Sony Pictures | 2009 | 100 mins. | Rated PG-13
One of 2009’s critical darlings, An Education is a story reminiscent of an earlier time; one that’s purely character driven, utilizes no special effects and emphasizes style over substance. Nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actress for Carey Mulligan (Public Enemies), who gives a quietly moving performance, the quiet character study evolves into much more than it initially appears to be. Directed by Lone Scherfig and based on a screenplay penned by Nick Hornby for which the film received its third Academy Award nomination, An Education comes in at a rather lean 100 minutes, but still manages to be one of the most affecting coming-of-age stories to hit the big screen in a long time.
As the story begins in London 1961, Jenny (Mulligan) is tiring of her classes at an all-girls prep school. Her fabulous grades and unwavering dedication to this point mean she’s a candidate for Oxford, where she plans to read English. Pushed to be the best by her loving, but demanding father Jack (Alfred Molina), a good education is how he and Jenny’s mother, Marjorie (Cara Seymour) imagine she’ll build a solid future, away from their middle class world and into one that includes intelligent conversation and success.
Jenny, who spends long afternoons in her bedroom singing along with Juliette Gréco records, clearly imagines a different way out. As the camera hovers over her face, she dreams of being someone else; artsy and glamorous. One day after cello practice, Jenny meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a man several years older than she, who offers her cello a ride home in his car to keep it safe from a pouring rain. A second encounter yields a proposal for dinner and a concert, which Jenny excitedly accepts. Quickly, she begins to see Peter as her way out. She’s thrilled when he talks her parents into letting her go to the concert. She’s even more pleased when he takes her to a smart café afterwards, where she can smoke cigarettes and drop French phrases at will. It’s also appealing that this part of the evening must remain a secret from her parents.
From the moment she meets David, lying becomes a central theme in Jenny’s life, whether she realizes it or not. Her youth allows Jenny to believe their relationship is built on their superiority, rather than gullibility with a healthy dose of lies. Presenting her to his friends Helen (Rosamund Pike) and Danny (Dominic Cooper), he asks, “Isn’t it wonderful to find a young person who wants to know things?” He continues, “There’s so much I want you to see! The camera moves to Danny, who rolls his eyes. As Jenny swoons, one has to wonder if the virginal schoolgirl and the older man are thinking about “seeing” the same things.
Anyone can relate to Jenny’s adolescent uncertainty. In her heart of hearts, she wants to attend Oxford as much as her father wants her to, though she bristles at the idea that the end goal is just to become a housewife. She sees how Helen, vacuous and simple-minded, eschews education but lives a fabulous life, while her schoolteacher (Olivia Williams) and headmistress (Emma Thompson) are well educated but boring. Can’t there possibly be some middle ground? As several doses of reality scrape away at her glamorous life with David, is it too late for her to recapture her own dreams?
Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, An Education looks very nice. A few shots display some light grain, but I suspect the filming technique and timing are more responsible than the DVD’s transfer. The picturesque visuals are very capably displayed in this clean, vibrant presentation. Also satisfying, the Dolby 5.1 soundtrack delivers unexpected atmosphere. The pivotal thunderstorm, for instance, engulfs more potently than other cinematic portrayals of the elements. The sparse score by Paul Englishby is also nicely rendered, and dialogue is always clear and understood.
Subtitles are available in English and French.
An Education comes with the following special features:
• Audio Commentary with Director Lone Scherfig and Actors Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard that focuses more on anecdotes and haphazard conversation than it does on technical aspects. However, there is some brief discussions about thematic elements in the film, shooting techniques, filming locations, changes between script and final film, the performances of the cast, and other technical information.
• The Making of An Education (8:59) is an interesting but brief look at the film’s story, dramatic elements and themes, and the performances of the cast.
• Walking the Red Carpet (8:25) takes viewers to the film’s premiere at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theater and offers a collection of impromptu interview snippets with cast and crew.
• Deleted Scenes (16:10) eleven in all.
• Trailer (2:25) the films theatrical trailer.
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