A new Netflix rom-com is drawing backlash over its portrayal of an uneven and, some say, problematic romance.
My Oxford Year, which premiered on the streaming service August 1, has received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.
Starring Sofia Carson and Queen Charlotte breakout Corey Mylchreest, the film is based on Julia Whelan’s novel of the same name.
According to IMDb, the story follows ‘Anna, an ambitious young American woman, [who] sets out for Oxford University to fulfill a childhood dream, [and] has her life completely on track — until she meets a charming and clever local who profoundly alters both of their lives.’
That ‘clever local,’ however, turns out to be Anna’s college lecturer — and that plot point has ignited fierce debate.
Kaelyn Grace Apple, a PhD candidate currently studying at Oxford, posted a video titled ‘Stop Romanticizing Student/Professor Relationships’ in which she explained why she refuses to watch the film.
A Netflix film has sparked outrage and calls for a boycott for romanticizing an uneven relationship dynamic
‘I am boycotting My Oxford Year, and as somebody who in 2019 experienced sexual harassment at the hands of a lecturer who was meant to to be my educator, I will say that seeing a student-professor relationship being promoted on the big screen as a romance is something that I do not support and don’t think that you should be supporting either,’ she said.
She explained that when the novel was published in 2017, professors could still have romantic relationships with their students, but her activism and that of others resulted in that policy being changed.
‘In the book, in order to justify the relationship between himself and a student, Jamie, the male character and lecturer, says that, no, students are not off limits. Reading from the novel – ‘Unlike some, Britain is not a nation of Puritans when it comes to matters of carnality between two consenting adults.’
‘Let’s talk about consent, shall we?’ she asked.
‘The idea of consent is all good and dandy until you’re in a position in which the student in this relationship decides that they no longer consent to this relationship,’ she explained.
‘The person that they’ve had a relationship with, their lecturer, their professor, the person responsible for their grades and education, has control over their reputation, their destiny, their treatment in the classroom, as well as their determinative grades at the end of their term.’
Sharing her own experience Apple claimed, ‘I filed a sexual harassment claim against my professor, along with three professors that stood in support of me, and two students that also joined the complaint.’
‘My circumstance was upheld and when I see books, movies, TV shows that romanticize these types of relationships, I feel deeply concerned for the potential exploitation of students.’
Sofia Carson, 32, and Corey Mylchreest, 27 star in My Oxford Year, based on the novel of the same name. In the rom-com Mychreest stars as Jamie, the poetry professor of Carson’s Anna
The teacher-student relationship portrayed in the film has been called out by an Oxford student who was the target of sexual harassment by a professor at the university
‘I’ve always been drawn to love stories, especially the timeless classics like The Way We Were and Love Story and it felt like this generation, we hadn’t had one quite yet, ‘she said on CBS Mornings
She concluded by adding, ‘So I am boycotting My Oxford Year. I will not be watching this film, and I would consider whether or not it’s worth you watching it as well.’
In the film Carson’s character Anna has a Goldman Sachs job lined up and wants to study poetry for a year.
After a meet-cute, in which she is splashed by Jamie’s car on the way to class, the pair quickly discover she will be Jamie’s student.
Both appear to be similar in age, although in actuality Carson is 32 and Mylchreest is 27, which may explain why the teacher/student relationship has not been a focus in interviews promoting the film.
Instead, the plot twist is that Jamie is suffering from cancer and the two must decide how to navigate their relationship knowing it will not have a happily ever after ending.
Star and exec producer Carson explained her involvement in the film. ‘I’ve always been drawn to love stories, especially the timeless classics like The Way We Were and Love Story and it felt like this generation, we hadn’t had one quite yet, ‘she said on CBS Mornings.
‘Anna and Jamie’s love is so beautiful and so sweeping and also felt like a classic and it’s always an honor to be part of something like that.’
The film has done relatively well on Netflix and was the third most popular film on the streamer on Sunday.
Several other women did not see it that way and shared their own experiences on Apple’s Instagram page.
Several commenters shared their own experiences on Kaelyn Grace Apple’s Instagram account
‘As a fellow PhD student who has recently been obligated to report on a situation of an abuse of power, it totally turned my stomach against this film.’ one woman wrote.
‘From the student’s side as well not only does this make them more vulnerable,’ she continued, ‘but also can encourage them to not look at or treat their lecturers/professors etc. as the professionals they are. It’s a lose lose situation.’
‘I saw this film advertised and did a double take, then read more about it and thought it’s highly inappropriate to say the least!!!’ wrote another.
‘I know about the transforming silence campaign and I applaud you and everyone involved in it and will support the boycott of the film.✊’
