The "Mona Lisa Smile", directed by Mike Newell, is a story about women in society during the 1950s, when they were expected to become educated and then get married and become a mother.PLOT SUMMARY: Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) portrays a single woman in the 1950s who, freshly graduated from graduate school, gets a job working as an Art History professor at the exclusive Wellesley College for women in Massachusetts. Katherine is shocked when she learns her students have already fulfilled the requirements in their syllabuses by the very first class, and decides to stray against the rules by showing the girls modern art and teaching them that they have a choice in life besides becoming a housewife and mother. Katherine shares a special bond with her students, though a few students really stand out. Betty Warren (Kirsten Dunst) is a "proper young lady" who quickly gets married because her family wants her to and soon learns about marriage the hard way--she becomes rebellious towards Katherine's teachings in the meantime; Joan Brandwyn (Julia Stiles) is a bright and intelligent girl who gets into Yale Law School but must make a choice when she falls in love with a man; and then there's Giselle Levy (Maggie Gyllenhaal) who is kind of like Katherine herself, except Giselle is a "player" and likes to fool around with guys...especially men who are a lot older than her. Through these students, Katherine learns about herself and life as she goes against school board rules.MY OVERALL THOUGHTS: The film was a bit feminist in my opinion, but since I'm a bit of a feminist myself, this only made me enjoy the "Mona Lisa Smile" even more. The acting, of course, was spectacular. I was quite surprised by the acting of the younger cast, though I always knew how talented these young women were and expected nothing less from them. Julia Roberts is as good as ever...she never fails to impress me. The storyline was wonderful and so was the dialogue and overall message of the story. The directing, costumes, settings, etc. were all brilliant. If you are a feminist and like feel-good movies, then you will certainly enjoy the "Mona Lisa Smile".I highly recommend the "Mona Lisa Smile".100/100A+