Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
Blue Jean is a drama set in Newcastle, England in 1988. The story is about Jean, a closeted secondary school PE teacher. To hide her sexuality, she finds excuses not to socialize with her co-workers and lives far enough from the school that the odds of running into a student is low. Although her girlfriend, Viv (Kerrie Hayes), is politically active, Jean isn’t. She also prefers to keep a distance from the news, especially when it comes to the proposed anti-LGBT Section 28 legislation.
When a new student, Lois (Lucy Halliday), arrives at the school, rumors about her being a lesbian circulate. Lois doesn’t deny the rumors, and because of that, she’s teased. Although Jean is aware of the situation, she ignores it and distances herself from it when it gets brought up in conversation.
When Jean sees Lois at the lesbian bar that she frequents, she fears being outed. Soon the bullying against Lois escalates, and Jean is forced into a difficult situation, stand up for Lios and out herself or side with the homophobes and say nothing. And his is when the drama starts.
Some Thoughts:
Blue Jean is a well-paced and topical story about homophobia and repression. The thoughtful script and excellent direction give the film a sense of realism. This is a movie that relies heavily on its cast to pull the viewer in, and they’re up for the challenge. Every character feels real and true to life, making the situation all the more tense.
Jean’s sense of isolation and paranoia sets the tone. However, it’s not all gloom and doom, thanks to Lois and Viv. Lois, Viv, and Jean are also used to show both sides of the situation that LGBT people found themselves in at this time. You could either fight against it or comply and live a life of misery, fear, and self-hatred.
While everything about this movie is well done, it suffers from a story that has been told countless times before. This wouldn’t be a problem if it had something new to add, but it doesn’t. But even with that one fault, it deserves to be seen. It’s incredibly well-done.
The Final Verdict:
Although Blue Jean can be appreciated for its artistry, it feels like yet another movie depicting the evils of homophobia. And unlike films like The Imitation Game or Milk, there’s nothing unique about the story. However, it is still worth your time.