OXFORD BLUES (1984)

Traditional academic culture

Nice to see a bit of Warwickshire in Oxford

Rob Lowe, Ally Sheedy and the legend that is Julian Sands

Title: Oxford Blues
Year: 1984
Director: Robert Boris
Format: DVD
Label: Transition Digital Media

Notes: Not every film in my collection is a bona-fide classic, obviously. Some are not even great. OXFORD BLUES is a film I enjoy to this day due to a well-timed viewing on the short-lived freeview TV channel Carlton Cinema. I think I saw it on a Sunday night, quite late, at the time when I was applying to universities. I didn't apply to Oxford but had an eye on Cambridge and a drama set in such an elite establishment seemed like a perfect film to me, at that moment.

So, this is not a great film. It's a Rob Lowe vehicle, an 80s remake of A YANK AT OXFORD, and fairly humdrum. It's fine - fine direction, fine acting and a fine enough story about being an outsider, coming of age and fitting in, etc, etc. Some of the photography looks pretty good, especially the rowing scenes in a chilly-looking Oxford winter. It does star Julian Sands which is always a good thing.