Blue Jean 2023

In Newcastle during the year 1988, we follow Jean, a dedicated PE teacher at a secondary school, who begins her day by tuning into a news segment discussing the proposed Section 28 legislation, only to switch it off, indicating her reluctance to engage with her reality. At school, she maintains a reserved demeanor, choosing to keep her true self under wraps while avoiding social interactions with her colleagues after hours. Jean finds solace in frequent visits to a local gay bar, often accompanied by her friends and girlfriend, Vivian Highton.

One evening, while at Jean’s flat, she attempts to watch Blind Date, but Viv adamantly rebuffs it as “anti-gay propaganda.” Their evening takes an unexpected turn when Jean’s sister drops by unexpectedly, requesting her to take care of her son, Sam. In a bid to conceal Viv’s presence, Jean finds herself downplaying both their relationship and her sexual orientation, which frustrates Viv.

The arrival of a new student, Lois Jackson, stirs the dynamics at school. Jean and Lois discover each other at the same gay bar but opt not to speak about their shared connection later. As Lois develops an interest in netball, she joins Jean’s team, where she soon finds herself in conflict with another student, Siobhan Murphy. Lois begins to bond with Jean’s circle of friends at the bar, prompting Jean to caution her against the potential repercussions of their association, highlighting the risks to her job if her sexuality were to be revealed.

Tensions escalate when Viv witnesses an encounter between Jean and Lois in the restroom, leading her to mistakenly suspect infidelity. When Jean confesses her prior acquaintance with Lois, Viv scolds her for being a bad role model to her students. A visit to her sister’s house for Sunday lunch serves as a turning point when Jean notices a wedding photograph of herself. A heartfelt conversation leads to her sister revealing that she is aware of Jean’s sexual orientation.

While at school, Jean’s boss, Paula, finds a lesbian magazine on Jean’s desk, further complicating matters with the assumption that Lois is behind it. In a twist of fate, after a netball match, tensions boil over between Lois and Siobhan, leading to a fight that Jean intervenes in. After breaking it up, she witnesses an unexpected kiss between the two, only for Siobhan to falsely accuse Lois of assault. Despite knowing the truth, Jean reluctantly goes along with Siobhan’s narrative, resulting in Lois’s suspension from school.

As Jean attempts to mend fences with both Viv and Lois, she faces rejection from both. At a children’s birthday party, she unexpectedly comes out to her brother-in-law and a friend, laughing off the weight of her truth. Later, she persuades Lois to join her at a house party where an informal “bog fund” is established to support the lesbian community in the city. At the party, a friend informs Lois that those with “real jobs” contribute to this fund. While Jean and Viv share a friendly conversation later that night, their earlier relationship remains unresolved.

In a refreshing change, the next day at school, Jean arrives with a newfound smile, hinting at a glimmer of hope amidst her struggles, as she navigates the complexities of identity, love, and acceptance.