Liberal Arts

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Liberal Arts

PG-13

2012

1h 37m

Comedy

Drama

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

72%

Tomatometer

114 Reviews

60%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A New York college adviser (Josh Radnor) becomes involved with a student (Elizabeth Olsen) when he returns to his alma mater in Ohio for a favorite professor's (Richard Jenkins) retirement party.

Critics Consensus

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.

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Roxana Hadadi

Punch Drunk Critics

Jan 9, 2017

2/5

Liberal Arts seems aggressively cheery, determinedly lacking in negativity, and very affirming in its protagonist's masculine heroism. None of it is a surprise, and as a result, not much of it is very good, either.

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Chase Whale

Film.com

Nov 8, 2013

Poetic justice Is served in insightful LIBERAL ARTS

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David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

Dec 12, 2012

3.5/5

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.

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Jordan M. Smith

IONCINEMA.com

Nov 16, 2020

Fervently free of cynicism, Radnor's latest feature transcends its quirks with a smartly wound college excursion that looks to the past and finds nostalgia, possibilities and a new outlook on life.

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Sep 14, 2020

3.5/4.0

The final result is a film that satisfies intellectually despite occasionally dipping into the land of the formulaic.

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Jim Ross

TAKE ONE Magazine

Feb 13, 2020

There's nothing revolutionary going on here, but LIBERAL ARTS will speak wittily to certain audiences with an enjoyable clarity and resonance.

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Tony T

@Tony1212 Nov 4, 2026

The trailer was good, so I found a way to watch it. So much potential ruined. So bad, after a certain scene, turned it off.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Jun 10, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom.

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Istiak M

@Istiakmobin Dec 2, 2023

A person who's so close to my heart suggested this movie and another relatable movie.So, can't elaborate too much. Still gonna say Elizabeth Olsen gave a good performance in this movie.I loved some of the romantic portion of the movie which I didn't experience. Worth watching.

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Cristian s

@cristiansj Oct 5, 2022

No esta mal, un buen mensaje sobre la nostalgia, relaciones y como solemos romantizar excesivamente ciertas cosas. Pienso que por momentos necesitaba mas ritmo pero bueno, así es la vida.

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Jun 9, 2022

Surprisingly heartfelt and has that strong theme of nostalgia and youth. It's a well balanced kind of film.

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Doom D

@DoomDumas Apr 5, 2021

J'avais A-DO-RÉ Happythankyoumoreplease, mais ce film manque simplement d'inspiration. Booooooring. Quelques bonnes lignes, quelques sourires, mais sans plus.

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Josh Radnor

Director

Josh Radnor

Jesse

Elizabeth Olsen

Zibby

Richard Jenkins

Peter

Allison Janney

Judith

John Magaro

Dean

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Synopsis

A New York college adviser (Josh Radnor) becomes involved with a student (Elizabeth Olsen) when he returns to his alma mater in Ohio for a favorite professor's (Richard Jenkins) retirement party.

Director: Josh Radnor
Producer: Brice Dal Farra, Claude Dal Farra, Lauren Munsch, Jesse Hara, Josh Radnor
Screenwriter: Josh Radnor
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: BCDF Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content|Mature Thematic Material|Sexual References|Some Teen Drinking)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 14, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $241.8K
Runtime: 1h 37m

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