Oxford Blues (1984)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Robert Boris

Writer:

Robert Boris (writer)

Release Date:

24 August 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Sport

Tagline:

He fell in love with a girl and conned his way into Oxford University just to meet her. Now he's learning how to be a winner.

Plot:

A young American hustler pursues the girl of his dreams to Oxford, where he must enroll to obtain her.

Plot Keywords:

Rowing | Remake | Oxford University | College | Crew

Cast

Rob Lowe	...	Nick De Angelo
Ally Sheedy	...	Rona
Amanda Pays	...	Lady Victoria Wingate
Julian Sands	...	Colin Gilchrist Fisher
Julian Firth	...	Geordie Nevitts
Alan Howard	...	Simon Rutledge
Gail Strickland	...	Las Vegas Lady
Michael Gough	...	Doctor Ambrose
Aubrey Morris	...	Doctor Quentin Boggs
Cary Elwes	...	Lionel
Bruce Payne	...	Peter Howles
Anthony Calf	...	Gareth Rycroft
Pip Torrens	...	Ian
Richard Hunt	...	Larry
Peter Jason	...	Mr. De Angelo

Runtime:

USA:97 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Finland:K-10 | Sweden:Btl | UK:15 | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Company:

Baltic Industrial Finance

Trivia:

Last cinema film of 'Hugh Morton'.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: The reflection of the equipment is visible through the revolving door as the Las Vegas Lady enters the casino after saying goodbye to Nick.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Gilmore Girls: Women of Questionable Morals (#5.11)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

This Boy's On A Roll

It's not about Rob Lowe; it's about growing up.

This is one of the better "coming of age" movies I have seen. It's about an immature young man who makes up his mind to go to college at Oxford (long before he ever sees and falls for Amanda Pays) and then gets there. When he falls for Amanda's character and becomes a member of the Oxford rowing team, he learns a lot about integrity and honor and just being a man.

I found this movie much more deeply thought provoking than just the simple surface comedy (BTW, I never thought it was a comedy) about a brash American in a foreign country. Lowe plays the character perfectly, as a street-wise, intelligent, middle class young man with a desire to improve his lot in life.

His membership on the Oxford Rowing Team provides an interesting and realistic setting for him to learn about being part of a community and making a contribution to his team. His relationship with Amanda's character is a good platform for watching him learn about the difference between brazen boldness and real culture.

Through a series of mishaps and missteps, he learns the value of character, integrity, and honor. His passage from adolescent immaturity to valued adult friend and teammate makes this an interesting movie from start to finish. This is a great character study.