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Liberal Arts

PG-13 Released Sep 14, 2012 1h 37m Comedy Drama Romance List
71% Tomatometer 115 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.

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Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts

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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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Critics Reviews

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Roxana Hadadi Punch Drunk Critics 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. Rated: 2/5 Jan 9, 2017 Full Review Chase Whale Film.com Poetic justice Is served in insightful LIBERAL ARTS Nov 8, 2013 Full Review David Stratton At the Movies (Australia) 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. Rated: 3.5/5 Dec 12, 2012 Full Review Jordan M. Smith IONCINEMA.com 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. Nov 16, 2020 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com The final result is a film that satisfies intellectually despite occasionally dipping into the land of the formulaic. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 14, 2020 Full Review Jim Ross TAKE ONE Magazine There's nothing revolutionary going on here, but LIBERAL ARTS will speak wittily to certain audiences with an enjoyable clarity and resonance. Feb 13, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (504) audience reviews
William W I enjoyed this movie because, like its protagonist, I am also in my mid-thirties and finally choosing to grow up. The realization of this film is that we never truly feel grown up we simply recognize we are no longer young and move forward reminding ourselves of it. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/28/24 Full Review Istiak M 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. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/02/23 Full Review Cristian s 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. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/05/22 Full Review Audience Member Surprisingly heartfelt and has that strong theme of nostalgia and youth. It's a well balanced kind of film. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review andy h The main character is a tad snobby and hypocritical, but the rest of the film is a relatable, quirky footnote in the underrated indie gem collection. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member okayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

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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