An Education

Despite her sheltered upbringing, Jenny is a teen with a bright future; she's smart, pretty, and has aspirations of attending Oxford University. When David, a charming but much older suitor, motors into her life in a shiny automobile, Jenny gets a taste of adult life that she won't soon forget.

An Education earned widespread critical enthusiasm, with Carey Mulligan's lead performance singled out almost universally as a revelation. The one genuine point of friction was the film's final act, where some critics felt the resolution became too tidy or conventional relative to the sharp, complicated story that preceded it.