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Live
by her own definitions without compromise to others, and see the
world in her own eyes beyond tradition, beyond definition, beyond
image...
A review from China
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(2003) Film Review |
| This
page was created on March 4, 2005
This page was last updated on
March 4, 2005
—Overview
—Photos
—Spiritual Connections
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| CREDITS |
| Directed
by Mike Newell
Screenplay by Lawrence
Konner& Mark
Rosenthal
Cast (in credits order)
Julia Roberts .... Katherine Ann Watson
Kirsten Dunst .... Betty Warren
Julia Stiles .... Joan Brandwyn
Maggie Gyllenhaal .... Giselle Levy
Ginnifer Goodwin .... Connie Baker
Dominic West .... Bill Dunbar
Juliet Stevenson .... Amanda Armstrong
Marcia Gay Harden .... Nancy Abbey
John Slattery .... Paul Moore
Marian Seldes .... President Jocelyn Carr
Donna Mitchell .... Mrs. Warren
Terence Rigby .... Dr. Edward Staunton
Jennie Eisenhower .... Girl at the Station
Leslie Lyles .... Housing Director
Laura Allen .... Susan Delacorte
Topher Grace .... Tommy Donegal
Lily Lodge .... House Matron
Jordan Bridges .... Spencer Jones
Ebon Moss-Bachrach .... Charlie Stewart
Christopher Braden Jones .... Bartender
Chuck Montgomery .... Tall Man
Taylor Roberts .... Louise
John Scurti .... Stan Sher
Produced by
Richard Baratta .... co-producer
Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas .... producer
Joe Roth .... executive producer
Paul Schiff .... producer
Deborah Schindler .... producer
Original Music by
Don George (song "I'm Beginning to See the Light")
Johnny Hodges (song "I'm Beginning to See the Light")
Noel Hogan (song "Dreams")
Harry James (song "I'm Beginning to See the Light")
Elton John (song "The Heart of Every Girl")
Morgan Lewis (song "How High the Moon")
Dolores O'Riordan (song "Dreams")
Rachel Portman
Non-Original Music by
Duke Ellington (song "I'm Beginning to See the Light")
Ray Evans (song "Mona Lisa")
Cinematography by Anastas N. Michos
Film Editing by Mick Audsley
MPAA: Rated
PG-13 for sexual content and thematic issues.
Runtime: 117 min
For rating reasons, go to FILMRATINGS.COM,
and MPAA.ORG.
Parents, please refer to PARENTALGUIDE.ORG
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| CD |
Mona
Lisa Smile
Various
Artists - Soundtrack - 2003
1. Mona Lisa Smile - Seal
2. You Belong To Me - Tori Amos
3. Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered - Celine Dion
4. The Heart Of Every Girl - Elton John
5. Santa Baby - Macy Gray
6. Murder, He Says - Tori Amos
7. Beseme Mucho - Chris Isaak
8. Secret Love - Mandy Moore
9. What'll I Do - Alison Krauss
10. Istanbul (Not Constantinople) - Trevor Horn Orchestra
11. Sh Boom - Trevor Horn Orchestra
12. I'm Beginning To See The Light - Kelly Rowland
13. I've Got The World On A String - Lisa Stansfield
14. Smile - Barbra Streisand
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| POSTER |
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| SYNOPSIS |
 In Revolution Studio's Mona Lisa Smile, Julia Roberts
leads an all-star cast of prominent young actresses including Kirsten
Dunst, Julia Stiles, Maggie Gyllenhaal and newcomer Ginnifer Goodwin,
in a story of women struggling to define themselves in a world that
has already defined them.
Katherine Watson (Roberts) travels from California to the New England campus
of Wellesley College in the fall of 1953 to teach art history. In the post-war
era, Katherine expects that her students, the best and the brightest in the country,
will take advantage of the opportunities presented to them. Soon after her arrival,
however, Katherine discovers that the environment at the prestigious institution
is steeped in conformity. According to their poise and elocution teacher Nancy
Abbey (Marcia Gay Harden), an engagement ring on a young woman's finger
is considered a bigger prize than a well-rounded education.
When Katherine encourages her students to think independently, she runs afoul
of the more conservative faculty and alumni, including one of her students, the
upper crust Betty Warren (Dunst). The recently married Betty becomes a formidable
adversary when Katherine persuades her best friend, Joan Brandwyn (Stiles), to
apply to Yale Law School - even as Joan is awaiting a proposal of marriage from
her boyfriend.
For the smart and provocative Giselle Levy (Gyllenhaal), Katherine becomes a
much-needed role model and mentor. The sweet and shy Connie Baker (Goodwin) also
draws courage from Katherine's example and gains the confidence to break
through her insecurities.
In a world that told them how to live, Katherine teaches them how to think for
themselves. Through her students' trials to find their own way, Katherine
learns to chart a different course for herself as well. |
china
avril
: review
REVIEW
FROM CHINA
ABOUT
AVRIL
Avril is
a young woman living in China who was in the hospital when she
wrote this review in March 2005. She is a believer, with Christian
friends who prayed for her everyday during the hospitalization.
She is recovering from her accident so quickly that her doctor
is calling it a miracle.
Avril likes
writing film reviews and her friend Nathan translated this
film review into English.
Nathan writes: Avril is
a very young believer, accepted je---sus only 2 month
before accident happened, I also only accepted one and half year
ago. If you could, will you pray that lord can build very great
relationship between she and lord? Thank you. --Yours sincerely,
Nathan"
|
THE
REVIEW (unedited)
 Today,
I think it over all day long, what I am supposed to write?
Even now, I haven’t
figure out what I will write about.
As
a same story about the tower of ivory , and a same story about
tradition and self-position, Mona Lisa Smiles is
considered as the Dead Poet Society for
female by commentary. If it were endowed with the meaning of
female liberation, criticisms can give some more exciting comments
on it. However, film is film. A hundred people may have a hundred
definitions, isn’t it?
 Looking
at the world in your own eyes is also the theme of this film.
What is freedom? What is liberation?
What is the purpose of education......? What
Katherine found in this famous college, which is governed by
tradition, is just nothing but educated future house wives who
are waiting for proposal, and then she felt despairing. Because
this world she found, which contains abundant idea of tradition,
is quite different from the one in her mind. Trapped in the framework
of tradition, we barely saw this smile as joy. Since we don’t
know what the real happiness is, spontaneously we are always
trying to play the role we are born to be. And till now, I understand
the meaning of the title.
Face
life honestly, and act as yourself. Here maybe it just becomes
the simple will that Katherine hasn’t
been to Europe. Is it really so difficult to be honest? Perhaps
I am just too lazy to explain (this is an interesting answer.)
 Tradition
and bias appear on everybody, no one knows whether Picasso would
be as great as Van Gogh in 1950s, equally we have no idea that
whether house women is really the colonists with no soul. Katherine
is also prejudiced at this point and this is why she held the
radical attitude toward the Joanna’s
marriage (Katherine thought Joanna knuckled under the tradition).
However she gave Joanna an honest hug and bless when she realized
that it was Joanna’s own choice.
Live by her own definitions without compromise to
others, and see the world in her own eyes beyond tradition, beyond
definition, beyond image...
I
was writing this comment while hearing the songs of the film,
Elton John’s heart of every girl and Barbra
Streisand’s smile. I don’t know if there’s still
any logic in my article, but this is my feeling at this moment.
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| Continue: |
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| Private
Spiritual Concerns |
| I
will not post these comments. I
welcome your spiritual concerns and prayer needs. I will correspond
with you, usually within two weeks.
Email David Bruce
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