Today was our first tutorial for Dr. Jaya's class. During today's tutorial, we were required to watch a film entitled Mona Lisa Smile starring Julia Roberts and Maggie Gyllenhaal. The film was the first educational film that we need to watch throughout this semester. Mona Lisa Smile was a fairly good film. Julia Roberts was believable in the role – and it is amusing to see how badly she fared with the critics – not based on her own performance but because she is of course a little out of vogue at the moment. Five years ago many would have appraised her role rather differently. Some of the comments made within the movie are ironic and pithy. For example when Betty exclaims `Art isn't art unless someone says it is!' it is clear that this is a well placed dig at those within the artistic establishment who try to tell us what `is' art according to their own credo, and have done so throughout history.
The subject of feminism is dealt with, and one important point which is often ignored or misunderstood by some would-be feminists is explored – the idea that a woman can be a feminist whilst raising a family and without having to work outside the home. It was refreshing to see Katherine, whose sole ideal of feminism till then had been to try to emulate her male peers, finally understanding that feminism is entirely about choice, including the choice to stay at home and raise a family.
I would not say this was a terribly deep film, it was well acted, well scripted and showed a snippet of life no woman born in the last 35 years could imagine living. The ending was by far the best part, Katherine embarked on the next phase of her life without a man, a ring on her finger or a job, and to do such a thing would have been almost unimaginable by the standards of that day. Most of us cannot even imagine the revolting `standards' women were forced to endure in those times, and thank goodness for that.
The subject of feminism is dealt with, and one important point which is often ignored or misunderstood by some would-be feminists is explored – the idea that a woman can be a feminist whilst raising a family and without having to work outside the home. It was refreshing to see Katherine, whose sole ideal of feminism till then had been to try to emulate her male peers, finally understanding that feminism is entirely about choice, including the choice to stay at home and raise a family.
I would not say this was a terribly deep film, it was well acted, well scripted and showed a snippet of life no woman born in the last 35 years could imagine living. The ending was by far the best part, Katherine embarked on the next phase of her life without a man, a ring on her finger or a job, and to do such a thing would have been almost unimaginable by the standards of that day. Most of us cannot even imagine the revolting `standards' women were forced to endure in those times, and thank goodness for that.
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