An Education (2009)

A coming-of-age story about a teenage girl in 1960s suburban London, and how her life changes with the arrival of a playboy nearly twice her age.

Director:

Lone Scherfig

Writers:

Lynn Barber (memoir), Nick Hornby (screenplay)

Stars:

Carey Mulligan, Olivia Williams, Alfred Molina

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 25 wins & 55 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carey Mulligan	...	Jenny Mellor
Olivia Williams	...	Miss Stubbs
Alfred Molina	...	Jack Mellor
Cara Seymour	...	Marjorie
William Melling	...	Small Boy #1
Connor Catchpole	...	Small Boy #2
Matthew Beard	...	Graham
Peter Sarsgaard	...	David Goldman
Amanda Fairbank-Hynes	...	Hattie
Ellie Kendrick	...	Tina
Dominic Cooper	...	Danny
Rosamund Pike	...	Helen
Nick Sampson	...	Auctioneer
Kate Duchêne	...	Latin Teacher (as Kate Duchene)
Bel Parker	...	Small Girl

Storyline

In the early 1960's, sixteen year old Jenny Mellor lives with her parents in the London suburb of Twickenham. On her father's wishes, everything that Jenny does is in the sole pursuit of being accepted into Oxford, as he wants her to have a better life than he. Jenny is bright, pretty, hard working but also naturally gifted. The only problems her father may perceive in her life is her issue with learning Latin, and her dating a boy named Graham, who is nice but socially awkward. Jenny's life changes after she meets David Goldman, a man over twice her age. David goes out of his way to show Jenny and her family that his interest in her is not improper and that he wants solely to expose her to cultural activities which she enjoys. Jenny quickly gets accustomed to the life to which David and his constant companions, Danny and Helen, have shown her, and Jenny and David's relationship does move into becoming a romantic one. However, Jenny slowly learns more about David, and by association ...

---

Plot Keywords:

1960s | oxford | latin | coming of age | teenage girl | 

---

Taglines:

Innocence of the Young.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving sexual content, and for smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

30 October 2009 (UK)

Also Known As:

Enseñanza de vida

Filming Locations:

Bloomsbury Service Station - 6 Store Street, Bloomsbury, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£4,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£399,122 (UK) (30 October 2009)

Gross:

$12,574,715 (USA) (30 April 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films, Finola Dwyer Productions, Wildgaze Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Carey Mulligan mentioned in an interview at the Sundance Film Festival that some of the most enjoyable moments of filming where when there were actors who only came in for a day or so, like Sally Hawkins and Emma Thompson, and she particularly enjoyed the four scenes she shot with the latter, whom she described as being "amazing", and called her acting "brilliant".

---

Goofs

The school orchestra play an extract from Elgar's 3rd Symphony. This work was left unfinished at the composer's death in 1934 and was not completed and performed until 1998, so unavailable (and unsuitable) for a 1961 school orchestra.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Miss Stubbs: Come on, girls. Anybody?
[pauses]
Miss Stubbs: Anybody else?
[pauses]
Miss Stubbs: Jenny again.
Jenny: Isn't it because Mr. Rochester's blind?
Miss Stubbs: Yes, Jenny.

---

Connections

References Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

---

Soundtracks

"Theme from 'A Summer Place' "
Performed by Percy Faith

User Reviews

Why can't American movie makers make a movie this great?

You don't need to know the plot to understand that this movie has all of the magic of true art-a wonderful story, an actress and director seemingly out of nowhere, and a cinematic style that is dramatic and completely engrossing and satisfying. What is amazing is that this film shows how American cinema has completely lost its touch. In the old studio days young American actresses, and actresses from around the world were somehow discovered and developed. When is the last time that has happened in Hollywood? Our movie machine is run by a bunch of bean counters that don't know art from bank notes, casting the same tired names over and over again in endless overblown works of absolute drivel. Here is a movie with a relatively small budget, relatively unknown actors, and a plot that seems pedestrian. If you don't see this film you will probably miss one of the most touching, true and completely cinematic works of many years. This movie is a miracle.