Mona Lisa Smile (film)

Mona Lisa Smile is a 2003 American drama film directed by Mike Newell, starring Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The plot, which takes place in The Fifties, revolves around Katherine Ann Watson (Roberts), an Arts graduate in her thirties that takes a position to teach History of Art as a women's private liberal arts college in Massachusetts. Upon discovery that her students already know the full syllabus, she decides instead to introduces them to Modern art and art analysis, and, in the side, to inspire them to go beyond the aspiration of becoming good wives and mothers. While many of the students admire her approach and her ideals, and some even take on her words, she encounters opposition in Betty Warren, a very conservative and very opinionated young woman with very strict ideas on gender roles and True Art, who is highly suspicious on Katherine being an unmarried career woman. As the school year rolls, Katherine and her students will experience situations that will shake and reevaluate their convictions.

Not to be confused with the trope, or the TV series Mona Lisa's Smile.


 * Adults Are Useless: At least the mothers caring only about others' opinion.
 * Feminism
 * The Fifties
 * Really Gets Around: Giselle.
 * Stay in the Kitchen
 * Stepford Smiler: "Is Mona Lisa happy? Who cares? The important thing is that she smiles..."
 * Straw Feminist: The teacher crosses this line when being too aggressive.