Mona Lisa Smile DVD > Reviews > In the Heart of Every Girl

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Good
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Good

Advantages:	Inspiring, beautiful location
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The Storyline
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It's 1953 and recently graduated teacher, Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) is hired to teach Art History at the prestigious, all-girl, Wellesley College. When confronted by the conservative traditions and outdated values that they instil into the girls, she attempts to inspire her class to challenge these values and to define their own lives and destinies. Does she succeed, or does the age old traditions over power her bohemian way of thinking and living? Well, I'm not going to say, you will have to watch this film to find out.

There are several parts to this story, with the main theme being about Katherine Watson challenging the traditional thinking of the college. Another very important part of the film, is that when they enter the real world and lose the rose tinted spectacles about how good their life will be, they have to deal with problems and disappointments. This in a way turns the story into a coming of age movie, but is told in a completely different way to the traditional ones, such as "Stand By Me". There are also several different love stories, which all have different twists and endings. All these themes, bind together to make a very compelling movie, which leaves you feeling inspired.

The main star of this film is Julia Roberts, who pulls out one of her best performances as the teacher, Katherine Watson. You start to sympathise with her character as she battles against the strict rules and conservative standards of the institution along with her romantic rollercoaster ride. Although Miss Roberts may be the star, this film would be nothing without the supporting cast which includes; Kirsten Dunst, Dominic West, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Special Mention goes to Kirsten Dunst who plays Betty Warren, a pupil and staunch supporter of the college's traditions and ideals. She goes about making Miss Watson's life a misery through her attitude and her opinions that she writes in the college newspaper.

Director Mike Newell has done a tremendous job with this movie. He has used all his skill to make the whole movie tell the story, whether it is the characters, or the scenery, or the lighting they all demonstrate the emotions and feelings that he is trying to get across in each scene. For example, the bar where Miss Watson likes to go and drink, it is darker, smokier and has customers who would not fit the Wellesley set of ideals.

I must mention the location of this film. The actual Wellesley College was used, and you can honestly see through this grand building and historic rooms, such as the library, that this place is steeped in years of tradition. I honestly believe that this location is the unsung star of the film as it is so pivotal in making this film so believable.

Finally, the soundtrack to the film. As this is set in the early 50's, there are numerous scenes which uses contemporary music of the period. Personally, the best part of the sound track is the orchestral and choir pieces which bring emotion and elation just at the right moment.

The Cast
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Julia Roberts .... Katherine Ann Watson
Kirsten Dunst .... Betty Warren
Julia Stiles .... Joan Brandwyn
Maggie Gyllenhaal .... Giselle Levy
Ginnifer Goodwin .... Connie Baker
Dominic West .... Bill Dunbar
Juliet Stevenson .... Amanda Armstrong
Marcia Gay Harden .... Nancy Abbey
John Slattery .... Paul Moore
Marian Seldes .... President Jocelyn Carr

Technical Details
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Certificate: 12
Length: 114 mins
No. of DVDs: 1.
Widescreen

Packaging
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Comes in a standard DVD case, with a picture of Julia Roberts on the cover.

Bonus Material
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You get the usual scene selection which consists of 28 different scenes.

The language selection allows for English or Hungarian but there are several different choices for the subtitles.

The first feature is called "Art Forum", this is where the cast discuss their feelings about art, this feature in interspersed with scenes from the film to help give examples.

Next feature is called "College Then and Now". This feature discusses the differences between the colleges then and now and this is done through the casts own opinions. Some interesting items, show how some of the Wellesley traditions have evolved to have different meanings in our modern world.

Next feature is called "What Women Wanted: 1953". This discusses the ideals that the women held back in 1953, the perfect home, and the perfect husband, "Hi Honey, I'm Home". It also shows that change was just round the corner as women decided that they didn't just want to conform to everyone else's expectations.

Next we get Filmographies on the main cast, director and writers. I will be honest, I have never found this feature to be of any use or interest.

Then there is a music video, Elton John singing "In the Heart of Every Girl" interlaced with clips from the film. This is a very enjoyable song whose words really typify life for women in 1953.

Finally, there are trailers for a few films including the one for Mona Lisa Smile.

The Message & Christian View Point
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The message that I saw in this film, is that just because everyone around you conforms to what they believe is the norm, it doesn't mean you have to. We all have the ability of making up our own minds about what we want to do and if we feel strongly about our beliefs then we should stick by them.

Conclusion & Rating
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When I got this film, it was purely due to Miss Roberts and Miss Stiles, 2 of my favourite actresses, and when I read the synopsis I though huge mistake. To my surprise, that when I started to watch the film, I found myself captivated not just by my favourite actresses but by the story, cinematography, location and the rest of the cast. I really didn't believe that this film would have such an inspiring story. The whole film is very well made, but I wouldn't recommend to everyone to buy a copy. One viewing of this film would satisfy most people, but if you are a fan of inspirational films or enjoy the 1950's period, I would strongly recommend that you get this on DVD.

This DVD can be found for around the £7 mark and at this price it is worth the money.