By: debbie lynn elias
Doesn’t September and the return of students to the classroom, buses clogging the roadways, the smell of pencils and paper in the school supply aisles at Target, the advertising push for every electronic gadget known to mankind and the incessant dorm room decor ads, bring back fond collegial memories? I know it does for me. And thanks to Josh Radnor, we get to relive some of those ivy-covered collegial moments with LIBERAL ARTS. Meet Jesse Fisher. An aspiring writer who is very uninspired in his current job as a college admissions counselor, books, reading, writing are everything to him. Unfortunately, since graduation, none of his dreams have panned out, making him long for the green lawns, cool breezes, the rich smells of the campus library, the coffee klatches and poetry readings, and beloved professors of college life. So isn’t Jesse lucky when his all-time favorite professor announces his retirement and invites Jesse back to the hallowed halls of campus life to speak at the retirement dinner. And for Jesse, things seem to just keep getting better when once back on campus he meets Zibby.
A sophomore 16 years Jesse’s junior, Zibby is like a lightening bolt, sparking interest, curiosity, connection and inspiring life in the empty pages of Jesse’s soul. Corresponding via pen and paper once Jesse leaves campus and returns to the “real world”, his interest in Zibby (and a return to campus life) not only continues, but grows, as does hers for him, perhaps a bit too much.
Writer/director and star, Josh Radnor is likeable and loveable almost to a fault. As Jesse, you want this guy to be your best friend. Radnor has great expressiveness and when he smiles, he lights up and you light up watching him. His voice provides a comforting and sincere warmth, even when being impishly sarcastic. An opening montage of guidance counselor speeches is beyond hysterical and so true to life. Leaving no stone unturned in his character development, he makes certain that Jesse always having a book in his hand, always “looks” the youthful part of a college student. As a writer, Radnor has sprinkled little pearls like these throughout the film in a very organic way.
It is wonderful to see Elizabeth Olsen NOT in a horror film or frightening situation. As Zibby, she is smart, funny, precocious, carefree and trying so hard to be more mature than she is – undoubtedly to (1) match her intellectual maturity and (2) to snare an older guy given her fantastic romanticized view of older guys. Olsen adds a level of innocence to Zibby that is refreshing. When she sits in a coffee shop and says “I just puked”, she says it so innocently with such wide-eyed wonder that instead of the usual gut reaction of going “ugh”, you just want to say, “poor baby, are you okay.” It’s this combination of innocence and intellect that make Zibby so appealing to Radnor’s Jesse and to the audience.
A real shining star in the ensemble is Zac Efron and his performance as Nat – the wise Kahuna of the film, the 21st century version of the 60’s pot-smoking hippie imparting sage (albeit, common sense) advice to those around him. With a freeing soul and quirkiness, Efron embraces Nat. You just smile whenever he is on screen with his little bit of well meaning and insightful goofiness. Similarly, John Magaro’s Dean is an important lynchpin in the development of Jesse. As a troubled young student with emotional issues and like Jesse, an obsessive attachment to books, and one book in particular, Magaro brings a silent emotional strength that is palpable and resonating. With the character of Dean essentially representing the past and the future of Jesse, we are able to see both sides of the coin with clarity and understanding. Nicely played by Magaro.
As Professor Judith Fairfield, Allison Janney is absolutely delicious as the most unromantic romantics professor ever born. Cynical but pragmatic, she knows what life is all about and has taken off the rose colored glasses a long time ago. Only thing is, when she took off the rose colored glasses, she stripped away all of her youth. The trick is – and I think Radnor conveys this well with the film – is to grow and mature with life but keep some of the youthful exuberance and inquisitiveness as you go. Again, a character tool to help move Jesse along into emotional adulthood and Janney just runs with it imparting wit and wisdom, not to mention laugh-out-loud laughter along the way.
Richard Jenkins is, as always, an anchor. As Jesse’s favorite professor, Peter Hoberg, Jenkins makes Peter’s joy at retirement emotionally tactile and you are happy for him. But he also makes you feel the sorrow and pain of a man floundering after 37 years in a cloistered “prison” as Peter puts it. A safe, warm, happy place that he is now losing. The same safe, arm, happy place that Jesse also wants to hold on to. A delicate balance that Jenkins perfectly performs.
Driven by writer/director Josh Radnor’s own college experiences at Kenyon College and his passion for collegiate life, LIBERAL ARTS is a his follow-up to 2010’s charming HappyThankYouMorePlease. Written by Radnor with his beloved Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio in heart and mind, he was also fortunate enough actually shoot the film on campus. Writing this film with a college campus setting, and a beautiful “eastern” campus at that, with the personal, intimate touches one finds at many of the smaller colleges, and then to take advantage of the vibrancy of the landscape, the warmth of the red brick buildings and hard wood floors, and even the small but brightly apportioned dorm rooms, add an unspoken appeal that heightens the film’s production values and the enjoyment of the audience. Sharp, crisp and clean visuals compliments of Director of Photography, and one of my faves, Seamus Tierney, fuel the collegiate concept of bright shiny faces in a classroom, soaking up knowledge, sharp as tacks. Heightened color adds to the ambient sensibility and surreal nature of Jessefs memories.
The characters resonate and each, no matter how limited in screen time, is detailed in their emotional construct. With such well written characters, and such well cast actors, Radnor had no where to go but soar higher with the performances.
The overriding theme of a young person wanting to grow up and be older, an older person who still feels young but must accept that he is old, and a guy approaching middle age who doesn’t want to let go of his youth but doesn’t want to move on into the unknown world of aging, is all perfectly set out and will resonate – strongly – with every age demographic.
However, like a befuddled student who can’t declare their major, Radnor’s problem arises. With all these great characters, these great reflective points in life, the film feels like he didn’t quite know how to end it all, as if he didn’t want to end it, as by doing so might close a chapter in his own life. We are so invested in these characters that by film’s end we know what we want to see, what we need to see. We know the lives we want to see play out. But what we get is less than emotionally satisfying, much like life for so many after graduation.
Despite a few problems, including the senioritis lackluster ending that doesn’t live up to the excellence that precedes it, with LIBERAL ARTS, Radnor has painted an indelible and engaging portrait with well constructed and likeable characters, beautiful visual tone and great attention to dialogue and detail. All in all, LIBERAL ARTS is more than above average with a nice take on nostalgic romanticism, filled with sweetness, charm and a lot of wisdom.
And after his freshman and sophomore films, I want to see what Radnor brings next. He has a voice that is welcoming and one that has a standing invitation into my viewing world.
Jesse Fisher – Josh Radnor
Zibby – Elizabeth Olsen
Professor Peter Hoberg – Richard Jenkins
Professor Judith Fairfield – Allison Janney
Nat – Zac Efron
Dean – John Magaro
Written and Directed by Josh Radnor.
