Eleri and I don't often go to the pictures but we did last night. We went to see Starter for Ten a new British film based on a novel by David Nicholls. Set in 1985, it's the story of working-class student Brian Jackson and his first year at Bristol University. I'm not sure why Eleri fancied seeing it (although it is in part a romantic comedy and two of the female leads have famous fathers - the daughters of Sir Peter Hall and Trevor Eve - which adds interest for her).
My interest was the University Challenge angle. Like the protagonist I too had a parent who loved quiz shows especially UC. I still avidly watch now, partly out of nostalgia. We see the young Brian watching with his dad and answering questions. (My memory is not of answering questions but being mesmerised at the answers to apparently unintelligible questions). Brian gets to appear on TV in UC with Bamber Gascoigne himself. I was always a dab hand on general knowledge (thanks to my mother) but never even thought of being on such a thing, so remote did that world seem.
There were other things to identify with in the film - the diversity of people you meet (eg those who refer to their parents by their first names!); that strange moment when an old friend and new university friends meet; pompous older students (often with hair and clothes just like the Patrick character); falling in love; changes at home, etc. I could especially identify with the thirst for knowledge, the emotional turmoil and the lurking danger of pomposity. The film’s basic idea is that life isn’t like UC. In life sometimes you do get the answers wrong but that’s okay as long as you learn from it. Fine as far as it goes I suppose. I’d want to add that the ultimate questions are quite different to anything on UC or in this film. (References to Marx and to Judaism, etc, are skated over in a relativistic way that suggests they do not matter).
I took my eldest son to see Alan Bennett’s The history boys the other week (again a rare outing I assure you). This again is set in the eighties and deals with a group of Oxbridge candidates in their final year in school. (Dominic Cooper and James Corden appear in both). A deeper, more self-conscious and cleverer film but quite unpleasant in some ways I would not recommend it. Starter for Ten was a gentler look at a similar subject that punched above its weight. (Maybe the soundtrack was better too - though it’s fresher in my mind).
There must be endless scope for plays and novels about working class lads like me who go off to university and collide with worlds they only half understand. They’re far off days now and I marvel at the transition and, in some ways wonder how I ever survived. I can only put it down to the goodness of God. Having been converted in my early teens I was saved from many obvious dangers. What a dangerous valley it can be. I’m glad to have it behind me but like any epic journey a little nostalgia remains as well as various regrets. When my eldest son heads off in a year or two it will be quite different for him but still a challenge I’m sure.
PS That last sentence contains a bit of unintended wordplay.
My interest was the University Challenge angle. Like the protagonist I too had a parent who loved quiz shows especially UC. I still avidly watch now, partly out of nostalgia. We see the young Brian watching with his dad and answering questions. (My memory is not of answering questions but being mesmerised at the answers to apparently unintelligible questions). Brian gets to appear on TV in UC with Bamber Gascoigne himself. I was always a dab hand on general knowledge (thanks to my mother) but never even thought of being on such a thing, so remote did that world seem.
There were other things to identify with in the film - the diversity of people you meet (eg those who refer to their parents by their first names!); that strange moment when an old friend and new university friends meet; pompous older students (often with hair and clothes just like the Patrick character); falling in love; changes at home, etc. I could especially identify with the thirst for knowledge, the emotional turmoil and the lurking danger of pomposity. The film’s basic idea is that life isn’t like UC. In life sometimes you do get the answers wrong but that’s okay as long as you learn from it. Fine as far as it goes I suppose. I’d want to add that the ultimate questions are quite different to anything on UC or in this film. (References to Marx and to Judaism, etc, are skated over in a relativistic way that suggests they do not matter).
I took my eldest son to see Alan Bennett’s The history boys the other week (again a rare outing I assure you). This again is set in the eighties and deals with a group of Oxbridge candidates in their final year in school. (Dominic Cooper and James Corden appear in both). A deeper, more self-conscious and cleverer film but quite unpleasant in some ways I would not recommend it. Starter for Ten was a gentler look at a similar subject that punched above its weight. (Maybe the soundtrack was better too - though it’s fresher in my mind).
There must be endless scope for plays and novels about working class lads like me who go off to university and collide with worlds they only half understand. They’re far off days now and I marvel at the transition and, in some ways wonder how I ever survived. I can only put it down to the goodness of God. Having been converted in my early teens I was saved from many obvious dangers. What a dangerous valley it can be. I’m glad to have it behind me but like any epic journey a little nostalgia remains as well as various regrets. When my eldest son heads off in a year or two it will be quite different for him but still a challenge I’m sure.
PS That last sentence contains a bit of unintended wordplay.
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