mother, her continued nastiness to Connie, lies about the boyfriend? The preparations for the wedding, blackmailing her intended to read the poem at the reception? The photos? Her missing classes? The college turning a blind eye, Katherine and her warning her about missing classes and failing? Betty and her criticisms of Katherine? The editorial against Amanda? Seeing her at home, the domination of her mother and her expectations, her mother not wanting her at her home now that she was married? At home with her husband, the photos of the up-and-coming couple? The prospective of the divorce, her mother not wanting her, keeping her away? Her sarcastic comments about art, being oneself, yet turning to Katherine? Her future and going alone with Giselle to New York City? Following Katherine on the bike at the end?

15. Giselle, more open, her affairs, the liaison with Bill, her being hurt by him? Talking with him, dancing? Hearing of Katherine's engagement? Knowing the truth about Betty's husband? Seeing him with the other woman at the theatre?

16. Connie, her place in the group, her skills in music, swimming? The attraction of Charles, dancing with him, the daring of the weekend away and talking with the other girls? Betty and her sarcasm and lies? Distancing herself from Charles, finding that Betty had not told her the truth, her self-assertion, the relationship with Charles?

17. Betty's mother, representing the tough attitudes, social-climbing, cover-up and enduring a loveless marriage?

18. Katherine and the experience at Wellesley, the dilemmas, her relationship with the girls, with the board of governors, the ultimatum by the principal? Her disillusionment with Bill because of his lies? Her decision to go to Europe?

19. This genre of education film and its criticism of the conservatism of the American past? From the perspective of the beginning of the 21st century?