Sometimes there are
films that feel like they were made just for you. Liberal Arts was made just for me. Now, I’ll be kind and I’ll share
the film with all of you, but just know that Liberal Arts was made for me. My love for this film is very personal;
it may not strike you as it strikes me. However, I’d be willing to put this up against
any film in recent memory. Here comes Nerd 5’s Top 5 Reasons to see Liberal Arts…. By the way, I’m writing
this while watching the film for a third time…straight.
5. Its Flawed
Before I start gushing
over the film, starring, written, and directed by Josh Radnor (the lead of
CBS’s How I Met Your Mother) let me
say it has its flaws. Overall I would say that Liberal Arts tries to be far more pretentious then it needs to be, it puts way too much gravitas on it subject
matter and glorifies college and it’s weird eccentricities (although it does
point that last fact out in the film.) Liberal
Arts couldn’t be more indy film cliché if it tried. Each scene ends with a
“lesson learned” or “life quote” and it can feel a little heavy handed. The
message behind the film is that anyone can be a teacher and anyone can be
student if only we are open-minded, a message that is driven into us time and
time again. I only point these out as
“flaws” because I know that they are flaws, but honestly theey are part of the
reason I love this film.
4. Josh Radnor Works with What He Knows
It’s obvious that
Radnor comes from a TV background because the film is shot like a television episode,
containing small sequences that can stand on their own but build to a unified
story, and Radnor spends plenty of time developing small characters that only
serve one purpose. However, this benefits the film in many ways, because you
quickly get the feeling that every character we meet will help us along the way
and that every character will affect our lead Jesse and contribute to his
growth. This is a good thing. In a year where many films are bloated, Liberal Arts streamlines the process and
gives you exactly what you need when you need it. You can tell that Radnor
really understands where his characters are, and I personally think that is due
to the fact that the story is very personal to him. Possibly the struggles of
this characters are his personal struggles. I can’t really guess at why he
wrote it, but I can say he understands and grasps a concept that a lot of us
90s and beyond kids are dealing with…. (Continues in point 3)
3. Prolonged Adolescence/When to Grow Up?
Liberal Arts’
central theme and question is “When do I become an adult?” I’m
constantly struggling with this question, daily I find myself longing for a
time when my biggest problem was having to get out bed before 9am and getting
to class on time; then in the very next moment knowing that I’m beyond that stage
and that being out in world has it’s great moments. When am I an adult? What
makes you grown up? Questions I ask myself every day. Our lead character gets
the chance to go back to his time of former glory. The time for him where his
life was “perfect”, he gets to philosophize about new ideas, analyze and
criticize vampire novels, live the life of a bygone time, eat in the dining
hall and deal with roommates. Jesse encounters
many students at the university in different phases of dealing with this very
question, including a girl who he fines a deep romantic connection with. All of
this is contrast with a retiring professor who has never found his own answer
to the question. This all just hits far too close to home, I’m not saying that the
film answers any of my personal questions, but to see another character
struggling with the same issues… I guess… just make a person feel like they’re not
alone. “The purpose of fiction is to combat loneliness” – Jesse from Liberal Arts
2. This Could Be a More Dramatic Episode of How I Met Your Mother
Let me be clear, this
is not a sitcom, it’s far more dramatic than it is comedic. But as a fan of How I Met Your Mother this was a really
nice ride. Josh Radnor may not be the best actor in the world but he
understands how to play Ted Mosby (his character for 8 seasons on the show). I
love Liberal Arts but it feels like
Ted just went back Wesleyan for a two hour special called “Growing Up Mosby.” Jesse in Liberal
Arts = Ted in Mother. Now that
may actually sound like a bad thing. But it really works for the characters of
this film. Also bonus if you’re not a fan of the show, than this is all new to
you! The other great thing about Liberal
Arts compared to Mother is that
the comedic elements come from a natural place rather than a “we need a joke
every 30 seconds with a laugh track” place. It’s an in-depth look at the
character of Jesse, but at the same time feels like an in-depth look at the
lovable Ted Mosby himself. I know I’m not supposed to like this, but… sue me… I
do. It works.
1. Timing is Everything
After saying all of
that, I would suggest that there is a specific time to watch Liberal Arts. If you are ever feeling
lost: watch Liberal Arts. If you ever need a push in the right direction, or a push toward
taking steps toward the next point in your life: watch Liberal Arts. If you need to find love in your life, personal,
familial, or professional: watch Liberal
Arts. If you simply feel that something in your life is off or that you
need a change: Watch. Liberal. Arts.
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