The movie, Mona Lisa Smile, opened in theaters Dec. 19. It is an uplifting drama that is rated PG-13.

The movie is full of talent and diversity with stars such as: Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

The movie is set in 1953 when women’s roles were rigidly defined at Wellesley College, an all-girl school.

At that time the school based the success of the girls on how well they married. The degree you received was nowhere near as important as how wealthy the man you chose to marry was.

Julia Roberts accepts an art teaching position at the school. When she first starts teaching, she has no idea that the girls have no intention of actually learning. But she quickly realizes that the only thing they have in mind is being good housewives.

After learning of the way things really are at Wellesley, she cannot figure out why the brightest minds in the country are being wasted on cleaning and cooking.

She opens the students up to new and challenging ideas. Encouraging them to be more than just wives and moms, she instills in them the idea that they can be good wives and mothers and still have a challenging and fulfilling career.

The movie is thus a depiction of how women’s roles have changed drastically through the years.

When asked for a guy’s perspective of the movie, UTM student Thom Woodson of McKenzie said, “It’s not just a chick flick; it’s a good movie with lots of emotion.”