Mona Lisa Smile

Other mistake: In the scene where Betty and Joan are in the kitchen after dinner, we see the coffee percolating in the pot but never see Betty pour the coffee into the china pot before taking the tray into the living room.

Other mistake: Betty's mom is requesting a change in the table setting, eg. no candlesticks, glassware trimmed with gold etc. You then see the actual wedding happening and see candlesticks and glassware without the gold rim.

Other mistake: When the girls are sitting in the common room on the night Giselle shows them the contraceptive, Betty says, "Do you realise November 2nd is three weeks from now?" Yet, the University newspaper with Betty's nasty editorial shown on screen the next day is dated September 19th. (00:18:43 - 00:23:53)

Factual error: When Julia Roberts and her roommate are in their living room and "I Love Lucy" comes on the TV, the opening theme song is accompanied by the traditional heart with "I Love Lucy" written on it. However, this movie takes place in 1953-1954, and that opening for the show wasn't used until the show was put in syndication many years later. During the show's primary run, cartoon characters of Lucy and Ricky opened the show. (00:13:50)

More mistakes in Mona Lisa Smile

Katherine Watson: You can confirm to what other people expect of you, or.
Betty Warren: I know. Be ourselves.

More quotes from Mona Lisa Smile

Trivia: In one scene, Julia Roberts takes her students to see a painting by Jackson Pollock. Julia's co-star Marcia Gay Harden won her Academy Award playing Pollock's wife in the movie "Pollock," opposite Ed Harris, who incidentally played Julia's boyfriend/fiancé in "Stepmom." (00:45:20)

Sonja Marie

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Question: What does the title have to do with the story, other than the reference to a work of art? I know many people think that the real Mona Lisa has a mysterious smile, but does that have anything to do with the film?

Krista

Chosen answer: There is a short discussion (I believe between Kirsten Dunst and Julia Roberts) about things not always being what they seem. They are speaking about the girls' lives, but it also is symbolic of the Mona Lisa smile. Whether she is really smiling is left up to the person viewing the portrait: is she smiling because she is happy? Is she trying to cover up grief/sorrow? Is she smiling at all?

Macalou

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