MY OXFORD YEAR

Name: MY OXFORD YEAR
Item: MY OXFORD YEAR
Author: Review

"Embracing Life’s Unexpected Joys and Sorrows"

Family Content: -1 Caution advised for older children, including teenagers, and sensitive adults.

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

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What You Need To Know:

Netflix's romantic comedy, MY OXFORD YEAR follows Anna, a poetry student at Oxford who has her life all carefully planned out — a year at Oxford, then back to New York, where she will start work at the prestigious financial firm Goldman Sachs. When she meets Jamie, a handsome professor who urges her to embrace the unexpected, the two strike up a relationship, but promise each other that they will keep things casual. However, Jamie is keeping a secret that will change both their lives, and Anna must decide if she still wants the life she planned, or one full of surprises.

MY OXFORD YEAR has a mixed worldview, containing moral elements, like family and friendship, as well as Romantic elements, such as Jamie’s constant urging to Anna to follow her heart and emotions. There are also some light Christian elements, such as a Christmas church service, as well as Jamie telling Anna to visit a special church in Amsterdam. There are several scenes that imply sexual activity, although nothing is shown, as well as dozens of instances of strong language and scenes featuring alcohol use. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children.

Content:

(B, C, Ro, Ho, LL, S, N, AA, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

mixed worldview; there is an emphasis on moral elements, such as the importance of family (Jamie is estranged from his father, who doesn’t understand why he is refusing treatment, but the pair reconcile) and friends (Anna comes to rely on the friends she made at Oxford for emotional support). However, there are also Romantic themes, such as Jamie encouraging Anna to follow her heart and emotions, as well as Christian elements, like a Christmas church service and Jamie telling Anna to visit a special church in Amsterdam;

Foul Language:

13 obscenities, including one “f” word, and 17 profanities;

Violence:

No violence;

More Detail:

In Netflix’s romantic comedy, MY OXFORD YEAR, Anna has her life mapped out — a year studying poetry at Oxford University, then heading back to New York to start her life working in finance. However, after sparks fly between her and Jamie, her handsome professor, Anna begins to realize there’s beauty in the unplanned moments. When Jamie reveals a startling secret, Anna must decide whether she wants to stick to her plan or revel in the beautiful messiness of life.

Anna De La Vega has it all figured out; after a year studying Victorian poetry, her true passion, at Oxford, Anna will head back to New York, where a job at the prestigious financial firm Goldman Sachs awaits her.

However, when the professor she had planned to study undertakes a new position, Anna is less than thrilled by her replacement, a first-time teacher named Jamie Davenport. Jamie challenges Anna’s coursework, urging her to let go of her rigid views and plans and embrace life’s messy and unplanned moments.

The pair grows closer, spending time exploring a side of Oxford Anna hadn’t accounted for on her carefully planned Oxford To-Do List and eventually strikes up a romantic relationship. However, both are adamant that it’s just fun and not serious — Anna still plans to leave at the end of the year, but Jamie keeps his reason for the casual relationship to himself.

After months together, Anna notices Jamie starting to pull away from her. She goes to confront him and stumbles upon the secret he’s been keeping from her.

MY OXFORD YEAR is a moving story about the impact love can have, no matter how brief, as well as the importance of embracing life’s unexpected joys and sorrows. However, the plot becomes somewhat repetitive, as Anna and Jamie have the same fight repeatedly, and the ending feels rushed.

MY OXFORD YEAR contains a mixed worldview. While there are moral elements, like the importance of family and friends, there is also a Romantic worldview, as Jamie continually encourages Anna to follow her heart and listen to what her gut is telling her. Many scenes imply sexual activity, although nothing is shown, as well as dozens of scenes featuring alcohol and strong language. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children.