Movie Review - An Education

The Education of Life

I watched the movie An Education with Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarasgaard last night and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by it. It is not my normal type of movie. The movie takes place in London during 1961. It follows 16 year old Jenny as she starts her last year at a private high school and strives for acceptance into the illustrious Oxford. Her father is hard on her to do well and she is hard on herself. She spends most of her days and nights studying Latin and playing the cello.

One day after cello practice at school she meets a man named David as she is waiting in the pouring rain for her ride home from school. David is very friendly and says that “he would hate to ask a girl who doesn’t know him for a ride home, but could her cello get a ride and she can walk beside the car?” I found this to be hilarious. She does let him take the cello for a ride and she walks beside the car for a bit before finally deciding he is safe enough to give her a ride home. Watching Jenny and David interact in this first meeting, you can tell they have instant chemistry. But he is older. A lot older then she is. I don’t know if they ever say his age in the movie but I would guess mid thirties.

Days later they bump into each other again while Jenny is out having coffee with her 2 girlfriends. David asks her out to see the Orchestra play in Westminster and to have supper afterwards. It takes Jenny a few minutes to realize that he is asking her on a date. She tells him she doesn’t think her father would approve. And David being very charismatic and charming says that if Daddy doesn’t approve he will give the tickets to Jenny and her Dad to use instead.

Now I don’t know about you, but there is no way in hell I would like my 16 yr. old daughter out with a 30+ yr. old man. But David is very charming and her parents are blinded by his charm. Now I’m not saying that David is a bad man. In fact through out the entire movie I was also quite taken with him. But either way he is 30 and she is only 16!!! This is just not ok. I guess maybe during the 1960’s in London age wasn’t as big of an issue as it is now.

David takes Jenny to the orchestra with his friends Danny and Helen. Danny and David are business partners. But David doesn’t really go into detail about his job and what they are partners in. So you know right there that it is something shady. The night out with David, Danny and Helen opens Jenny up to a very adult world, where surprisingly she fits right in.

She and Helen become friends and Helen helps her expand her school girl wardrobe into something more sophisticated. She also helps her learn about make up and hair styles.

David invites Jenny to Paris since she has always dreamed of going. He works his magic on her parents and then they are off to Paris for the weekend. I can only imagine how glamorous this must seem to her. Being 16 years old and traveling to Paris with my boyfriend! God if only!!! Hell, it would be glamorous if that happened now and I’m 28 years old. :)

While they are there Jenny decides that now that she has just celebrated her 17th birthday she will lose her virginity to David. He is very patient with her and he really does seem to love her.

Back in London, David, Danny and Helen are at the dog races one evening and David proposed to Jenny. She takes her time and does not say yes right away. The next day she talks to her parents about it. Her mom doesn’t say much, but her dad is very much for her marring David and giving up her dream of Oxford. Jenny being highly intelligent, questions him about this. She doesn’t understand why if it was just any boy her dad would be not be ok with her throwing all her dreams out the window for a guy, but since its David its ok. Her dad explains (not very well) that since David is well off and will always be able to take car of her. Jenny doesn’t need to worry about herself anymore. Now this is a typical man thought back in the 60’s. Girls find a man and marry them quick. That way you don’t have to worry about yourself and you will never have to take care of yourself. Oh please!

Anyways, Jenny accepts David’s proposal. Her teacher and headmistress at her school are not happy and she is half kicked out half leaving on her own after a fight with the headmistress. So long Oxford. Without her test scores from high school, she will never be accepted to Oxford.

David plans a nice family dinner out at an expensive restaurant for Jenny and her parents to celebrate her engagement. As they drive to the restaurant they stop for gas. David goes to make a quick phone call and Jenny opens of the glove box looking for a cigarette. She finds a whole bunch of envelopes addressed to Mr. and Mrs. David Goldman. David comes back to the car and Jenny immediately asks him to drive her home. He sees the envelopes and knows she knows and he try’s to explain but she doesn’t want to hear it. Her parents meanwhile are in the back seat very confused. They get back to the house and Jenny’s parents go inside while David and Jenny have it out. He apologizing and explains that he doesn’t love his wife and he can get a divorce. Jenny is just very confused about his whole behavior. She realizes that all their time together had been a lie. She tells his to man up and come inside and tell her parents the truth. She says he has two minutes to come in. As she is waiting inside with her parents who are completely lost at this point, they hear David’s car start and him drive off. :( I knew he wouldn’t be man enough to face her parents but it still was sad to see the look on Jenny’s face as he drives away. She was devastated.

Now Jenny’s life is in ruins. She try’s to get back into school and they deny her. She’s mad at her parents for not looking out for her. Like she says to her dad “I was a 16 years old impressionable girl. You were a grown mad. You were supposed to know better for me.” I think she has a point. Kids trust their parents to look out for them, even when they don’t like what they have to say. But I have to wonder how Jenny would have acted if her parents had told her she wasn’t allowed to see David. My guess is she would have done it anyways. Jenny is able to convince her teacher to help her finish the year and take her test to be able to be eligible for Oxford.

Jenny goes to David’s house and sees his wife and his young son coming out the front door. The wife tells her that she is not the first or the last. I felt very sad for the both Jenny and the wife. I wonder why the wife puts up with it, but I can only guess it was a different era and something that I do not understand.

The movie ends with Jenny going to Oxford and living out her dream of studying English. She says that although she is not much older she feels a lot wiser.
The character of Jenny was played my Carey Mulligan and I have to say she was perfect for this role. She has a very young and innocent look about her. But in reality she is 25 years old. She was nominated for an Oscar for this role and I can see why. Her character showed depth and maturity way beyond the 16 years she was supposed to be.

Rating: Overall I rate this movie a 4 out of 5. It had a couple dry spots but kept me entertained through the 1 hour and 35 minutes.