达芬奇的《蒙娜丽莎》以其神秘的微笑而闻名于世。“500年来，人们一直对《蒙娜丽莎》神秘的微笑莫衷一是。不同的观者或在不同的时间去看，感受似乎都不同。有时觉得她笑得舒畅温柔，有时又显得严肃，有时像是略含哀伤，有时甚至显出讥嘲和揶揄。”不同的人，不同的看法，不同的角度，不同的感受。同一件事物，从不同的角度去看待，理解也就自然不同了。既然如此，对于女性的价值，自然也就不能用一种标准去衡量。
电影中Wellseley对其女学生的人生目标的设定明确而单一：毕业后结婚，成为一个贤妻良母。这里的学生似乎也遵循着这样的传统，没有任何的质疑。直到艺术系女教师的到来，用她前卫的思想打破了这个传统，最后赢得了学生们的尊重。整体剧情看似老套，和《死亡诗社》异曲同工，但此片更加侧重的是对女性价值的思考，目标人群更加明确。
初看此片，都给人一种不温不火的感觉。情节看似平淡，实则暗藏波涛：女教师Watson和女学生Betty的三次主要交锋不动声色的将剧情一步一步推向高潮。并且每一次的冲突在语言层次上是有所讲究的，也是最吸引我的地方。下面我们来看看这三次主要的交锋上的语言艺术。
第一次交锋：女教师Watson首秀以失败告终，在仔细了解其女学生后，从另外的角度上了一节让其学生哑口的课。（背景：Watson向学生展示了一副不在教学大纲要求内的艺术作品，让其学生谈谈看法。）
Watson：Is it any good?
Come on,ladies.There is no wrong answer.
There's also no textbook telling you waht to think.
It's not that easy, is it?
Betty：All right,no.It's not good.
In fact,I woulden't even call it art. It's grotesque.
Connie:Is there a rule against grotesque art?
Giselle:I think there's something aggressive about it and erotic.
.....
A Girl: Aren't there any standards?
Betty: Of course. Otherwise a tacky velvet painting could be equated to a Rambrandt.
There are standards, technique,composition,color even subject.
So, if you are suggesting that rotten side of meat is art much less good art,
then what are we going to learn?
Watson:Just that.You have outline our new syllabus.Betty,thank you.
What is art? What makes it good or bad and who decides?
.....
Betty: Art isn't art until somebody says it is.
Watson: It's art!
Betty: The right people.
Watson: Who are they?
Giselle: Betty Warren.
....
这一段对话虽然看似是学术的讨论思想的碰撞，实则是现代与传统的对战。Watson代表的现代和以Betty代表的传统就如何定义艺术，产生了一次冲突。这次冲突第一次明确了两个人物的定位，也为后面的剧情的推动埋下了伏笔。
第二次交锋：Watson给学生上一节Paint by Numbers的现代艺术课，鼓励学生们利用现代出版的便捷去创在自己的艺术，婚后的Betty在缺了多次课后首次上课。
Watson：So,the choice is yours,ladies.
You can comform to what other people expect or you can...
Betty: I know.Be ourselves.
Watson: Glad you could join us,Mrs Jones. We thought we'd lost you...
Since your wedding,you have missed six classes,a paper and your midterm.
Betty: Well.thank God.I didn't miss the paint-by-number lecture.
I was on my honeymoon and then I had to set up house.
What does she expect?
Watson: Attendence.
Connie: Most of the faculty turn their heads when the married students miss a class or or two.
Watson: Then why not get married as a freshman? That way you could graduate without
actually ever stepping foot on campus.
Betty: Don't disregard our traditions just because you are subversive.
Watson:Don't disrespcet this class just because you are married.
Betty: Don't disrespect me just because you're not.
Watson: Come to class,do the work,or I'll fail you.
Betty: If you fail me, there will be consequences.
Watson: Are you threstening me?
Betty: I'm educating you.
Watson: That's my job.
这一段的交锋堪称精彩。大量的排比句型，有一种棋逢对手的快感，也将两者间的冲突推向一个新的高潮。句句短小精悍，却将中间的思想传达无遗，同时营造了一种紧张的氛围。在这段对话中，Watson传达出的是对Betty对自己所坚持的传统的一种不满，而Betty，像所有坚守传统的人来说，以其固传达的是一种权威不容挑战的傲慢。
第三次交锋：Watson和学生融为一团，学生带其参加自己的秘密小团体，在这个小团体里，每个人都知无不言，一起八卦聊天。
Watson：Well, not every relationship is meant for marriage.
A Girl：Some are strictly affairs?
Betty: Bill Dunbar.He'd be an affair.Let's talk about that,Miss Watson.
You don't believe in withholding,do you?
Watson: No,I do,however in manners. But for you,I'll make an exception.
That what we are supposed to do for married students,right,Betty?
Professor Dunbar and I are not having an affair.
A Girl: Won't you regret never marrying?
Joan: There's still time.
Watson: I guess I assume that I will at some point.
I'm not gonna plan my life around it.
Betty:Neither should we.
Watson: I didn't say that.
Betty:You did it to Joan.That's what she told me.
Joan: What are you saying?
Betty: She knew you and Tommy were getting engaged. And she practically filled out
your law school application.
Joan: I didn't say that.
Betty:She's been accepted. Now she just has to figure out a way to tell Tommy.
Watson: Why don't you do it? You are good at butting into people's business.
Betty: Funny,that's what they say about you.
这次的交锋将两人的矛盾拉到了最高，成为了后面Betty写文章抨击Watson的直接导火索。Betty认为是Watson干涉了Joan的选择，而实际上Betty用传统，以表面上为Joan好的姿态绑架了Joan。如何选择，其实是Joan自己的事，Watson打开了Joan多角度看待问题的世界观，但如何选择仍需要Joan来决定，这就是新思想带来的一种解放。而Betty则是给Joan指定了方向，灌输了任何的偏离都是不正确的的思想，这就是传统旧思想的束缚。到此时，主题已经点名，随后Betty写报抨击以及Watson在课上的反驳成为了整片的最高潮。
整部片子中，类似的语言上的火花飞溅不再少数，出现在不同人物之间。通过这些对话，影片传达的思想就不知不觉渗透到观众意识中。有时候，一部好的影片不一定需要跌宕起伏的情节或者大起大落的人物表达，像此片，语言上的精雕细琢似乎更让人回味无穷。
