Liberal Arts (film)
| Liberal Arts | |
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Poster for Liberal Arts
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| Directed by | Josh Radnor |
| Produced by | Brice Dal Farra Claude Dal Farra Jesse Hara Lauren Munsch Josh Radnor |
| Screenplay by | Josh Radnor |
| Starring | Josh Radnor Elizabeth Olsen Richard Jenkins Allison Janney John Magaro Elizabeth Reaser Kate Burton Robert Desiderio Zac Efron Gregg Edelman |
| Music by | Ben Toth |
| Cinematography | Seamus Tierney |
| Edited by | Michael R. Miller |
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| Distributed by | IFC Films |
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Release date
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Running time
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97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.1 million |
Liberal Arts is a 2012 American comedy-drama film. The second film directed by, written by, and starring Josh Radnor, it tells the story of 35-year-old Jesse (Radnor) who has a romantic relationship with Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen), a 19-year-old college student. The film premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in January 2012.
Jesse Fischer (Radnor) is a 35-year-old college admissions officer in New York City who loves literature and language, but is newly single and dissatisfied with his life and career. He believes that the happiest time of his life was the years at his unnamed Ohio liberal arts college, where he could study poetry uninterrupted, surrounded by others like him. Peter Holberg (Jenkins), his father and former English professor, invites Jesse back to the college to attend Peter's retirement ceremony. Jesse meets 19-year-old Zibby (Olsen), a sophomore studying drama and the daughter of Peter's friends.
After the retirement dinner, Jesse stumbles upon a dorm party where he runs into Zibby. They agree to have coffee together the next day. He spends the afternoon with Zibby, and they walk around the campus discussing life, books, and music. He also encounters his old romantics teacher, Judith Fairfield (Janney)—a woman he has long admired—and meets the eccentric Nat (Efron) and Dean (Magaro), a brilliant but depressed student who, like Jesse, always carries a book with him. Before Jesse leaves, Zibby asks to stay in touch; they become pen pals and become closer via handwritten letters. Meanwhile, Peter feels lost in retirement, and goes to the dean to ask for his job back. The dean replies that the faculty have already hired his replacement, and Peter causes a scene in the dean's office.
Zibby invites Jesse back to campus, hinting that she has feelings for him. Jesse has concerns about the 16-year age gap, but agrees. When Peter sees them together, however, he warns Jesse about living in the past. Zibby confesses her feelings to Jesse and asks him to sleep with her; he agrees, but changes his mind after she admits that she is a virgin. Zibby is insulted and hurt, asks him to leave. Jesse goes to a bar where he meets Fairfield again. They have a one-night stand, but afterward she tells him to grow up and kicks him out. Meanwhile, Zibby goes to a party and kisses a classmate. Jesse leaves without seeing Zibby again, but says goodbye to Peter.
Jesse returns to New York and, some months later, writes to Zibby again. He apologizes for hurting her, says that he misses her and credits her for helping him to grow. He meets and starts dating Ana (Reaser), a bookseller his own age with a similar love for books. After Jesse helps avert Dean's suicide by overdose, he advises the young man to stop hiding from life within books. Jesse goes to see Zibby and apologizes to her again. She says that she had hoped to take a shortcut to adulthood through a relationship with Jesse, and that she understands that what he did was the right thing. Jesse goes back home and renews his correspondence with Zibby. The film ends with Jesse seemingly happy with the idea of growing old with Ana.
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