Liberal Arts

Liberal Arts is a 2012 American comedy-drama film, written and directed by Josh Radnor. It tells the story of 35-year-old Jesse (Radnor) who has a romantic relationship with Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen), a 19-year-old college student. The film premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in January 2012. Plot Jesse Fisher, a 35-year-old college admissions officer in NYC who loves literature and language, is newly single and dissatisfied with his life and career. He believes the happiest time of his life was the years at his unnamed Ohio liberal arts college, where he could study uninterrupted, surrounded by others like him. Peter Hoberg, his former English professor, invites Jesse back to the college to attend his retirement ceremony. Jesse meets 19-year-old Zibby, a sophomore studying drama and the daughter of Peter's friends. After the retirement dinner, Jesse stumbles upon a campus party where he runs into Zibby. They agree to have coffee together the next day. He spends the afternoon with her, walking around the campus discussing life, books, and music. He also encounters his old romantics teacher, Judith Fairfield—a woman he has long admired—and meets the eccentric Nat, and Dean, a brilliant but depressed student who, like Jesse, always carries a book with him. Before Jesse leaves, Zibby asks to stay in touch through hand-written letters and they become closer. Meanwhile, Peter feels lost facing his upcoming retirement, and goes to the dean to ask to stay on. He is told that they have already hired his replacement.