Movies Like Mona Lisa Smile
If you liked Mona Lisa Smile (2003), a drama and history movie directed by Mike Newell, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.
- 1
On the Basis of Sex (2018)
★ 7.3/10Also drama and historyYoung lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg teams with her husband Marty to bring a groundbreaking case before the U.S. Court of Appeals and overturn a century of sex discrimination.
- 2
Shout (1991)
★ 5.8/10Also drama and romanceA new music teacher in a 1955 West Texas home for wayward boys brings new vision and hope for many of the interned boys.
- 3
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and historyAn African-American woman becomes an unwitting pioneer for medical breakthroughs when her cells are used to create the first immortal human cell line in the early 1950s.
- 4
Mr. Turner (2014)
★ 6.6/10Also history and dramaEccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner lives his last 25 years with gusto and secretly becomes involved with a seaside landlady, while his faithful housekeeper bears an unrequited love for him.
- 5
Portrait of Jennie (1948)
★ 7.2/10Also drama and romanceIn Depression-era New York, painter Eben Adams despairs at his lack of success. One cold winter evening in Central Park, he meets enigmatic, old-fashioned Jennie Appleton, who captures his fancy when she asks him to…
- 6
Circle of Friends (1995)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and romanceThree girlhood friends now at college share first loves, first kisses and first betrayals. At the center of it all is the best-looking boy on campus. Can a self-conscious dreamer hook the biggest fish in the pond?
- 7
Far from Heaven (2002)
★ 7.1/10Also drama and romanceIn 1950s Connecticut, a housewife's life is upended by a marital crisis and mounting racial tensions in society.
- 8
All the Way (2016)
★ 6.7/10Also drama and historyLyndon B. Johnson's amazing 11-month journey from taking office after JFK's assassination, through the fight to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act and his own presidential campaign, culminating on the night LBJ is actually…
- 9
A Call to Spy (2020)
★ 6.8/10Also history and dramaThe story of Vera Atkins, a crafty spy recruiter, and two of the first women she selects for Churchill's "secret army": Virginia Hall, a daring American undaunted by a disability and Noor Inayat Khan, a pacifist. These…
- 10
The Art of Getting By (2011)
★ 6.6/10Also drama and romanceGeorge, a lonely and fatalistic teen who's made it all the way to his senior year without ever having done a real day of work, is befriended by Sally, a popular but complicated girl who recognizes in him a kindred…
- 11
Mary (2024)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and historyA miraculous conception. A merciless king. A murderous pursuit. Mary's journey to give birth to Jesus unfolds in this biblical coming-of-age epic.
- 12
The Whole Wide World (1996)
★ 6.6/10Also drama and romanceIn 1930s Texas, pulp fiction master Robert E. Howard is introduced to Novalyne Price, a teacher with aspirations of becoming an author herself, and they begin a unique relationship filled with conversation and…
- 13
Coach Carter (2005)
★ 7.6/10Also drama and historyBased on a true story, in which Richmond High School head basketball coach Ken Carter made headlines in 1999 for benching his undefeated team due to poor academic results.
- 14
Tender Mercies (1983)
★ 6.8/10Also drama and romanceAlcoholic former country singer Mac Sledge makes friends with a young widow and her son. The friendship enables him to find inspiration to resume his career.
- 15
Bright Star (2009)
★ 6.6/10Also drama and romanceIn 1818, high-spirited young Fanny Brawne finds herself increasingly intrigued by the handsome but aloof poet John Keats, who lives next door to her family friends the Dilkes. After reading a book of his poetry, she…
- 16
Shirley (2024)
★ 6.6/10Also history and dramaShirley Chisholm makes a trailblazing run for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination after becoming the first Black woman elected to Congress.
- 17
The Ultimate Life (2013)
★ 7/10Also drama and romanceDespite his best intentions, billionaire Jason Stevens can’t find enough time to keep his beloved Alexia a priority. But when he discovers his late grandfather’s journal, he is transported back to Red Stevens’…
- 18
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2011)
★ 6.1/10Also drama and historyA story set in 19th century China and centered on the lifelong friendship between two girls who develop their own secret code as a way to contend with the rigid cultural norms imposed on women.
- 19
Origin (2023)
★ 6.2/10Also drama and historyWhile investigating the global phenomenon of caste and its dark influence on society, a journalist faces unfathomable personal loss and uncovers the beauty of human resilience.
- 20
I Can't Think Straight (2008)
★ 7.5/10Also drama and romanceTala, a London-based Palestinian, is preparing for her elaborate Middle Eastern wedding when she meets Leyla, a young British Indian woman who is dating her best friend. Spirited Christian Tala and shy Muslim Leyla…