Classics: A Review of An Education By Lauren Ennis

After a summer of fun in the sun school is back in session For many students the start of the school year means the start of three hundred sixty five days in the classroom. Life offers another education, however, outside of the classroom, which is found in new experiences rather than books. In the 2009 hit An Education, sixteen year old Jenny finds herself torn between her formal education and the school of life when a handsome stranger upends her staid existence. By the film's conclusion, she has learned lessons both in and out of the classroom that ultimately prepare her to cross the threshold between childhood and all that lays beyond.

The story begins with Jenny (Carey Mulligan) enjoying the life of an average teen in early '60's London. She spends her days following her parents strict regimen of school, studying, and music lessons all while pursuing their dream for her to attend Oxford University. She becomes inevitably stifled by this repressed existence until life intervenes in the form of suave and worldly David. Although thirty something David (Peter Sarsgaard) is over twice her age the two begin a whirlwind romance that seems to promise all of the passion and excitement that she had been seeking. All is not as it seems, however, and she soon finds herself learning difficult lessons that call her relationship with David, her education, and her future into question.

This deceptively simple story proves itself to be one of the most unique and effective films about the value of education. Rather than resort to the familiar teacher movie trope of focusing upon a  students' inspiring time in the classroom, An Education highlights the importance of Jenny's education by showing her what her life would be like without it. At first she sees a school-free existence with her older beau to be an ideal. As time wears on, however, she realizes that the jet-set lifestyle that David and his friends enjoy is an entertaining but ultimately empty way of life. The vapid quality of Jenny's new lifestyle is perfectly personified in the character of David's friend, Helen, who relies upon the men in her life to finance her lavish spending while relegating herself to the role of a mere ornament. In this way, Helen acts as a bookend to Jenny's mother, Marjorie, who is also forced to rely upon the man in her life due to social constraints and her own lack of an education. These dual examples, combined with the inspiring influence of her self-sufficient single teacher, Miss Stubbs, show Jenny that a life without an education all too often means a life without independence. This basic truth is further highlighted when Jenny makes the painful discovery that David is a married man whose career is a series of con schemes, rather than the stable provider that he presented himself as. When their engagement ends she finds herself faced with the harsh reality that despite how 'hard and boring' she thought school was, a life without an education is infinitely more difficult. Through its poignant exploration of one teen's journey, An Education serves as an apt reminder that you're never too cool for school and a degree is the key to opening doors far beyond the classroom.

Lynne Barber's memoir is vividly brought to life by the film's talented cast. Cara Seymour aptly portrays Marjorie in a performance that captures her maternal desire to provider her daughter with a better life while hinting at the dreams she put aside along the away. Alfred Molina steals each scene in which he appears as Jenny's comically conservative father, Jack. Rosamund Pike exudes a girlish charm worthy of Marilyn Monroe as Helen. Dominic Cooper is magnetic in his grittily charming turn as David's friend and business partner, Danny. Emma Thompson personifies schoolmarm in her role as Jenny's brittle headmistress. Olivia Williams is nothing short of inspiring in her understated performance as Miss Stubbs. Peter Sarsgaard lends a dynamic and layered turn as the mysterious David, exuding con man charm even as he reveals David's darker side. Even in the midst of the film's stellar performances the film belongs to Cary Mulligan as Jenny as she strikes the ideal balance between maturity and naivete.

For its unusual approach to the school drama An Education earns a definite 'A'. Through its nuanced script the film relates a compelling tale of one girls' lessons in life and love while highlighting universal truths about the necessity and value of an education. The talented cast brings the story to vibrant life in a way that ensures that viewers remain invested and guessing until its final frame. Start this school year right; hit the books with Jenny in An Education.