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- 2012
- PG-13
- IFC Films
- 1 h 37 m
- 2012
- PG-13
- IFC Films
- 1 h 37 m
Summary Newly single, 35, and uninspired by his job, Jesse Fisher worries that his best days are behind him. But no matter how much he buries his head in a book, life keeps pulling Jesse back. When his favorite college professor invites him to campus to speak at his retirement dinner, Jesse jumps at the chance. He is prepared for the nostalgia o...
Directed By: Josh Radnor
Written By: Josh Radnor
- 2012
- PG-13
- IFC Films
- 1 h 37 m
- 2012
- PG-13
- IFC Films
- 1 h 37 m
Liberal Arts
55
7.2
Where to Watch
Summary Newly single, 35, and uninspired by his job, Jesse Fisher worries that his best days are behind him. But no matter how much he buries his head in a book, life keeps pulling Jesse back. When his favorite college professor invites him to campus to speak at his retirement dinner, Jesse jumps at the chance. He is prepared for the nostalgia o...
Directed By: Josh Radnor
Written By: Josh Radnor
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 24 Critic Reviews
55
42% Positive
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
50% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
8% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 24 Critic Reviews
55
42% Positive
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
50% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
8% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Olsen, moody and apple-cheeked and intellectually avid, proves a true star: She turns being wiser than her years into an authentic generational state.
Sticks to the syllabus of a decidedly minor movie, but its humanities faculty is first-rate.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 59 User Ratings
7.2
68% Positive
40 Ratings
40 Ratings
27% Mixed
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
5% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 59 User Ratings
7.2
68% Positive
40 Ratings
40 Ratings
27% Mixed
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
5% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
Radnor and Olsen are so funny and touching you want to say happythankyoumoreplease. What you get is frustratingly less. Still, to the movie's refreshingly uncynical credit, you feel for them.
There's too much going on here - of a winning, thoughtful nature - to dismiss Josh Radnor's back-to-college romance as the nostalgia bath it mainly is.
The harder Mr. Radnor strains to make you love his alter ego, the more resistant you become.
Liberal Arts has the tony look and feel of a vintage Woody Allen movie, but the sophistication is all surface-level. Radnor will never ascend to Allen's rarified realm, but judging by his forgettable first two features, he could give Ed Burns competition.
"Liberal Arts" 10 Scale Rating: 7.5 (Very Good) ...
The Good: Quirky and chock full of college nostalgia for thirty-somethings, "Liberal Arts" was easy for me to relate to. While Radnor was mostly serviceable, Elizabeth Olsen and Richard Jenkins turn in fantastic performances, especially Jenkins. Not laugh out loud funny but witty and clever enough to be chuckle-worthy with entertaining dialogue.
The Bad: One character in particular (played by Zac Efron) was very random and missed the target. He was put in to be some sort of comic relief and seemed out of place. Radnor himself was decent, but he always seems to be the same guy in everything I see him in ... Ted Mosby, architect from "How I Met Your Mother". He just seems to lack the range to play anyone else.
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The chemistery between Elizabeth Olsen and Josh Radnor is just great
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Overall Liberal Arts if a very respectable first film for Josh Radnor. It is filled with misunderstandings, broken hearts, and some tough life lessons. The characters are likeable and memorable, the dialogue is very poignant at times, and the film manages to stay away from the cliches that are so common in Hollywood dramas.
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For me, Liberal Art is promising story held back by its leading character, Jesse. Jesse is a naive 35 year old college graduate that we're supposed to find charming and intelligent, but I found him irritating. The supporting cast seemed more genuine in their humanity than he did. Jesse was more like the idea of a man than an actual one. So, I'm left with mixed feelings about this film. Elizabeth Olsen's character was fun to watch. In fact, she is more of a leading character in this movie than Jesse could ever hope to be.
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Awards
Midwest Independent Film Festival
• 5 Nominations
Georgia Film Critics Association (GAFCA)
• 1 Nomination
Valladolid International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
