Educating Rita is supposedly set in Liverpool but Dublin stands unconvincing for the city and Liverpool University.
However Willy Russell captures a slice of working class life where women were expected to get married and produce babies. Self development was not part of the scheme. I was still at school when this film was released. I clearly remember one of our teacher's telling the girls in our class to watch Educating Rita and avoid the fate that is expected of them.
Rita (Julie Walters) is a gobby hairdresser who wants to improve herself and learn literature. She is 27 years old and enrols in an Open University course. Her partner does not understand this yearning for learning. He hits the roof when he finds out that Rita is still on the pill.
Dr Bryant (Michael Caine) is the literature professor whose life is shaken up by Rita. Dr Bryant is a drunk, a writer who has little esteem of his own poetry and bored of teaching.
At first the professor cannot understand why would Rita want to enroll in the Open University. He is then impressed by her energy and zest for learning. Rita's educational development leads him to compare her with Mary Shelley's most famous work. Dr Bryant has created a monster.
Comparisons can be made with Pygmalion. Rita becomes well read and learn to critically appraise books instead of speaking properly.
The film is simply refreshing and positive. It is notable that it is the posh people in this film that also has problems. Drink, adultery, depression.
This small scale film was made by director Lewis Gilbert. His previous movie was the James Bond spectacle Moonraker that featured space shuttles and laser guns.
Michael Caine gives one of his best performances. A more astonishing and natural performance is given by Julie Walters.
It is hard to believe that Julie Walters had appeared in a series with her friend Victoria Wood called Wood & Walters for Granada TV, a year earlier. It flopped badly. Both of them later ended up as national treasures.
However Willy Russell captures a slice of working class life where women were expected to get married and produce babies. Self development was not part of the scheme. I was still at school when this film was released. I clearly remember one of our teacher's telling the girls in our class to watch Educating Rita and avoid the fate that is expected of them.
Rita (Julie Walters) is a gobby hairdresser who wants to improve herself and learn literature. She is 27 years old and enrols in an Open University course. Her partner does not understand this yearning for learning. He hits the roof when he finds out that Rita is still on the pill.
Dr Bryant (Michael Caine) is the literature professor whose life is shaken up by Rita. Dr Bryant is a drunk, a writer who has little esteem of his own poetry and bored of teaching.
At first the professor cannot understand why would Rita want to enroll in the Open University. He is then impressed by her energy and zest for learning. Rita's educational development leads him to compare her with Mary Shelley's most famous work. Dr Bryant has created a monster.
Comparisons can be made with Pygmalion. Rita becomes well read and learn to critically appraise books instead of speaking properly.
The film is simply refreshing and positive. It is notable that it is the posh people in this film that also has problems. Drink, adultery, depression.
This small scale film was made by director Lewis Gilbert. His previous movie was the James Bond spectacle Moonraker that featured space shuttles and laser guns.
Michael Caine gives one of his best performances. A more astonishing and natural performance is given by Julie Walters.
It is hard to believe that Julie Walters had appeared in a series with her friend Victoria Wood called Wood & Walters for Granada TV, a year earlier. It flopped badly. Both of them later ended up as national treasures.