Product: Educating Rita (UK) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ]
Rating: 5.0
Educating Rita
Educating Rita"Educating Rita" is in my personal top five movies of all time. Although labeled a romantic comedy I think that this movie is in a class by itself and defies categorization. I have a definite academic bent and this Oscar nominated, Lewis Gilbert directed, 1983 film still strikes a deep chord though I've watched it over and over.Frank(Michael Caine), a divorced and bored-with-life alcoholic professor, just "happens" to be assigned as a personal tutor for the lovely vibrant working-class Rita(Julie Walters).Rita shoots straight from the hip and is so lovely and full of life that she won't take no from Frank and thus starts her subtle metamorphosis from "uneducated" to "educated". However, in her process of transition Frank finds that he has created a monster, from his point of view(he refers to Shelley's Frankenstein), as Rita takes on the groomed academic veneer that she so desperately covets and Frank so openly despises.During Rita's "education" a love subtly grows between the two and always lurks just below the surface. Rita is a "looker" and her natural beauty coupled with her delightful frankness sparks a constant longing inside of Frank.This DVD begs the question...just what is real education? Is it the simple mouthing of academic platitudes from a learned and cultivated rote or is it lighting the spark of investigation inside of someone so that they may excel in life, and love? For the answer to that you need to buy this DVD or at least rent it somewhere :) and find out for yourself!