Mona Lisa SmileMovie · 2003
If you're into period dramas where women totally shake things up, this one's for you. Katherine Watson rolls into 1950s Wellesley and immediately starts dropping truth bombs on her students about what their lives could actually be. It's giving 'smash the patriarchy' vibes with a gorgeous vintage aesthetic and some serious girl power moments. Watch it for the satisfying feeling of seeing women choose their own paths, even when society tries to box them in.
In 1953, free-spirited art history professor Katherine Watson (Julia Roberts) takes a position at the prestigious all-female Wellesley College. She quickly discovers the school's traditional values clash with her progressive worldview. Katherine challenges her bright, but conventional students, including Betty Warren (Kirsten Dunst) and Joan Brandwyn (Julia Stiles), to question societal expectations for women. This film explores her efforts to inspire them to pursue intellectual and personal fulfillment beyond marriage.
