Food for Thought Movie Review by Niece #1

An Education

Which is the best teacher- life experience or a formal education? Is it better to be street smart or book smart? What is ‘knowledge’ really- and what type of knowledge gets us farthest in life? An Education, a British film by director Lone Scherfig based on a memoir by Lynn Barber with screenplay by Nick Hornby, explores these questions. The answers are left to the viewer. The easy answer is that knowledge is a combination of both experience and education and that it is possible to experience the best of both worlds. Imagine, however, that you are an attractive 16 year old girl named Jenny, (played by the charming and young -Katie Holmes-esque actress, Carey Mulligan), living in suburban London in 1961. The world is changing before your eyes and, as an intelligent young woman, you have more opportunities than ever before to gain a university education; to be a cellist; to be a woman of the world. However, not having to study Latin has a certain allure, as does getting married young and having an adoring older man take care of everything in life, including expensive dinners in restaurants, cigarettes and cocktails in jazz bars, (where were the bouncers requesting ID?!), and of course, trips to Paris. Not to mention clothes!! The fashion is worth the price of admission to this flick- early ‘60s sheath dresses MUST make a come-back ; they exude sexy seductiveness while being perfectly polished and ladylike and would be a welcome addition to the ‘minis’ currently filling store racks. What does Jenny do? Well, Jenny does what every 16 year old does- she rebels. Does she rebel and marry an older playboy (played by the likable Peter Sarsgard)? Or does she rebel against those who want her to live the ‘high life’, and go to Oxford to ‘read’ English? (“Read English books?” wonders a gorgeously ditsy Helen, played by Rosamund Pike). How does she finally decide? It seems the answer can only be imparted by the traditional 'imparter' of knowledge- Jenny’s teacher.

By Jessie B.-W.

Editorial Note: Jess and I happened to see this movie together. It is an engaging movie, especially for anyone with fond memories of the 60’s. We noted that there was a very high proportion of grey heads in the audience; people who would have been in their 20’s and 30’s in 1961 and just starting to find their way in life. I also noted that the singer in the jazz club (in the movie) had the exact platinum blonde hair-do and dress as my Barbie doll.

There were not a lot of food references in the movie except for a couple of scenes involving Jenny’s bumbling young suitor coming for tea. In the first scene, he is offered a plate of Battenberg cake and has trouble choosing which slice he wants. When he finally decides, the slice falls apart in his hand (as Battenberg cake would). In the second scene, Jenny’s mother is serving birthday cake to the boy; his piece flips onto the table and he has to pick it up with his fingers and put it on his plate. Very trivial domestic scenes that somehow add to the believability of the film.

One last thing: Apparently, Peter Sarsgard’s English accent is a bit off at times but it really isn’t jarring to an untrained ear.