Mona Lisa Smile

Mona Lisa Smile is a moving film which was on screen in 2003 for the first time, produced by Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures, directed by Mike Newell, starring Julia Roberts. For the last two days, I had watched two films starring Julia Roberts, Notting Hill and Mona Lisa Smile. Those two movies had changed my view of Julia Roberts, from considering her as an ugly beauty to admiring her acting skills, for at first, I cannot see her beauty and disliked her big mouth, but now, I like her very much. She acted like an angel in Mona Lisa Smile, fabulous and not overdid in the slightest.

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Spot

Mona Lisa Smile was a story about Katherine Ann Watson, an independence and good-natured feminist as well as a new art teacher in the aristocratic Wellesley College.

As all the girls in Wellesley were from upper-class families or college faculties and all spoiled by their parents and flattering teachers, they were arrogant, frivolous, and conceited. The girls were used to making jokes on their teachers, for they thought the teachers were all silly and stuffy ones, not deserved their respect. In Watson’s first class, Watson’s enthusiasm had been chilled totally--teased and interruped by those proud girls, she was choked by the knowledge the girls grasped, every word she intended to say was said by the girls before she could open her mouth. Those proud but talented girls had previewed the whole text book and they’ve learnt the fixed knowledge themselves.

Watson changed her teaching style the second class and the class following. Those abstract and heuristic methods were not accepted at first, the girls laughed at the so-called art displayed or showed by Watson, considering those modern arts as rubbish and waste. Four of those girls were especially aggressive—they are Elizabeth "Betty" Warren, Constance "Connie" Baker, Giselle Levy,  and Joan Brandwyn (Donegal).

At that time, it was deeply rooted in peoples’ mind that women were born to give birth to babies, take care of the family and serve their husbands, in short, to be good wives and good mothers, so the conservative people could not accept Watson’s perspective, which women should have freedom from the rules and should be equal in  status in the society as men. Her air was sencere and content instructive. Teased, chewed and then accepted. She drew an attractive perspective for the girls, persuading them to persue their dreams and endeavor to gain the real happiness, under the pressure of losing her job, yet determined.

The story also forcused on the four girls’ lives. Joan was a smart girl yet conceited and aimless at first, nonetheless, she was given a B in the examination; she went to Watson’s office and inquired her about this. Watson checked her file, full of prizes and praises and titles of leader. She said to her, a girl like her should carry on endeavoring, not only married to her beloved boyfriend but chased her own dreams; she expressed her belief in her and encouraged her to give attention to both the two things. In one exam, Watson gave Joan the application for the Yale Law School; astonished and grateful, Joan changed her views of Watson and thanked her at the bottom of her heart. Even though she gave up the addmission of Yale at last, she thanked Watson a lot, considering her as the one who woke up her and help her do whatever she wanted.

Constance "Connie" Baker, a relatively ordinary and free girl, she loved her boyfriend so much, yet she was insecure about him. After the happy weekends with him on the seeshore, she loved him more that ever. However, her friend, Betty, cheated her on this issue, telling her the boy had already engaged with another girl and just played with her. She was hurt deeply and never replied to him afterwards. What’s worse, things turned out to be the other way around, the boy loved her so much and the rumor that he would marry another girl was made up by Betty who envied her. Rushing to the male dorm, she explained herself to that boy, then they were reconciled with each other.

Giselle Levy, who seemed to be a playgirl, wild and free,from an unhappy family, loved her teacher Bill Dunbar, who was in pursuit of Watson then. Though she was wild, she was kind in nature. She treated her friends genuinely and she wanted freedom badly. She understood Watson gradually and released the burdens finally.

Betty, the toughest girl as well as a leader among girls, was forced to marry a man who didn’t love her and pretend to be happy by her domineering mother. The tragic marriage led to a personality distortion—she was unable to see others’ happiness. She edited articles to criticize Watson, provoked Connie to break up with her boyfriend, scolded Giselle’s wildness, envied Joan’s romantic relationship with her boyfriend and the addmission to Yale. No matter how tough she was, she was only a girl, a girl with dream and hope. Persuaded by her friends, she cheered up again and divorced her betrayal husband.

With all the girls blessings, Watson left. The last scene of the movie impressed me so much, while Watson was sitting in the car leaving, all the girls followed her car, riding a bike each, waving their hands, tears flooding. Those girls were quite different from they once were, not at least arrogant or presumputous, but amiable and sensible. It is Watson who let them know about life and freedom and her free manners and kind soul were the incentive to all the fine girls. Hard to say goodbye.

My View

The title of Mona Lisa Smile is meaningful and profound. Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece Mona Lisa appeared in the movie several times. First scene is Bill Dunbar gave Watson a kaleidoscope as a gift, in which, Mona Lisa is the last picture. Second is the slide Watson showed to her students and ordered them to find the meaning of her smile. For she was as hard to see through as Mona Lisa, she was called Mona Lisa by Bill Dunbar.

In fact, Mona Lisa Smile stood for every person’s inner heart which could not be seen through and even could not be understood by themselves. Watson, came to change the conservative girls and fight against male chauvinism, realised by Bill’s words that actually, she came there to change herself. Quiet, sober, intelligent--she seemed to influence others, whereas she tried to liberate herself from the burdens.

Betty, who faced others smily and pretended to be lucky and satisfied to have such a marriage, finally faced the reality and overcame her vanity. Her smile was full of bitter, reluctance and jealousy at first, yet her tears full of hope, relief and liberty at last. At first, she might saw hypocritical stuff in Mona Lisa as herself, the divorce was the liberty for herself and freedom for Mona Lisa Smile in her heart.

Every one has Mona Lisa Smile in reality and dream. Sometimes, we cannot face the reality as we like, yet obeying the rules or mores. But we are scared to fight against those fixed rules or even touch them, so we feel desperate or distressed. What’s worse, we have to keep this kind of life going on, without complaint, numbly smile.

From this movie, I not only see the feminism but the liberation of human minds. What we are supposed to do is to liberate our minds and chase our happiness to realize the value of life.