Image courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
Georgia Oakley’s “Blue Jean” gives us a beautiful portrayal of a woman (and an era) struggling with sexual identity—and it’s not too far off from the struggle that persists today.
Jean (Rosie McEwan), a high school gym teacher who recently ended her heterosexual marriage, has admitted to herself and her friends and family that she is a lesbian—but is not quite ready to admit it to her coworkers. A situation that may seem pretty ordinary at first—keeping your work life and personal life separate—is magnified by the fact that Jean lives in 1980s England, when Margaret Thatcher’s Section 28 has been newly enacted, forbidding the “promotion of homosexuality” and putting anyone throughout the country who has come out as gay under fire. Even Jean’s sister, while giving a lukewarm attempt to be supportive, makes it clear that her sexual identity makes her somehow less trustworthy.
Jean keeps her secret in order to keep her job—something her girlfriend, Viv (Kerrie Hayes), is understanding of, but not entirely patient with. Her circle of friends, all lesbians who meet every night at the local gay bar, are a loving, caring group, but Jean refuses to let them come to the basketball scrimmage games she coaches at the school because she’s worried that people will make assumptions and villainize her as the lesbian gym teacher preying on her students.
The real tension begins when Jean begins to suspect that a new girl, Lois (Lucy Halliday), might also be gay. Jean may not see herself in the new student, but Viv certainly does—it’s that deer in the headlights look, she says. Though, from this viewer’s perspective, Lois’ eyes are full of hope when she shows up at the bar, 15 years old and unabashedly trying to fit into a world of societal misfits, as her classmates have already dismissed her. Jean is not ready to let her two worlds collide (and her private world be risked), but Lois desperately needs a community to engage with, and so the conflict begins to unfold.
McEwan brings such a perfect nervous and melancholy energy to Jean. We are so easily able to follow her in her emotional journey, with every little nuance McEwan gives—and her chemistry with Hayes is fantastic.
The world that Oakley builds is tense, and every aspect of the film seems to highlight why its titular character is blue. And though the story is set in the ‘80s, it feels extremely relevant to current events. If it weren’t for the radio programs talking about Margaret Thatcher, and the British accents, this story easily could have taken place in the modern-day U.S. South. The fact that such history is repeating itself only adds an even tenser layer to the story—something we should fully expect to see popping up more and more in film as LGBTQIA+ rights continue to be called into question.
What makes “Blue Jean” sing is how it focuses on accountability and support. While there is plenty of despair to dole out in every scene, there is also a beautiful depiction of the care and response from the family that the queer community has created.
That’s enough of a reason to see “Blue Jean,” even if you disregard the quietly piercing performances and the complexity of the conflict in the story. Don’t miss a chance to see the film this June at Midtown Cinema.
Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.
May Events At Midtown Cinema
National Theatre Live presents
“Othello”
Sunday, June 4, at 5 p.m.
Sunday, June 18, at 5 p.m.
Down in Front! comedy riffing presents
“Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster” (1965)
Sunday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m.
The Edward S. Finkelstein Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival
June 9 to 11
“The Galilee Eskimos” (2007)
Friday, June 9, at 5 p.m.
“Matchmaking” (2022)
Saturday, June 10 at 9 p.m.
JFF Book Club Brunch presents
“The Little Traitor” (2007)
Sunday, June 11, at 9 a.m.
“Air Born” (2022)
Sunday, June 11, at 7 p.m.
3rd in the Burg Movie Night
“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn”
Friday, June 16, at 9:30 p.m.
National Theatre Live presents
“Fleabag”
Sunday, June 25, at 7 p.m.
2023 Outdoor Film Series
Presented by Friends of Midtown
All films start at dusk.
“Labyrinth” (1986)
Saturday, June 10
“Black Panther” (2018)
Saturday, June 24
“Jaws” (1975)
Saturday, July 15
“Cabaret” (1972)
Thursday, July 27
“Inside Out” (2015)
Saturday, Aug. 5
“The Sandlot” (1993)
Saturday, Aug. 19
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