YMMV / Mona Lisa Smile

• Harsher in Hindsight: During their etiquette class, Giselle makes a joke to Betty about how not to let the boss' wife sit next to her husband as they are having an affair. Later in the movie, Giselle discovers Betty's husband is actually having an affair.
• Hollywood Homely: Connie. At least according to Betty, who treats her like she's an hopeless case, while Ginnifer Goodwin is very pretty and not even pudgy by The '50s standards (and indeed no one save Betty brings this up). It's strongly implied that is all about her lack of self-esteem rather than unattractiveness or whatever. It's probably Betty feeling insecure about herself and taking it out on someone she knows will be an easy target.
• Jerkass Woobie: Betty. She may be an uptight, uber-conservative bitch, but it's hard not to feel bad for her towards the end, when it's revealed that her husband cheats on her, and her mother does nothing to even help her during her time of hardship.
• Les Yay: Quite a lot between Giselle and Connie.
  • Arguably you can't tell with whom Giselle is more smitten, Bill Dunbar or Katherine Watson.
• Retroactive Recognition: Ginnifer Goodwin has a small role as Connie in only her second film. Krysten Ritter - who would later achieve fame as the eponymous Jessica Jones (2015) - and Lily Rabe - of American Horror Story fame - are extras in the art history class.
• Signature Scene: The first lesson scene, which is often discussed on classrooms in teacher colleges.

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