Liberal Arts (2012)
Average Rating: 6.6/10
Reviews Counted: 100
Fresh: 69 | Rotten: 31
While it's hard not to wish it had a little more bite, Liberal Arts ultimately succeeds as a good-natured -- and surprisingly clever -- look at the addictive pull of nostalgia for our youth.
Average Rating: 6.6/10
Critic Reviews: 25
Fresh: 14 | Rotten: 11
While it's hard not to wish it had a little more bite, Liberal Arts ultimately succeeds as a good-natured -- and surprisingly clever -- look at the addictive pull of nostalgia for our youth.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 4,981
My Rating
Movie Info
Newly single and uninspired by his job in college admissions, the introverted Jesse Fisher (Josh Radnor) lives with his head buried in a book. His deep nostalgia for his own alma mater in Ohio - the dining halls and dorm rooms, the parties and poetry seminars - makes him wonder if his best days are behind him. So when his favorite professor (Richard Jenkins) invites him back to campus to speak at his retirement dinner, Jesse jumps at the chance. Meeting Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen) - a precocious
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Josh Radnor
Jesse Fisher -
Elizabeth Olsen
Zibby -
Richard Jenkins
Prof. Peter Hoberg, Pro... -
Allison Janney
Prof. Judith Fairfield,... -
John Magaro
Dean -
Elizabeth Reaser
Ana -
Kate Burton
Susan -
Robert Desiderio
David -
Zac Efron
Nat -
Kristen Bush
Leslie -
Ali Ahn
Vanessa -
Ned Daunis
Eric -
Gregg Edelman
Robert -
Michael Weston
Miles
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (100) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (70) | Rotten (31) | DVD (1)
For a film about aging and romanticism, "Liberal Arts" feels like it needs a more mature script.
Top CriticLiberal Arts maneuvers its story in a philosophical way that is anything but detached. There's a warmth here that reminds audiences why college -- and, dare we say, their core curriculums? -- matter.
As a comedy of manners, 'Liberal Arts' is perfectly likeable.But you might find its talky touchy-feeliness on the smug side.
There are some entertaining and moving scenes here, but, overall, it's a bit softhearted for my taste.
Liberal Arts is a parfait - a light, enjoyable concoction that goes down easily but doesn't linger.
"Liberal Arts" has its bright moments and it's an enjoyable watch, but it probably won't serve up outbursts of laughter or moments of epiphany.
LIBERAL ARTS never manages to turn these great performances and familiar dilemmas into something substantial.
Liberal laughs are guaranteed but memorable it ain't.
A diverting generational three-way dialogue between those barely out of their teens, those in their mid thirties and those well north of fifty.
...an enthralling sophomore effort from an almost excessively promising filmmaker...
A writer/director/star, casting himself as the guy who's irresistible to all sorts of women? Woody Allen's been pulling that trick for about 40 years.
A warm, funny and, one imagines, rather personal film, one that's all about falling in and out of love, not just with people and places but the ideas they can sometimes embody.
Radnor's script also gives him and his co-star magnificent chances to work up intensity and bridled passion.
"Liberal Arts" develops into a special film, less of a love story and more about the pleasures and dangers of being on both sides of a nurturing student-mentor relationship.
Has a soap opera vibe.
he characters are interesting and, again, I really felt for the guy's dilemma whether to start a relationship with this much, much younger girl or not.
Josh Radnor is an actor who's not content to be just that.
Radnor's problem stems from his casting prowess: Jenkins, Janney and Olsen are all so pleasurably adept in their parts that the film's star suffers by comparison. Jesse needs more than Josh Radnor's glibness.
Liberal Arts is about going back in time in order to move forward. In so many moments Radnor could have taken disturbing and frustrating turns - and yet it's resistance and maturity saved it.
Has the hallmark of slow burning classic, starting deceptively uninvolving but gradually increasing in both interest and dramatic tension, with a tender emotional payoff that ripples across all the main characters
Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) has directed and written an astonishingly good screenplay filled with delectable insights from three different age groups. He is also excellent as the film's protagonist
Learning life's lessons is a bittersweet experience in Josh Radnor's appealing film
An insightful, touching and amusing three-generational study that is anything but sophomoric.
The dialogue and relationships give "Liberal Arts" a warm if shallow glow.
A comedy of vocational anxiety, dealing with the stress of not knowing what you will become, not recognising what you have become, and realising it's all behind you.
Audience Reviews for Liberal Arts
Super Reviewer
In this movie Jesse Fisher's Prof. from college is retiring and has invited him to his retirement party. When arriving he meets his prof. friends and their young daughter, Zibby, who is a sophomore at his old college. There is an instant connection between the two. They meet up later on that night after Jesse runs into Nat, (who Efron did such a great job at portraying) who drags him to a frat party. After meeting they exchange addresses and decide to stay in contact the old fashion way, by written letters. After quite a few of exchanged letters Zibby asks Jesse to come back to visit her. He does this without wanting anyone to know because Jesse isn't feeling too confident about the difference of his age of 35 and her age of 19. So when spotted by his old prof. Jesse panics and starts rethinking his decisions and choices he has made.
Jesse also meets a troubled soul named Dean. He sees how depressed he is and after learning about his earlier incident, he decides to be a friend to him.
Great acting by all. I really loved Nat though. Zac Efron was hilarious and made his character stand out.
I would love to watch this again.
Super Reviewer
-
- Jesse Fisher: They say the purpose of fiction is to combat loneliness.
-
- Jesse Fisher: Guilt before we act is called morality
-
- Jesse Fisher: I have a soft spot for good readers. They're hard to find these days.
-
- Jesse Fisher: There are this vampire books...the kids love them. Trust me, they will empty your mind completely.
-
- Jesse Fisher: Listen to me man. This right now, all of this stuff you're feeling... this is a footnote.
-
- Prof. Peter Hoberg: Nobody feels like an adult, is the world's dirty secret.
Discussion Forum
| Topic | Last Post | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| Book titles | 3 months ago | 1 |
Latest News on Liberal Arts
September 14, 2012:
Critics Consensus: Resident Evil: Retribution Not Screened -- Guess the Tomatometer!This week at the movies, we've got a zombie apocalypse (Resident Evil: Retribution, starring Milla...
What's Hot On RT
Bradley Cooper's Best Movies
Trailer for new Coen Bros movie
Fast & Furious cars gallery
Blockbusters ranked!
Featured on RT
- Total Recall: Bradley Cooper's Best Movies 1
- Parental Guidance: Epic and Beautiful Creatures 0
- Comic Book Movies You Can Watch Online 2
- In Pictures: The Cars of Fast & Furious 0
- Digital Multiplex: Warm Bodies and Aftershock 6
- Discover the Best-Reviewed Films in Summer Movie Scorecard 2013 0
- RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: The Last Stand and Side Effects 17
Top Headlines
-
Vin Diesel Says Fast & Furious 7 Will Take Place in L.A.
0
-
10 Things You (Probably) Don't Know About the Hangover Movies
1
-
Zack Snyder, Christopher Nolan, and David S. Goyer Talk Man of Steel
0
-
New Transporter Trilogy in the Works
0
-
Richard Linklater Plans "Spiritual Sequel" to Dazed and Confused
0
-
King of Kong Filmmaker Seeks Funding for Lost Limb Documentary
0
-
Which Film Franchise Has Been the Best for Female Characters?
6
Fresh Links
Featured
Star Trek Movies Ranked
HitFix offers their own take on the worst-to-best of the Enterprise crew's cinematic adventures.
Top 10 Star Trek Villains
Rolling Stone unveils the Enterprise's most irksome adversaries.
Celebrity Yearkbook Flashback
We'll bet you never realized how many stars were cheerleaders and high school athletes!
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Weirdest Movie Siblings
From Twins to The Royal Tenenbaums, Moviefone explores cinema's oddest siblings.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Foreign Titles
- Amor y letras (ES)
