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An Education

  • 20092009
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
133K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,421
71
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Peter Sarsgaard and Carey Mulligan in An Education (2009)
A coming-of-age story about a teenage girl in 1960s suburban London (Mulligan) and how her life changes with the arrival of a playboy nearly twice her age (Sarsgaard).
Play trailer2:25
12 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Drama

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.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.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.

IMDb RATING
7.3/10
133K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,421
71
  • Director
    • Lone Scherfig
  • Writers
    • Lynn Barber(memoir)
    • Nick Hornby(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Carey Mulligan
    • Peter Sarsgaard
    • Alfred Molina
Top credits
  • Director
    • Lone Scherfig
  • Writers
    • Lynn Barber(memoir)
    • Nick Hornby(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Carey Mulligan
    • Peter Sarsgaard
    • Alfred Molina
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 275User reviews
    • 276Critic reviews
    • 85Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 Oscars
      • 36 wins & 96 nominations total

    Videos12

    An Education
    Trailer 2:25
    An Education
    An Education
    Clip 2:13
    An Education
    An Education
    Clip 2:01
    An Education
    An Education
    Clip 2:14
    An Education
    An Education
    Clip 1:37
    An Education
    An Education
    Clip 1:32
    An Education
    An Education
    Clip 1:05
    An Education
    An Education
    Clip 2:14
    An Education
    An Education
    Clip 0:59
    An Education
    The Rise of Carey Mulligan
    Clip 3:54
    The Rise of Carey Mulligan
    An Education: "Jenny"
    Featurette 1:13
    An Education: "Jenny"
    Sundance Film Festival Watchlist
    Video 1:30
    Sundance Film Festival Watchlist

    Photos121

    Carey Mulligan in An Education (2009)
    Carey Mulligan in An Education (2009)
    Emma Thompson, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes, Carey Mulligan, and Ellie Kendrick in An Education (2009)
    Dominic Cooper in An Education (2009)
    Dominic Cooper in An Education (2009)
    Peter Sarsgaard and Dominic Cooper in An Education (2009)
    Peter Sarsgaard and Dominic Cooper in An Education (2009)
    Lone Scherfig in An Education (2009)
    Carey Mulligan in An Education (2009)
    Rosamund Pike in An Education (2009)
    Peter Sarsgaard in An Education (2009)
    Olivia Williams in An Education (2009)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Carey Mulligan
    Carey Mulligan
    • Jennyas Jenny
    Peter Sarsgaard
    Peter Sarsgaard
    • Davidas David
    Alfred Molina
    Alfred Molina
    • Jackas Jack
    Olivia Williams
    Olivia Williams
    • Miss Stubbsas Miss Stubbs
    Cara Seymour
    Cara Seymour
    • Marjorieas Marjorie
    William Melling
    • Small Boyas Small Boy
    Connor Catchpole
    Connor Catchpole
    • Small Boyas Small Boy
    Matthew Beard
    Matthew Beard
    • Grahamas Graham
    Amanda Fairbank-Hynes
    Amanda Fairbank-Hynes
    • Hattieas Hattie
    Ellie Kendrick
    Ellie Kendrick
    • Tinaas Tina
    Dominic Cooper
    Dominic Cooper
    • Dannyas Danny
    Rosamund Pike
    Rosamund Pike
    • Helenas Helen
    Nick Sampson
    • Auctioneeras Auctioneer
    Kate Duchêne
    Kate Duchêne
    • Latin Teacheras Latin Teacher
    • (as Kate Duchene)
    Bel Parker
    • Small Girlas Small Girl
    Emma Thompson
    Emma Thompson
    • Headmistressas Headmistress
    Luis Soto
    Luis Soto
    • Rachmanas Rachman
    Olenka Wrzesniewski
    • Shakespeare Girlas Shakespeare Girl
    • Director
      • Lone Scherfig
    • Writers
      • Lynn Barber(memoir)
      • Nick Hornby(screenplay)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    In the early 1960's, sixteen-year-old Jenny Mellor (Carey Mulligan) lives with her parents in the London suburb of Twickenham. On her father Jack's (Alfred Molina'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 him. 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 (Matthew Beard), who is nice, but socially awkward. Jenny's life changes after she meets David Goldman (Peter Sarsgaard), 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 (Dominic Cooper) and Helen (Rosamund Pike), have shown her, and Jenny and David's relationship does move on to becoming a romantic one. However, Jenny slowly learns more about David, and by association, Danny and Helen, and specifically how they make their money. Jenny has to decide if what she learns about them and leading such a life is worth forgoing her plans of higher education at Oxford. —Huggo
    • age difference
    • coming of age
    • teenage girl
    • oxford
    • betrayal
    • 258 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Innocence of the Young.
    • Genre
      • Drama
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving sexual content, and for smoking
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The creative team were initially worried about casting the 22-year-old Carey Mulligan in the role of a 16-year-old, but were convinced by her screentest. Rosamund Pike reportedly really wanted the small part of Helen, because "no one ever lets me be funny."
    • Goofs
      When Jenny finally passes her A levels, she mentions grades. The film is set in 1961 - A level grades were first introduced in 1963. Although,when she's studying at home, it is implied that a significant amount of time passes, it is unlikely to have taken her beyond 1962 when, essentially, you either passed or failed GCE exams.
    • Quotes

      Jenny: If you never do anything, you never become anyone.

    • Connections
      Featured in The 81st Annual Academy Awards (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Smoke Without Fire
      Written by Duffy and Bernard Butler

      Performed by Duffy

      Courtesy of A&M/Polydor Records (UK), Mercury Records (US)

    User reviews275

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    An educated mind is not necessarily an open one
    In the cinema certain historical periods have become associated with a particular set of ideas. The 1960s represent change, progress and excitement whereas the 1950s are frequently regarded as a period of stifling social conformity. Of course, the "swinging sixties" did not necessarily start to swing on 1st January 1960, and in retrospect the first few years of the decade seem to have more in common with the conformist fifties than with the "swinging London" era of the later sixties. Certainly, many young people during this period regarded London as a dull, conservative place, and looked eagerly to foreign cities, especially Paris, as being more exciting and radical. There was an enthusiasm for everything French- French philosophy, French literature, French cinema, French fashions, even French jazz and French cigarettes. This Francophilia doubtless included elements of wishful thinking- De Gaulle's Fifth Republic was a more conservative place than many Britons realised- but it was nevertheless an influential phenomenon. It is a phenomenon explored in Julian Barnes' novel "Metroland" (later filmed), and also in this film.

    The main character is Jenny, a teenage schoolgirl living in the London suburb of Twickenham in 1961. Jenny is highly intelligent, and is studying hard with a view to taking the entrance exams to Oxford University. She is not, however, really sure why she wants to go to Oxford, except that she is being pushed to do so by her parents who feel that university is the best place for her to meet a wealthy husband.

    Jenny's life changes when she meets a handsome and charming older man named David. They quickly become close friends and begin dating. David is clearly wealthy, and claims to be an art dealer and property developer. More important to Jenny, however, is his knowledge of culture. He is well up with all the latest intellectual and artistic fashions from France and takes her to concerts and jazz clubs. What really impresses her is that he takes her to Paris. Eventually, David proposes to Jenny and she accepts and drops out of school without taking her A-levels, her Oxford ambitions abandoned.

    Many parents would be worried about the idea of their sixteen-year-old daughter being romanced by a thirty-something man, especially if his influence leads her to neglect her education, but Jenny's parents, especially her complacent, Philistine father, seem strangely unconcerned. His argument is that as Jenny has now found a wealthy suitor there will be no need for her to use Oxford as a dating agency. His one objection to David as a son-in-law seems to be that he is Jewish. (Anti-Semitism was unfortunately widespread in British society at this period). Yet it is obvious to the audience that there is a darker side to David's character. His business methods are, to say the least, not beyond reproach (the character may have been based upon the notorious slum landlord Peter Rachman) and he never takes Jenny to his home, always meeting her in a luxurious flat belonging to his friend and business partner Danny. Eventually, even Jenny herself begins to suspect that David is not all he seems.

    The title "An Education" can be understood on two levels. As a coming-of-age drama it narrates Jenny's metaphorical "education" in the wider sense of learning lessons about life. Yet it obviously also deals with her education in the narrower, literal sense of the word. It raises similar issues to another great British film, "Educating Rita", namely whether it is formal academic education or informal education to be gained in the outside world which is the more valuable. Jenny drops out of school because she believes that she can better acquire knowledge, both of high culture and of the ways of the world, through her life with David than through academic study. (Jenny's vision of her future life envisages her living with David in Paris on the Rive Gauche, reading Sartre, smoking Gauloises and going to the cinema to see the latest productions of the Nouvelle Vague). It seems hard to blame her for this conclusion, given that in the film the main advocate of the life academic is her headmistress, an intellectual snob and virulent anti-Semite ("The Jews killed Our Lord!") who serves as a reminder that an educated mind is not necessarily an open one. It is only when she becomes disillusioned with David that Jenny starts to reassess her priorities.

    Her performance in the lead role has led to Carey Mulligan being hailed as the "new Audrey Hepburn", although the main point of resemblance seems to be that at one point in the film Jenny sports (as many young women doubtless did in the early sixties) a Hepburn-style hairdo. Nevertheless, on the basis of this performance Mulligan would appear to be a highly promising star in the making, perhaps the new Keira Knightley. Although she is actually 24, she always seems entirely believable as a naive young teenager. Other good contributions come from Peter Sarsgaard as the smooth, reptilian David, Alfred Molina as Jenny's comical, blustering father, Rosamund Pike as Danny's airheaded mistress Helen and Emma Thompson in an excellent cameo as the obnoxious headmistress.

    Period drama is something the British cinema often does well, and "An Education" falls within this tradition, even though it has a Danish director, Lone Scherfig. 2009 has already seen two good British costume dramas, "The Young Victoria" and "Dorian Gray", but "An Education" is an even better one. It is not only a study of a girl on the verge of womanhood, but also an exploration of issues such as social class, racism and the value of education. One of the best British films of recent years. I hope that the Academy will remember it when next year's Oscars are being handed out. 9/10
    helpful•223
    49
    • JamesHitchcock
    • Nov 20, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 5, 2010 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Enseñanza de vida
    • Filming locations
      • Twickenham Film Studios, St Margarets, Twickenham, Middlesex, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • BBC Films
      • Finola Dwyer Productions
      • Wildgaze Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $7,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $12,574,914
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $159,017
      • Oct 11, 2009
    • Gross worldwide
      • $26,096,852
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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