Mona Lisa Smile 🎥 2003 Movie Info

Plot Summary

30-year-old Katherine Ann Watson accepts an Art History teaching position at Wellesley College. She quickly discovers her students have memorized the entire textbook and syllabus, so she introduces modern art and encourages discussion about what art is. Katherine also challenges her students to achieve more in life than marriage. Outspoken conservative Betty Warren writes editorials for the college paper, and insists that a universal standard exists for what is good art. She attacks Katherine for advocating that women seek careers in addition to marriage and exposes campus nurse and lesbian Amanda Armstrong for supplying contraception to students, resulting in her termination.

Betty is eager to marry her fiancé Spencer and expects the traditional married-student exemptions; however, Katherine insists she will grade her based on merit and expects her to complete all assignments and tests. When Betty’s married life does not go smoothly, she begins taking out her frustrations on the other girls, particularly Connie and Giselle. Betty often ridicules Connie Baker and insists her cousin, Charlie, is taking Connie to her wedding reception only as a favor. Connie is surprised when he expresses genuine interest in her, and they begin dating. Connie breaks things off after Betty claims Charlie is actually dating Deb, the daughter of the couple Charlie had avoided while they were on holiday. Betty claims Connie is just a casual fling Charlie was trying to hide.

Weeks later, Connie and Charlie reconnect with him insisting he had stopped seeing Deb the previous summer and only began dating his current girlfriend after Connie stopped seeing him. Connie tearfully confronts Betty for lying and being hurtful, asking why Betty could not let her be happy. Later, Connie breaks into Charlie’s dorm to ask for another chance, and they rekindle their relationship. Joan Brandwyn considers studying law at Yale Law School, so Katherine encourages her to apply. Although accepted, Joan declines admission to instead elope with Tom Donegal.

Meet the Cast