There are few in the way of titles that seem to pull for a slightly older-skewing audience that have broad relevance in cinema. While I totally understand that these titles have a built-in audience, I feel that this allows the filmmakers to get a little lazy. To be honest, I was expecting more of the same when I popped Mrs. Washington Goes To Smith into my DVD player. However, I feel that this story touches upon a set of experiences that more than this arrow swath of viewers can enjoy.
Mrs. Washington Goes To Smith details the collegiate experiences of Cybill Shepherd as Alice Washington, a recently-divorced, older individual that looks to further educate eirself as a sort of catharsis. Ey takes up the mantle of Smith College, a storied institution in Massachusetts. Before that ey can show off eir diploma, ey has to go through all the experiences of a normal college student. This means that ey gets a crush on eir professor, gains a best friend in Zoe (Corri English of The Bedford Diaries), and really is able to open eir wings in a way that ey was never able to when ey was still married.
The film, despite being a hair under 90 minutes, is able to capture well the different sides of the college experience. While it seems as if the pacing is a little too frenetic at times, a carefully-constructed scene is more than enough to put the breaks on the train. Mrs. Washington Goes To Smith is a funny, warm, touching film that viewers of all ages will be able to appreciate and enjoy. It may be a little on the hard side to find, but I feel that this purchase will be well worth it.
Rating: 7.4/10
Mrs. Washington Goes To Smith (DVD) / 2010 Inception Media Group / 89 Minutes / http://www.inceptionmediagroup.com
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
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