Liberal arts (Josh Radnor)

(Amazon UK link)

We first saw the 2012 film ‘Liberal arts’ ten years ago. I vaguely recalled that it was something to do with a university in the United States, but that was all. It was time for a rewatch.

Thirty-five year old Jesse (Josh Radnor) has just split up from his girlfriend. He works as an admissions officer in New York, but has somewhat lost his passion for life. Then he is invited to his old university in Ohio, to the retirement dinner of one of his favourite professors, Peter (Richard Jenkins). Jesse remembers his college days as some of the happiest, most productive of his life, and is eager to go.

Peter introduces him to a couple of his friends whose daughter, Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen) is a student at the college. Jesse chats to her about literature and studying, and it’s clear that she finds him very attractive. He also gets into conversation with the somewhat nerdy and depressed student Dean (John Magaro) who loves books but is desperately unhappy. He also meets Nat (Zac Efron) who is somewhat weird and New Agey, but also a good person to talk to.

Oh, and there’s Jesse’s absolute favourite lecturer (Alison Janney) who has a reputation of being icy and unfriendly. When he tries to compliment her, she is entirely unimpressed…

It’s billed as a romantic comedy, but although there are some cleverly written pieces of dialogue, some of which made us smile, it’s ultimately quite a poignant film. Peter is convinced he wants to retire, right up until the time when he realises that he actually loved lecturing, and has little else to look forward to. Zibby tries to seduce Jesse, but he’s concerned about the age difference. 

Then there’s quite a disturbing scene when Dean calls Jesse, and a somewhat sordid one when Jesse demonstrates that age is not necessarily a barrier to physical intimacy. 

As for romance - it’s very low-key, but I did like that section, towards the end. Jesse realises that friendship is an important criteria for a relationship, and having some things in common. 

The script is good - apparently the actor who plays Jesse also wrote and directed the film - and the acting is excellent. The pace is just right, too. The different generations are displayed sensitively; Jesse accepts that he isn’t nineteen any more, and that the social scene at the university really isn’t for him any more. He also realises that college life is not always the utopia he remembered it to be. 

I loved the focus on books, and the correspondence that develops between Jesse and Zibby - handwritten letters, with extensive discussion of classical music. I liked Jesse’s character, too. He’s essentially a kind, ethical young man who is unwilling to exploit anyone. 

There’s not a whole lot of story; this is ultimately a character-based story, and that’s fine - I was engrossed almost from the start, and overall I liked it (other than the one sordid scene which felt out of place and unnecessary). The rating is 12A, presumably due to this scene. There’s nothing explicit and no nudity; there’s no violence and only minor bad language. But it’s not a film that would be of any interest to a child or even a young teenager. 

Recommended in a low-key way if you like this kind of gentle paced character-based film.

Review copyright 2026 Sue's DVD Reviews