I was just saying how I think Carey Mulligan is so cute and I wish I could rock a pixie cut like hers (totally girlie, I know). I realize I am so completely late, but I finally had the pleasure of seeing her in An Education. I have to agree with that Academy Award nomination. She was quite brilliant!
The scene is 1960s London. I first have to ask, why do those damn Brits sound so proper regardless of what they're saying? Compared to them I feel like I'm speaking pig-latin. Anyway, back to the film...Jenny, a girl of 16, is living the life she is "supposed to". She is extremely bright and hopefully on her way to Oxford. And then-Shazam!-Peter Saarsgard, as David, comes riding along to save Jenny from her miserably dull shell of an existence. If you put aside all his shadiness, he truly opens up an entirely new world to Jenny. She views great works of art, listens to jazz, drinks champagne and even visits Paris. Oh, one important fact-David is twice her age. Gross? You be the judge. (side-bar...I've loved Peter Saarsgard for quite some time now and believe he is one of our great but highly underrated contemporary actors)
So you can probably guess the dilemma here. Does Jenny pursue her now-outdated dream of attending Oxford or does she ride off into the seemingly perfect sunset with David? Well, I won't be that big, bold, red-lettered "spoiler alert", but I will say her conflict is a real one. And maybe it's because of that Philosophy of Woman class I took at my all women's college, but to me, her predicament is just seeping in the classic women's liberation struggle.
At first I felt like Jenny was damned no matter what she chose. On the one hand, she gets to live as a free-thinking lover of the arts, but in reality, she's still just some man's wife. Then on the other hand, she can excel in Academia, but even with that illustrious Oxford degree, will she just be playing the part of the dutiful woman? But then I realize Jenny is a smart girl. I thought about her transformation throughout the film and I felt confident, knowing she would not end up a statistic.
So, which road does Jenny travel down? Go get the DVD and find out!
