LIBERAL ARTS
CAROLINE: Liberal Arts is a very small movie that is open in limited release. It was written and directed by Josh Radnor of How I Met Your Mother fame. Do you watch that show?
RYAN: I do not. Doesn’t this movie also have Zac Efron?
CAROLINE: Yes, in a small role. Also Elizabeth Olsen of “My sisters are Mary-Kate and Ashley” fame. I’m starting to dig her.
RYAN: Yeah, she was great in Martha Marcy May Marlene and I loved Silent House earlier this year.
CAROLINE: The trailer for this movie really grabbed me for some reason. Probably because I was also a naive young college girl once, a la Elizabeth Olsen’s character. She totally falls for a much older guy, who’s played by Josh Radnor, and the movie is about their awkward friendship/relationship.
RYAN: And that old guy who you love is in it too, right?
CAROLINE: Ha, yes. That would be Richard Jenkins. It also has Meredith’s mom from TV’s Grey’s, Allison Janney and Elizabeth Reaser of Twilight fame.
RYAN: Sounds like a great cast.
CAROLINE: It is! Allison Janney is especially fab because her character is bitchy and awesome. But I really liked the movie overall too. It’s very small but sweet. I could relate to Elizabeth Olsen’s character in a lot of ways.
RYAN: Is Josh Radnor cute enough to play her love interest?
CAROLINE: I think so. I could have done without his beard but he’s appealing. I didn’t see his first feature, Happythankyoumoreplease, which was pretty well reviewed, but he seems to know what he’s doing as a writer/director.
RYAN: So did this movie totally take you back to your college days?
CAROLINE: Yes! It’s fun to see them on campus – Lizzy Olsen is a student and he’s just there visiting his old professor – and how different their lives are at 19 vs. 35. The movie captures college life very well – the parties, the hangovers, dealing with your roommate, etc. It was really fun in that respect.
RYAN: Would I like this?
CAROLINE: I was actually trying to decide that during the movie. You probably wouldn’t have found it as relatable as I did. It’s a very indie kind of movie, but if you like these actors, it’s a good rental. I got pretty immersed in it.
RYAN: It’s just one of those movies I could see myself skipping since we’re starting to enter major Oscar release territory here.
CAROLINE: I hear you. It’s almost too much with all these movies coming out!! So yeah, you could wait to catch this one on cable. It’s cute and I enjoyed it, but it’s not a must-see on the big screen.
— RATING —
