Family Movie Night: Surprised by Oxford- Movie Review and Giveaway!

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this screener, free of charge, from Evolve Studios, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own.

You can now watch SURPRISED BY OXFORD from the comfort of

your own home all month long in November!

Step inside the beauty of Oxford University and discover a timeless story about asking life’s

big questions. Do not miss your chance to see this beautiful film!

Synopsis:

Based on the award-winning memoir, Surprised by Oxford is the incredible true story of Caro Drake, a young, headstrong American who lands a coveted scholarship to the University of Oxford for her postgraduate studies. Burdened with trust issues and intellectually hostile towards the abstract, Caro begins her time in Oxford with the singular goal of attaining her PhD. But through a tempestuous friendship with a charming young man and the wise counsel of the college’s first female provost, Caro begins to open herself up to mystery, vulnerability, and the possibility of love.

Surprised by Oxford invites audiences into a world of romance, reason, and high calling. The true-life story of college-aged American Caro Drake is a wonder-filled exploration of life’s beauty and complexity, experienced in a manner not entirely dissimilar to C.S. Lewis’s famous awakening nearly a century ago in the hallowed halls of Oxford, England.

Directed by Ryan Whitaker, who also cowrote the film with Carolyn Weber. The movie stars Rose Reid, Jordan Alexandra, Ruairi O'Connor, and Simon Callow. Supporting cast includes mark Williams, Tyler Merrit and Phyllis Logan.

Trailer:

Review:

This is a charming rom com, but with a religious aspect to it, as the lead character, Caro, goes thru a space of religious awakening, thanks to the attentions of a TDH (Tall Dark and Handsome, LOL), that she was never expecting to meet. Their relationship is rocky, as he is Christian and chaste and she is nothing like him. He leads her to CS Lewis, who then opens her mind about what could be, and throws her into a existential crisis (as my 16 yr old would call it) and makes her question everything in her life, including the love she is feeling. As her life spirals out of control, she has to take the reins back, with the help of an unexpected source. Its a charming movie (an epic love poem to Oxford college itself), and my only quibble is I feel like the end just rushes up out of nowhere to tie things up in a bow. It is a 2 hours movie, but another 10 minutes might have added more to the finale. It's a good movie to see with high schoolers and college age students, to offer suggestions for reading, that can help them through their own questions of faith.

See the Movie:

Buy or rent Surprised by Oxford during the month of November!

Giveaway:

Giveaway: One lucky winner will receive a FREE Vimeo download code,

to watch Surprised by Oxford!

(Note: This is limited to US winners only).

HURRY, end 11/20!