Don’t say gay in Thatcher-era English drama
Though it takes place in 1988, “Blue Jean” couldn’t be more timely. Writer-director Georgia Oakley places her semi-closeted lesbian schoolteacher protagonist, Jean (Rosy McEwen), in the era of Section 28, the United Kingdom law passed by the government of then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The law, in effect from 1988 to 2003, prohibited “the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities” and in schools.
Section 28 was organized homophobia presented under the guise of protecting kids. Thatcher herself stated that “children who need to be taught to respect traditional moral values are being taught that they have an inalienable right to be gay.” As a result, teachers were unsure of what constituted such “promotion” and were therefore terrified to do their jobs. Sound familiar?
“Blue Jean” continues its run at Coolidge Corner this week.
The film opens with Jean dying her short hair blond before going to a lesbian social club to hang with her out and proud partner, Viv (Kerrie Hayes). But she arouses little suspicion in her day job as a physical education teacher and coach at an all-girls high school. She is only out to her family, who remain somewhat intolerant, and a few friends.
On the other hand, Viv rocks a buzz cut, a punk look complete with tattoos and piercings, and an unapologetic attitude about her sexuality. She’s far more comfortable at the club than Jean is. Even though she’s in a safe space, Jean can’t help but feel a bit ill at ease, a byproduct of her constant caution at work. The other clubbers are impatient with her discomfort, but Viv is initially understanding.
Jean suddenly has a reason to be worried when one of her students, Lois (Lucy Halliday), shows up at the club. For starters, Lois is underage. Additionally, she is the target of a mean girls clique who repeatedly accuse her of being gay. Most importantly, Lois is now privy to Jean’s secret life outside of school, which Jean fears she may expose.
Tension mounts when Jean witnesses a horribly cruel shower encounter between Lois and Siobhan (Lydia Page), a bully who feigned a romantic interest in Lois before accusing her of sexual assault. Jean knows the truth, but she’s too afraid to defend Lois from the school’s homophobia for fear of losing her job. Jean’s action — or lack thereof — ultimately takes its toll on her relationship with Viv.
Oakley does an excellent job ratcheting up the terror quotient. You feel Jean’s trepidation, which makes you understand her behavior even if it angers you. The score by Chris Roe is unbearably tense, as if underscoring a horror movie. McEwen, who is in almost every scene, is superb. The rest of the cast does excellent work, but this is McEwen’s show all the way.
I admit I was livid while watching this movie. It struck a nerve by dramatizing situations I know all too well. It’s to Oakley’s credit that we’re angrier at the system (and its enforcers) that cause her characters to act the way they do, rather than at the characters themselves. “Blue Jean” ends on an ambiguous note — but not a hopeless one. It’s an empathetic yet forceful cautionary tale; we should pay heed to its message.