Liberal Arts

Some people graduate from college and move on; others, like Jesse Fisher (actor-director Josh Radnor), build their lives around it. Jesse, a 35-year-old New York college admissions officer, had such a fabulous time in school that nothing since has ever measured up. Stinging from a recent breakup, he jumps at the chance to return to Ohio to speak at the retirement party for his English professor, Dr. Hoberg (Richard Jenkins), who remembers him with fondness, although Dr. Fairfield (Allison Janney), who taught an impactful course on the Romantic poets, doesn't recall him at all. During this visit, Jesse meets 19-year-old Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen), an improv enthusiast who shares his love of literature. While the attraction is mutual, the 16-year age gap gives him pause, although he also hits it off with a hippie-dippy goofball (Zac Efron) and a sad-sack scholarship student (John Magaro). After he returns to Manhattan, Jesse and Zibby exchange letters, leading to Jesse's second visit, which not only results in an argument over popular fiction that threatens to derail their friendship, but also finds Jesse discovering that Dr. Fairfield would rather have sex than reminisce. Perhaps these awkward encounters will provide the impetus Jesse needs to finally move forward with his life. Filmed at Radnor's Kenyon College alma mater, Liberal Arts is an enjoyable film that benefits from the filmmaker's quick wit and guarded optimism. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by writer-director-star Josh Radnor and producer Jesse Hara, deleted scenes (17 min.), a “making-of” featurette (2 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an entertaining film.] (K. Fennessy)