Blue Jean
Blue Jean
England, 1988 - Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government is about to pass a law stigmatizing gays and lesbians, forcing Jean, a gym teacher, to live a double life. As pressure mounts from all sides, the arrival of a new girl at school catalyses a crisis that will challenge Jean to her core.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 2, 2025
Striking debut feature for Georgia Oakley. In a time when Margaret Thatcher’s conservative government is stigmatizing gays and lesbians, a new student in Jean’s physical education class threatens to out Jean’s sexuality. With mounting pressure coming from all sides of Jean’s life pushed to reconcile with her own self-acceptance. The film is beautifully captured in 16mm (I think) with cold blue tint and is accompanied by an propulsive 80’s synth score. Rosy McEwen is captivating as the titular Jean as she comes to grips with the protective barriers she’s erected around her identity begin to crumble. I didn’t love the use (overuse) of tv and radio clips to illustrate the environmental factors weighing on Jean’s psyche. I had the same reaction to that as Andrew Dominic’s Killing Them Softly. I always it to be a somewhat heavy handed method to elucidate a thematic element. But, since we also get the Blind Date cameo, it can be forgiven.