One of the stars of Liberal Arts is Kenyon itself. The story requires an idyllic alma mater that will stir, and serve as a stage for, the hero’s yearnings. From luscious lawns to wood-paneled halls, Kenyon has everything it takes to immerse moviegoers in the atmosphere of academe. But for Kenyon viewers, there’s a special pleasure in recognizing specific places in greater Gambier. Here’s a partial list of locations, with notes on how each one
figures in the film.
Philomathesian Hall (Ascension 220). Site of a bittersweet retirement dinner for Peter (Richard Jenkins), a professor and onetime mentor for Jesse (Josh Radnor).
Hill Theater. Sitting on the empty stage, Jesse and Zibby (Elizabeth Olsen) talk about youth, age, and whether life sucks.
Church of the Holy Spirit. Site of another Jesse-Zibby heart-to-heart.
Village Inn. Jesse encounters Judith Fairfield (Allison Janney), the literature professor who once inspired—and now seems to scorn—him.
Hanna Hall. A first-floor room in Hanna was used for Zibby’s dorm room, where Jesse sits beside Zibby on her bed, not sure of what might, or should, come next.
Peirce Hall servery. The college chow-line, which Jesse (now thirty-five) navigates awkwardly.
Deke Lounge. Scene of—what else?— a student party.
Middle Ground Café. It plays itself, a campus coffeehouse.
David Lynn’s office. In Finn House, home of the Kenyon Review, the editor’s office becomes the office of a department chair with whom Peter, regretting his decision to retire, has an uncomfortable conversation.
Peter Rutkoff’s house. The Woodside Drive home of Peter Rutkoff, professor of American studies, plays the home of another Peter, the professor played by Richard Jenkins.
Hayes Hall. A room in the math and physics building serves as a hospital room. The second-floor bridge linking Hayes and Tomsich Hall becomes a glass-walled hospital hallway.
Russell-Cooper House, Mount Vernon. This bed-and-breakfast, on Gambier Street in Mount Vernon, provides the setting for another encounter between Jesse and Professor Fairfield. The historic home is owned by Tom Dvorak ’63.
A tree outside Ascension Hall. Beneath the towering tree, Jesse gets some possibly useful, possibly addled, life advice from Nat (Zac Efron), a campus hanger-on and oracular dude.
Middle Path. Plays a version of itself: an incomparably beautiful campus pathway.
—Dan Laskin