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Mona Lisa Smile (2003)
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Overview
User Rating:
Your Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
19 December 2003 (USA)
See more »
Tagline:
In a world that told them how to think, she showed them how to live. See more »
Plot:
A free-thinking art professor teaches conservative 50's Wellesley girls to question their traditional societal roles. Full summary » | Add synopsis »
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe.
Another 5 nominations
See more »
NewsDesk:
(127 articles)
Exclusive: Ebon Moss-Bachrach Talks Come Out and Play, Masked Director Makinov
(From ShockYa. 23 March 2013, 3:00 AM, PDT)
Lindsay Lohan's mugshot deconstructed
(From The Guardian - Film News. 20 March 2013, 9:28 AM, PDT)
Jennifer Aniston, Mark Duplass and Ben Kingsley Board Convention
(From MovieWeb. 6 February 2013, 8:55 AM, PST)
(From ShockYa. 23 March 2013, 3:00 AM, PDT)
Lindsay Lohan's mugshot deconstructed
(From The Guardian - Film News. 20 March 2013, 9:28 AM, PDT)
Jennifer Aniston, Mark Duplass and Ben Kingsley Board Convention
(From MovieWeb. 6 February 2013, 8:55 AM, PST)
User Reviews:
Much better than I expected
See more (253 total) »
Cast
(in credits order) (verified as complete)
Directed by | |||
| Mike Newell | |||
Writing credits(WGA) | ||
| Lawrence Konner | (written by) & | |
| Mark Rosenthal | (written by) | |
Produced by | |||
| Richard Baratta | .... | co-producer | |
| Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas | .... | producer | |
| Joe Roth | .... | executive producer | |
| Paul Schiff | .... | producer | |
| Deborah Schindler | .... | producer | |
Original Music by | |||
| Rachel Portman | |||
Cinematography by | |||
| Anastas N. Michos | (director of photography) (as Anastas Michos) | ||
Film Editing by | |||
| Mick Audsley | |||
Casting by | |||
| Ellen Chenoweth | |||
| Susie Farris | |||
Production Design by | |||
| Jane Musky | |||
Art Direction by | |||
| Patricia Woodbridge | |||
Set Decoration by | |||
| Susan Bode | (as Susan Tyson) | ||
| Chris Nickerson | |||
Costume Design by | |||
| Michael Dennison | |||
Makeup Department | |||
| Carla Antonino | .... | makeup artist | |
| Kristen Barry | .... | hair stylist | |
| Margot Boccia | .... | makeup department head | |
| John Caglione Jr. | .... | co-key makeup artist | |
| Robert Chiu | .... | hair stylist | |
| Jane Choi | .... | assistant makeup artist | |
| Bonnie Clevering | .... | hair stylist: Ms. Roberts | |
| Mary Cooke | .... | hair stylist | |
| Richard Dean | .... | makeup artist: Ms. Roberts | |
| Paula Dion | .... | hair stylist | |
| Joseph Farulla | .... | makeup artist | |
| Donna Marie Fischetto | .... | hair stylist | |
| Rob Fitz | .... | additional makeup artist | |
| Lisa Hazell | .... | assistant hair stylist | |
| Michelle Johnson | .... | key hair stylist | |
| Frances A. Kolar | .... | co-key makeup artist | |
| Heidi Kulow | .... | makeup artist | |
| Jeri La Shay | .... | additional makeup artist | |
| Christine Leiter | .... | makeup artist | |
| Brenda McNally | .... | hair stylist | |
| Kyra Panchenko | .... | additional makeup artist: Kristen Dunst, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal | |
| Kerrie R. Plant | .... | makeup artist | |
| John Quaglia | .... | key hair stylist (as John D. Quaglia) | |
| Lyndell Quiyou | .... | hair department head | |
| Joe Rossi | .... | makeup artist | |
| Sherryn Smith | .... | additional makeup artist | |
| Mary Anne Spano | .... | additional makeup artist | |
| Jeni Zaharian | .... | additional makeup assistant: Boston | |
| Nicki Ledermann | .... | additional makeup artist (uncredited) | |
| Trish Seeney | .... | additional makeup artist: Boston (uncredited) | |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director | |||
| David Eric Chapman | .... | assistant director: re-shoots | |
| Nancy Herrmann | .... | additional second assistant director | |
| Eddie Micallef | .... | second assistant director | |
| Joseph P. Reidy | .... | first assistant director | |
| Paul Schiff | .... | second unit director | |
| Noelle Stehman | .... | additional second assistant director | |
| Christopher Surgent | .... | first assistant director: second unit (as Chris Surgent) | |
| Christopher Surgent | .... | second assistant director (as Chris Surgent) | |
Sound Department | |||
| Mark Auguste | .... | supervising sound editor | |
| Sam Auguste | .... | assistant sound editor | |
| Peter Burgis | .... | foley artist | |
| Tim Cavagin | .... | sound re-recording mixer | |
| Colin Cooper | .... | adr mixer | |
| Colette Dahanne | .... | adr mixer | |
| Andie Derrick | .... | foley artist | |
| Peter Gleaves | .... | adr mixer | |
| Phillip A. Hamilton | .... | adr recordist | |
| Lee Kerr | .... | adr mixer | |
| Sean Landeros | .... | sound recordist | |
| Daniel Laurie | .... | adr editor | |
| Daniel Laurie | .... | dialogue editor | |
| Kim Maitland | .... | sound recordist | |
| Michael Miller | .... | adr mixer | |
| T.J. O'Mara | .... | production sound mixer | |
| James Seddon | .... | dolby consultant | |
| Steve Single | .... | sound re-recording mixer | |
| Greg Steele | .... | adr mixer | |
| Derek Trigg | .... | foley editor | |
| Joe White | .... | boom operator | |
| G. John Garrett | .... | playback recordist (uncredited) | |
| Suzie Hollander | .... | dailies synching (uncredited) | |
Special Effects by | |||
| William 'Billy Jack' Jakielaszek | .... | special effects technician | |
Visual Effects by | |||
| Marcus Alexander | .... | visual effects editor: Framestore CFC | |
| Randall Balsmeyer | .... | visual effects supervisor | |
| Timothy Michael Cairns | .... | quality control supervisor: Efilm/Panavision | |
| Michael Eaves | .... | digital color timer: efilm | |
| Drew Jones | .... | visual effects executive producer | |
| Kevin Lin | .... | digital cleanup artist | |
| Christian Manz | .... | digital compositor | |
| Nicholas Seal | .... | digital compositor | |
| Thomas Mathai | .... | data manager (uncredited) | |
Casting Department | |||
| Vanessa Baker | .... | adr voice casting | |
| Brendan Donnison | .... | adr voice casting | |
| Peter Dudgeon | .... | extras casting assistant | |
| Kevin Fennessy | .... | extras casting: Boston | |
| Stephanie Holbrook | .... | casting associate | |
| Anna Maniscalco | .... | extras casting associate | |
| Cindy Morton | .... | extras casting associate: Boston | |
| Jennifer Sabel | .... | extras casting assistant | |
| Grant Wilfley | .... | extras casting | |
Editorial Department | |||
| Aisha Bicknell | .... | post-production coordinator | |
| Steve Calalang | .... | dailies colorist | |
| Dan Greeney | .... | post-production assistant | |
| Andrew Haigh | .... | assistant editor | |
| Jack Lewars | .... | assistant color timer: Efilm | |
| Lea Morement | .... | first assistant editor: film | |
| Chris Regan | .... | color timer | |
| Dan Roberts | .... | first assistant editor | |
| Patricia Sztaba | .... | negative matcher | |
| Stan Sztaba | .... | negative matcher | |
| Zeborah Tidwell | .... | assistant editor | |
Music Department | |||
| Jeff Atmajian | .... | orchestrator | |
| Sophie Cornet | .... | second music editor | |
| Chris Cozens | .... | auricle control systems | |
| Chris Dibble | .... | scoring mixer | |
| Jim Dunbar | .... | music coordinator | |
| Tony Finno | .... | music arranger: source music | |
| Michael Higham | .... | music editor | |
| Lewis Jones | .... | assistant score mixer | |
| Randall Poster | .... | music supervisor | |
| Andy Richards | .... | music mixing engineer | |
| Kevin Townend | .... | song orchestrator | |
| Jonathan Williams | .... | musician: cello | |
Transportation Department | |||
| Denise Avallon | .... | driver | |
| Robert Buckman | .... | driver | |
| Robert Buckman | .... | transportation co-captain | |
| James Collins | .... | driver | |
| Edward Devereaux II | .... | driver: honeywagon | |
| Michael Hyde | .... | transportation coordinator | |
| Bobby Marsh | .... | driver | |
| Robert Martini | .... | transportation co-captain | |
Production Companies
- Revolution Studios (presents)
- Red Om Films
- Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2003) (worldwide) (all media)
- Columbia TriStar Italia (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Italian International Film (2003) (Italy) (theatrical)
- Columbia Pictures (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
- Buena Vista International (2004) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
- Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
- Columbia TriStar Film (2004) (Germany) (theatrical)
- Columbia TriStar Films (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Columbia TriStar Films (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
- Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (2004) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Prooptiki (2004) (Greece) (theatrical)
- Sony Pictures Releasing (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
- United International Pictures (UIP) (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
- Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (VHS)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
- Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (USA) (VHS)
- LK-TEL (Argentina) (DVD)
- LK-TEL (Argentina) (VHS)
- Prooptiki Video (2004) (Greece) (VHS)
- RTL Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (TV) (RTL5)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
- Framestore CFC (visual effects)
- Abbey Road Studios music recorded at
- Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment cranes and dollies
- Digital Kitchen titles
- EFilm digital intermediate
- Epic Records soundtrack
- Grant Wilfley Casting extras casting
- Helen Uffner Vintage Clothing vintage clothing rentals
- High Output grip and lighting equipment
- L.A. Mad Dogs loop group
- Lansdown Recording Studios music mixed at (as Lansdowne Recording Studios)
- London Editing Machines Ltd. editing equipment
- Mega Playground video dailies
- Sony Music Soundtrax soundtrack
- Twickenham Studios sound post-production (as Twickenham Film Studios)
Additional Details
Also Known As:
See more »
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for sexual content and thematic issues
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
117 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Hong Kong:IIA | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Spain:7 | Brazil:12 | Canada:G (British Columbia/Ontario/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | Finland:S | South Korea:12 | Netherlands:AL | Sweden:Btl | USA:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 (re-rating on appeal) | Portugal:M/6 (original rating) | Singapore:PG13 (re-rating)
Filming Locations:
Company:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
In order to prepare for her role, Julia Roberts observed art history classes at New York University.See more »
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When President Carr is dictating the invitation for Katherine's return to Wellesley, her secretary is writing in shorthand that makes absolutely no sense. The only correct word is the first, which reads "Dear".See more »
Quotes:
[first lines]
Betty Warren:[voiceover] All her life, she had wanted to teach at Wellesley College. So, when a position opened in the Art History department, she pursued it single-mindedly until she was hired. It was whispered that Katherine Watson, a first-year teacher from Oakland State, made up in brains what she lacked in pedigree. Which was why this bohemian from California was on her way to the most conservative college in the nation.
See more »
Betty Warren:[voiceover] All her life, she had wanted to teach at Wellesley College. So, when a position opened in the Art History department, she pursued it single-mindedly until she was hired. It was whispered that Katherine Watson, a first-year teacher from Oakland State, made up in brains what she lacked in pedigree. Which was why this bohemian from California was on her way to the most conservative college in the nation.
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)See more »
Soundtrack:
Murder He SaysSee more »
FAQ
How does it end?See more »
See more (253 total) »
Message Boards
Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Mona Lisa Smile (2003) See more »Recommendations
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Another film about a progressive teacher trying to teach her students how to think outside of the box. Fortunately, unlike School of Rock, my views on which were accosted last week, I left Mona Lisa Smile mostly satisfied with what I had seen. No, it's not especially revelatory or surprising. You can more or less guess what's going to happen to each character by the end. But it does leave a little more room for characterization, for slightly unexpected outcomes, and it doesn't telegraph its moments quite so rigidly as the Linklater film. Julia Roberts is an actress about whom I feel nothing; I neither like nor dislike her. I think this is one of her better performances, certainly much better than her Oscar winning role in Erin Brockovich. She plays the progressive art history teacher, who arrives at Welsley to learn that all of her students have already studied the textbook from cover to cover, and can answer any question that might arise from the class's current syllabus. The curriculum and Roberts' superiors are strict in what they want to teach about art, but Roberts veers towards teaching what the textbook will not despite them. The superiors are unhappy with her course, but some of the students are opened up to the experience. Outside of class, Roberts faces as large a challenge. Most of her students have completely resigned to the idea that they are destined for marriage and nothing more. The status quo must be challenged. The students are a nice range of characters. Kirsten Dunst plays the most conservative, who is about to be married when the film opens. She, of course, rejects Roberts' ideals. On the other end of the spectrum is Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is the sexually promiscuous girl who idealizes her teacher. Slightly left of center is Ginnifer Goodwin and right of center Julia Stiles. These four characters are set up very mechanically, of course, but the characters succeed (and this can be said about all of the other characters of the movie, including Roberts', who are all rather mechanical) on the quality of acting. Each of the performers are wonderful. They manage to make you care, which is something that didn't happen with School of Rock, whose performers (with the one exception of Joan Cusack) were adequate or worse. I especially loved Marcia Gay Harden, giving another one of the best performances of 2003, as Roberts' roommate, who teaches etiquette. She's a pathetic, tragicomic image of what some of the girls will become if they insist that the traditional concept of womanhood remain unchanged. The film also boasts exceptional technical qualities. It's simply very well made. 8/10.