Synopsis:

"The movie we have chosen is “Mona Lisa Smile,” directed by Mick Newell. The story is about the images of women in 1950s and how an art teacher, Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts), leads her students to break down the harness the society has put on women.
In 1953, Katherine Ann Watson came to Wellesley College as a new art teacher. By that time, women’s job was to assist their husbands and educate children. And the payback for their hardworking was more housework or some advanced housing machines. To fight against the abuse, she encouraged her students to be a critical and independent person. At first, neither her students nor the faculty could accept her “aggressive” teaching style. But gradually the students had changed. They realized being a housewife was not the only way any women should end up. In other words, they controlled their own lives and they could have different choices. Unfortunately, the people still could not take the turn. Joan Brandwyn (Julia Stiles), who had wanted to go to the law school of Yale, decided to get married with her boyfriend at the end. And Wellesley also sent Katherine a contract with additions to stop her teaching and giving new ideas to the students. To defend her belief, she finally chose to leave Wellesley to Europe. But did she lose the battle? Actually she did not. The students she had taught really made a difference in their lives afterwards. For example, Betty Warren (Kirsten Dunst) divorced her husband since she found out an affair of him. Connie Baker (Ginnifer Goodwin) ran into the boys’ dorm and told the boy she once misunderstand and lost that she loved him. And even Joan Brandwyn told Katherine getting married was what she really wanted when Katherine gave the application forms of those nearby universities to her – an independent choice still. "

[Students submitted a CD containing all the materials used during their presentation- videos, powerpoint, and paper]

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Created by Ayeh, 1-17-2005