Mulligan completely owns "An Education," giving one of the most self-assured breakout performances in years. And the best thing is that the movie, an elegant and sharply observed coming-of-age story, measures up to her performance.
An Education (2009)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:150
Fresh:141
Rotten:9
Average Rating:7.9/10
Consensus: Though the latter part of the film may not appeal to all, An Education is a charming coming-of-age tale powered by the strength of relative newcomer Carey Mulligan's standout performance.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for mature thematic material involving sexual content, and for smoking
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Oct 9, 2009 Limited
Box Office: $4,268,905
Synopsis: Author Nick Hornby turns from novels to screenplays with this talent-driven drama. Carey Mulligan (BLEAK HOUSE) stars as Jenny, a young woman full of promise and intent to study at Oxford. But... Author Nick Hornby turns from novels to screenplays with this talent-driven drama. Carey Mulligan (BLEAK HOUSE) stars as Jenny, a young woman full of promise and intent to study at Oxford. But meeting an older man (Peter Sarsgaard) leads Jenny to believe that she can learn things outside the classroom, casting doubt on her future plans. Directed by ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS’ Lone Scherfig, AN EDUCATION also stars Alfred Molina, Rosamunde Pike, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams, and Emma Thompson. [More]
Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike
Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams, Cara Seymour, Emma Thompson, Matthew Beard, Sally Hawkins
Director: Lone Scherfig
Director: Lone Scherfig
Screenwriter: Nick Hornby
Producer: Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey
Composer: Paul Englishby
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
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Reviews for An Education
This is sort of a modern costume drama. It is a lot like a Jane Austen story.
In what is her first but certainly not last starring role, Mulligan is so natural that you wonder why it took filmmakers so long to give her a role this substantive. The 20-something is sure to be on the mind of Oscar and other awards voters.
"An Education" is worth seeing, mostly for its superb period detail and the strong performance at its center.
The centerpiece of An Education is the breakout performance of young Carey Mulligan. She is enchanting, and almost convincing as the teenage Jenny, though she can't completely obscure the (justified) suspicion that she's in her twenties and old enough f
Scherfig and Hornby have a winningly droll sense of humor, but the main reason to see An Education is because they treat viewers as if they were as intelligent as Jenny.
Coming-of-age movies are a dime-a-dozen, but one as exemplary as An Education deserves nothing less than the opportunity to command top dollar on the open market.
This cinematic gem is an ironclad lock to be nominated for best picture of the year.
The message proves surprisingly conventional, but its delivery is entirely pleasurable.
A handsomely crafted and beautifully acted awakening story that's predictable but consistently rewarding.
...about the British preoccupation with status, about the aspirant bourgeois and the outliers who exist beyond convention, in a moveable feast of booze, sex and petty criminality.
Mulligan perfectly balances on the line of girlhood and womanhood, shifting naturally from schoolgirl innocence to Audrey Hepburn-like sophistication just by putting up her hair.
If the story of Jenny's inevitably hard lesson is standard, An Education comes up with a few moments that give pause.
A good deal of this works because of Mulligan, who deserves every accolade and Audrey Hepburn comparison she's received for her performance.
Carrey Mulligan gives an astounding, Oscar-caliber performance in this touching, poignant, and precise coming-of-age tale of a young British girl who falls for an older Jewish guy, set against London in the pre-swinging era.
...a complex and morally ambiguous story which rewards the audience's attention without resorting to pushing their buttons.
Everything about Scherfig’s coming-of-age story about a girl in the London suburb of Twickenham in 1961 is spot-on.
The combination of a literate script, an adroit cast and an economical style is simple addition that achieves an alchemical feat: the best film of the year.
Mulligan locates both the braininess and restless hormonal energy of an adolescent who's blooming before most of her peers. Bearing witness to her education, in all its naiveté, brashness, passion and pain, is illuminating.
An Education offers plenty to enjoy and admire. It’s full of first-rate performances.
Latest News for An Education
October 08, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Retreat From Couples Retreat
This week at the movies brings only one wide release: Couples Retreat, starring Vince Vaughn and Kristen Bell in a comedy about a group of friends in marriage counseling in a... More...
October 01, 2009:
Carey Mulligan: An Education in Oscar Buzz ![]()
Who is Carey Mulligan, and why does she have some people talking about a Best Actress nomination? Watch Entertainment Weekly's interview with the "An Education" star and find out. More...
July 19, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
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February 10, 2009:
Carey Mulligan - Fresh Talent on RT
Coming out of Sundance this year, one name rang out as a talent to watch. Carey Mulligan made her big-screen debut in Joe Wright's 2005 Pride & Prejudice adaption, but as she... More...
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