Rating: NR
Genre:
Drama
Theatrical Release: zz/zz/2005(USA
Release Date: 05/23/2006
Sound: DD5.1/DD2
Run Time: 94 Minutes
Flags: Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Language
Distributor/Studio: Liberation Ent
One woman's decision to improve her mind has unexpected, life-changing results in this
drama. Hoboken-born housewife
Julie Johnson (
Lili Taylor) left high school at the wishes of
Rick (
Noah Emmerich), who was then her boyfriend and is now her husband;
Julie spends her days cleaning house and looking after her two children,
Lisa (
Mischa Barton) and
Franky (
Gideon Jacobs).
Julie, who likes to read
Scientific American in her spare time, has always dreamed of going back to school, but loutish
Rick strictly forbids it. Without
Rick's knowledge,
Julie and her best friend
Claire (
Courtney Love) enroll in an "Introduction to Computers" course at a local community college, where instructor
Mr. Miranda (
Spalding Gray) quickly senses
Julie has a tremendous intellectual potential she's never tapped. With
Mr. Miranda's coaching,
Julie breezes through the computer course and is soon tackling advanced mathematical and scientific theory with other members of the college's faculty.
Rick eventually gets wind of
Julie's new academic career and isn't the least bit pleased, but
Julie, whose accomplishments have done wonders for her self-confidence, responds by kicking him out of the house.
Claire, impressed by
Julie's stand against
Rick, decides it's time to leave her abusive husband
Mike (
Patrick Fitzgerald), and she moves in with
Julie while looking for a new place. As
Mr. Miranda urges
Julie to obtain a high-school equivalency certificate and move on to a four-year college (where he'll be able to arrange an academic scholarship),
Julie and
Claire discover their new independence has stirred new feelings within them, and they move from being close friends to tentative lovers.
Julie Johnson was based on the play by
Wendy Hammond, who co-wrote the screenplay with director
Bob Gosse.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
;)
