Mona Lisa Smile

Mona Lisa Smile
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mike Newell
Produced by	Fredward Johanson
Written by	Lawrence Konner Mark Rosenthal
Starring	Julia Roberts Kirsten Dunst Julia Stiles Maggie Gyllenhaal Ginnifer Goodwin Dominic West Juliet Stevenson Marcia Gay Harden John Slattery
Music by	Rachel Portman
Cinematography	Anastas Michos
Editing by	Mick Audsley
Studio	Revolution Studios Red Om Films Productions
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	December 19, 2003 (2003-12-19)
Running time	117 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English Italian
Budget	$65 million
Box office	$141,337,989

Mona Lisa Smile is a 2003 romantic drama film produced by Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures in association with Red Om Films Productions, directed by Mike Newell, written by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal, and starring Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Julia Stiles. The title is a reference to the Mona Lisa, the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, and the song of the same name, originally performed by Nat King Cole, which was covered by Seal for the movie. Julia Roberts received a record $25 million for her performance—the highest ever earned by an actress.

Plot

In 1953, Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts), a 30-something graduate student in the department of Art History at UCLA, takes a position teaching "History of Art" at Wellesley College, a conservative women's private liberal arts college in Massachusetts because she wants to make a difference and influence the next generation of women. At her first class, Katherine discovers that the girls have already memorized the entire syllabus from the textbook so she instead uses the classes to introduce them to Modern Art and encourages spirited classroom discussions about topics such as what makes good art and what the Mona Lisa's smile means. This brings her into conflict with the conservative College President (Marian Seldes) who warns Katherine to stick to the syllabus if she wants to keep her job. Katherine comes to know many of the students in her class well and seeks to inspire them to seek more than marriage to eligible young men. Joan Brandwyn (Julia Stiles) dreamt of being a lawyer and enrolled as pre-law so Katherine encourages her to apply to Yale Law School, where she is accepted. Joan, however, elopes with her fiancé Tommy (Topher Grace), is very happy and decides that what she wants most is to be a wife and mother after graduation and asks Katherine to respect her choice.

Betty Warren (Kirsten Dunst) is highly conservative like her mother, the head of the Alumnae Association. Betty doesn't understand why Katherine is not married and is strident in insisting that there is a universal standard for good art. She writes two editorials for the college paper, one which exposes the nurse, Amanda Armstrong (Juliet Stevenson), for giving out contraception, which results in the nurse being fired, and one attacking Katherine for advocating that women should seek a career instead of just being wives and mothers as intended. Betty can't wait to marry Spencer (Jordan Bridges) as their parents have arranged and expects to get the traditional exemptions from attending class because she is married, but Katherine insists she will be marked on merit.

Connie Baker (Ginnifer Goodwin) is dating Betty's cousin, Charlie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Betty persuades her that he is only using her since it has been arranged by his parents for him to marry Deb, a girl more of his social standing. So, Connie ends the relationship. However, Charlie has already decided for himself that he is not going to marry Deb, so he and Connie get back together.

Giselle Levy (Maggie Gyllenhaal) has liberal views, and she supports Katherine because she sees her as having chosen what she wants in her life. Giselle brazenly has affairs with a professor and a married man.

Katherine confides to the girls that she was engaged when she was younger, but that she and her fiance were separated by the war. The relationship fizzled out, and she has since had several affairs. Katherine declines a proposal from her boyfriend (John Slattery) from California because she doesn't love him enough. She begins seeing the Wellesley Italian professor, Bill Dunbar (Dominic West), who is charming and full of stories about Europe and his heroic actions in Italy during the war. He has also had affairs with many students (including Giselle), and Katherine makes him promise that it will never happen again. When Katherine learns that Bill spent the entire war at the Army Languages Center on Long Island, she decides to break up with him because he is not trustworthy. Dunbar responds that Katherine didn't come to Wellesley to help the students, but to try to find herself.

Betty's marriage fails miserably, as Spencer spends as much time as possible in New York on business. Giselle also catches Spencer having an affair. Betty's mother tries to pressure Betty into remaining married to Spencer, at least for a while to avoid causing a scandal. Betty asks her mother if the Mona Lisa's smile means she is happy. At graduation, Betty tells Katherine that she is divorcing Spencer. She adds that she is going to share a flat in Greenwich Village with Giselle, and that she is considering applying to Yale Law School.

Katherine's course is highly popular, so the college invites her to return. But Betty's mother and the president impose conditions on Katherine: she must follow the syllabus, submit lesson plans for approval, and not talk to the girls about anything other than classes. Katherine decides to leave, exploring Europe. In the ending scene, Betty dedicates her last editorial to her teacher Katherine Watson, claiming that Katherine is "an extraordinary woman who lived by example and compelled us all to see the world through new eyes." As Katherine's taxi speeds up, all her students follow on their bicycles and Betty is seen increasingly struggling to keep up with the taxi as a last effort to thank Katherine for changing her life.

Cast

• Julia Roberts as Katherine Ann Watson
• Kirsten Dunst as Elizabeth "Betty" Warren (Jones)
• Julia Stiles as Joan Brandwyn (Donegal)
• Maggie Gyllenhaal as Giselle Levy
• Ginnifer Goodwin as Constance "Connie" Baker
• Dominic West as Bill Dunbar
• Juliet Stevenson as Amanda Armstrong
• Marcia Gay Harden as Nancy Abbey
• John Slattery as Paul Moore
• Marian Seldes as President Jocelyn Carr
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Charlie Stewart
• Topher Grace as Tommy Donegal
• Jordan Bridges as Spencer Jones
• Laura Allen as Susan Delacorte
• Emily Bauer as Art History Student
• Tori Amos as Wedding Singer
• Lisa Roberts Gillan as Miss Albini
• Emily Eby as Miss Robin
• Taylor Roberts as Louise
• Mary Pascoe as Mary S. Pascoe, a photographer

Box office

In its first opening weekend, Mona Lisa Smile opened at #2 at the U.S. Box office raking in $11,528,498 USD behind The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. By the end of its run, the film had grossed $141,337,989 worldwide from a $65 million budget.

Reaction from Wellesley alumnae

In a message to Wellesley alumnae concerning the film, Wellesley College president Diana Chapman Walsh expressed regret, given that many alumnae from the 1950s felt that the film's portrayal of Wellesley was inaccurate.

Campus controversy

During the filming of Mona Lisa Smile, the Wellesley College campus broke into controversy surrounding the casting of student extras with use of the phrase "not too tan" in a casting call for current Wellesley students, sparking a fear that casting directors were using race to discriminate against potential extras. Producers claimed that they were merely stressing the importance of finding women that reflected the time period.

The controversy spilled over into the local media, and producers considered a compromise of hiring willing minority students to act as production assistants. The college issued a press release highlighting the realities of Wellesley in 1953 and defending their decision to allow the film to shoot on campus.

External links

• John Walker. (2009). "Mona Lisa Smile (2003) film review (2009)". artdesigncafe. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
• Julia Roberts interview for Mona Lisa Smile
• Mona Lisa Smile at the Internet Movie Database
• Mona Lisa Smile at the TCM Movie Database
• Mona Lisa Smile at AllRovi
• Mona Lisa Smile at Box Office Mojo
• Mona Lisa Smile at Rotten Tomatoes
• Mona Lisa Smile at Metacritic