An Education offers plenty to enjoy and admire. It’s full of first-rate performances.
An Education (2009)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:147
Fresh:138
Rotten:9
Average Rating:7.9/10
Consensus: Though the latter part of the film may not appeal to all, An Education is a charming coming-of-age tale powered by the strength of relative newcomer Carey Mulligan's standout performance.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for mature thematic material involving sexual content, and for smoking
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:30-10-2009
Synopsis: Author Nick Hornby turns from novels to screenplays with this talent-driven drama. Carey Mulligan (BLEAK HOUSE) stars as Jenny, a young woman full of promise and intent to study at Oxford. But... Author Nick Hornby turns from novels to screenplays with this talent-driven drama. Carey Mulligan (BLEAK HOUSE) stars as Jenny, a young woman full of promise and intent to study at Oxford. But meeting an older man (Peter Sarsgaard) leads Jenny to believe that she can learn things outside the classroom, casting doubt on her future plans. Directed by ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS’ Lone Scherfig, AN EDUCATION also stars Alfred Molina, Rosamunde Pike, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams, and Emma Thompson. [More]
Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike
Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, Carey Mulligan, Alfred Molina, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper, Olivia Williams, Cara Seymour, Emma Thompson, Matthew Beard, Sally Hawkins
Director: Lone Scherfig
Director: Lone Scherfig
Screenwriter: Nick Hornby
Producer: Finola Dwyer, Amanda Posey
Composer: Paul Englishby
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
Reviews for An Education
Danish director Lone Scherfig seems at home in Britain and the details of clothes, haircuts and so on are dead right.
A decent but unremarkable film with a big, unforgettable central performance. Carey Mulligan passes with First-Class Honours.
Danish director Scherfig and star Mulligan give the film considerable weight by surrounding this lightly played, strange romance with both an acute understanding of Barber’s endearing screen alter ego.
It'll be a strange person who doesn't find An Education entertaining, and a stranger man still who denies it the success it's sure to enjoy.
This is a wonderful, life-affirming picture that deserves all the prizes it will undoubtedly win. I can’t call it the best British film of the year because it’s still only October. But I’d be amazed if a better one comes along.
A sad, painful comedy, and the lovely performance from Mulligan makes it a very enjoyable film.
A delightful, resonant film, a great advertisement for Scherfig’s self-effacing, but socially probing, directorial style, and a beguiling introduction to Mulligan.
A sly and sexy treat with both strong period detail and themes of innocence and betrayal.
What began as a tale of innocence lost ends with a sense of exciting discovery. Because the lesson to take away from An Education is that a new star has been found.
What makes An Education so memorable is that it's a study of a teenage girl that looks beyond face value.
Much more than a simple cautionary tale, An Education captures the giddy hopes and fears of adolescence, and the dawn of the most transforming decade in recent memory.
The film's a gem - and [Carey Mulligan's] performance is an education in itself.
It sounds like a creepy tale of a teenage schoolgirl seduced by a pervert. But it’s also one of this year’s most captivating British dramas, with a breakthrough turn from an actress we’ll be seeing a lot more of.
Few films set in this period get the social furniture so right, and it's a refreshingly new look at a time pregnant with expectation.
A hit movie that's small in scale, but big in heart - the most charming British film of the year.
Veteran journalist Lynn Barber's memoir of a teenage romance makes a pleasing transition to the big screen. Yet, while it's well acted and tautly paced, you never quite shake the feeling you're watching a two-parter on BBC2.
An Education is a brilliant learning curve - one of the best British films of the year.
Gymslip love is a tricky subject to deal with, but director Lone Scherfig and screenplay writer Nick Hornby should be commended for generally getting the moral tone right.
Latest News for An Education
October 08, 2009:
Critics Consensus: Retreat From Couples Retreat
This week at the movies brings only one wide release: Couples Retreat, starring Vince Vaughn and Kristen Bell in a comedy about a group of friends in marriage counseling in a... More...
October 01, 2009:
Carey Mulligan: An Education in Oscar Buzz ![]()
Who is Carey Mulligan, and why does she have some people talking about a Best Actress nomination? Watch Entertainment Weekly's interview with the "An Education" star and find out. More...
July 19, 2009:
Trailer & Poster review ![]()
More...
February 10, 2009:
Carey Mulligan - Fresh Talent on RT
Coming out of Sundance this year, one name rang out as a talent to watch. Carey Mulligan made her big-screen debut in Joe Wright's 2005 Pride & Prejudice adaption, but as she... More...
More Movies
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie | Date |
|---|---|---|
| | The Descent: Part 2 | 04/12 |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- An Education at Rotten Tomatoes
- An Education at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

