An Education (2009): Desire, Deception, and the Hunger for Life with Jamie Lee Finch
In this episode of Sex, Bodies, and Cinema, Jason and Ashley are joined by author and educator Jamie Lee Finch to explore An Education (2009), a coming-of-age drama directed by Lone Scherfig and written by Nick Hornby. The film, based on journalist Lynn Barber’s memoir, follows Jenny (Carey Mulligan), a bright schoolgirl in 1960s London, who becomes entangled with an older, charming con man, David (Peter Sarsgaard). As Jenny is swept into a sophisticated adult world, the film unpacks themes of power, agency, and the longing for freedom.
Trigger Warning: Discussions of grooming, age-gap relationships, societal expectations, and power imbalances.
Hosts
Jason Goode is a Somatic Sex Educator and Somatic Performance Coach. Learn more at somarelating.ca.
Ashley Rose is a Sexological Bodyworker & Intimacy Coach who specializes in internal pelvic care. Visit ashleyelisabethrose.ca for resources, workshops, and private coaching.
Our guest for this episode is Jamie Lee Finch. Jamie is an author, educator, and bodyworker. She co-hosts the Experiential Anatomy podcast with Dr. Joan Chan and wrote You Are Your Own: A Reckoning with the Religious Trauma of Evangelical Christianity. Find her work at jamieleefinch.com and on Instagram @jamieleefinch.
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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ZV2L3Qv4TQzXnYSfpFutU
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Topics Discussed
[01:00] Introduction to An Education and its major themes
[05:00] Jamie’s personal connection to the film and how it resonated with her coming-of-age journey
[12:00] Carey Mulligan’s performance and Jenny’s balancing act between youth and maturity
[20:00] The father-daughter dynamic and its post-WWII cultural backdrop
[32:00] The seductive pull of sophistication and the illusion of agency in grooming dynamics
[45:00] The role of music and cinematography in shaping the film’s emotional tone
[52:00] How An Education challenges traditional coming-of-age narratives
[01:05:00] The film’s conclusion and the deeper lessons about self-trust and autonomy
Additional Resources
Lynn Barber’s Memoir: An Education Goodreads
Nick Hornby’s Other Works: Goodreads
Jamie Lee Finch’s Course: Your Body is a Person:
https://course.jamieleefinch.com/pages/your-body-is-a-person
About the Podcast
Sex, Bodies, and Cinema explores films that tackle themes of sex, embodiment, and intimacy. Co-hosts Jason Goode and Ashley Rose bring their expertise in somatic sex education and filmmaking to spark thought-provoking conversations.
Produced by Jason Goode
Editing and Mixing by Taqi
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/infraction/ultraviolet
License code: 9ZNOLBXC6YPVFEWC
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