Salocin

Mona Lisa Smile

Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal star in this deeper-than-average story of the changes of mind and heart that can occur when exposed to an inspired teacher. In the spirit of Dead Poet's Society and Mr. Holland's Opus, but sufficiently original to be free of cheap comparisons, Mona Lisa Smile brings a subtle depth and some unageing wisdom through an illustration of a very traditional girl's school in the 50s.

In the hallowed halls of the Wellesley school for girls, a new teacher makes her awestruck entrance. Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts) is not from this world of sacred values and rituals, but as one of the students puts it in the school paper's editorial, "it was whispered that Katherine Watson, a first year teacher from Oakland state, made up in brains what she lacked in pedigree". She might have added tenacity and independence to her list of character traits.

As she discovers in her first lesson, the students have memorized the syllabus, and if her task is to teach them this, then her time is wasted. The girls are clearly extremely intelligent and knowledgeable. But what Katherine Watson finds they lack is something she is uniquely positioned - thanks to her status as an outsider - to provide: independence from the constraints of the expectations their environment places upon them. So, using art as a metaphor, she begins to teach them that the books aren't always right, what you think will make you happy sometimes won't, and their knowledge, expectations and ambitions, such as they are, constrain them to the world they're already a part of, rather than allowing them to use the amazing academic level and skills they have acquired.

What ensues is a transformational journey in which few people are left untouched. While she is not the only catalyst to the transformations that take place, her status as an independent free thinker causes many of the events to focus upon her, and her honesty and forthrightness are what carry her through the hard times and eventually earn her the respect of both the staff and her students.

This is no blockbuster, but it is a well written, cleanly executed emotional story in which characters develop, events have real consequences and we the audience, if we allow it, may be a little changed also by the events we witness. Is that not what good storytelling is all about?