Liberal Arts Directed by: Josh Radnor Starring: Josh Radnor, Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins Rating: Not Yet Rated Release Date: September 14, 2012
TRAILER SCORE: 8/10
Thoughts by TSR: I don’t watch the show anymore, but I always found Ted Mosby to be the least interesting part of “How I Met Your Mother.” Josh Radnor is likable enough; he just couldn’t compete with the likes of Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel. Luckily, it would seem his true talents lie elsewhere. 2010’s happythankyoumoreplease was a decent first film for Radnor, but there was definite room for growth. That film showed he had talent writing and directing. This trailer for Liberal Arts makes it seem like he might start capitalizing on it right away.
This could run the risk of getting preachy if it continuously doles out life lessons, but in trailer form I’m mostly won over. Radnor assembled another great cast, with Elizabeth Olsen, Richard Jenkins, and Allison Janney being three people I always love to have on screen. It helps that he has surprisingly nice chemistry with both Jenkins and Olsen. There’s also some quality visual stuff going on. I was most struck by the shot of Radnor and Olsen hugging on the stage before an empty auditorium.
Some of it feels pretty obvious – Radnor “checking” his schedule, the exchange in the car with Jenkins, the “fully unemployable” joke – yet it’s all played in a likable way that doesn’t make it feel too tired. I may have stopped caring about the escapades of Ted Mosby, but if Josh Radnor continues down this path, I won’t soon stop caring about him.