As usual, movie time evoked the excitement within me. The title "Mona Lisa Smile" came across as a queer one.
Whisperings could be heard : "Whose smile?"... "Ape ni, muvie senyum?"
However, when the protagonist and several outstanding casts such as : Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, and Julia Stiles were flashed across the screen, the classed dissolved into utter silence.
We spent two classes watching this brilliant movie.
Having studied in an all-girls' school all my primary and secondary school life, I smiled at the recollection this movie had brought me into.
Walking down memory lane, I thought of the English teachers that used to teach me : the funny ones, scary ones, lazy ones, and... the best ones.
Mona Lisa Smile, an American film written by Lawrence Konner has got me spellbound.
I watched with great anticipation as I see the storyline unfold : The way in which a conservative, simple teacher finds her standing in a class filled with brilliant students. They (the students) were not interested in knowing text book answers. They knew the text books at the back of their hands. They were in search of something more.
Katherine Ann Watson (Julia Roberts) had to show them something MORE.
She brought extraordinary materials to the classroom - it sparked interest in some students, it sparked controversy in others.
Through this movie, I observe the way in which the existence of certain students such as as Betty (Kirsten Dunst) could really demoralize a teacher's motivation. She was a tough nut to crack. Being fully emerged and indefinitely set on being a good wife, this bright and charming young Betty forsook her education for love - giving in to society's convention at that point in time. Little did she know, the change education could bring on one's life.
It took Katherine Ann Watson, the teacher a whole lot of patience and courage to face this hot, young blooded women who were so set in their ways. She had to show them (even as she trembled with fear) that she was in control. Something I as a future teacher really seek to know how to.
It is refreshing to see the breath of fresh air Katherine has brought into the school, by doing things her own way, even though she was harshly reprimanded through letters and such. She believed in education and promoted the importance of education relentlessly.
This movie has been a good source of educational information to me. It gives me a peek into what's it like being a teacher - the challenges, headaches and joys. Also, it shows me that pressure and dejection doesn't just come from students, but also your boss (the headmaster), students' parents as well as students themselves. It exposes me to the harsh truth that when you are standing alone in front of 50 students, you're very alone. However, you could be a laughing stalk, or you can laugh with them : it's up to how a teacher decides to carry herself.
Change is inevitable, and being a teacher, one isn't afraid of making changes.
This movie has indeed spoken volumes, I've truly benefited from watching it.
