'Surprised by Oxford' a Captivating Narrative of Self-Discovery, Finding Faith
For author Carolyn Weber, the thought of getting her doctoral degree was something she had carried with her since being a young girl in Western Canada. Growing up in an immigrant family, education was highly valued in her household, seen as a safe way to climb from the depths of poverty.
Fortunately, Carolyn loved school so the idea of putting in long hours studying was something she readily welcomed rather than loathed. Her efforts certainly paid off as she eventually earned a Commonwealth scholarship, paving the way for her to become a student at the prestigious, academically-lofty Oxford University.
Having intellectually fulfilling conversations, going to the pub, and walking with friends provided a completely different rhythm and way of life for her. It also fostered time for her to think about her place in the universe, moments that sometimes made her fearful. It was during this time that she began an unexpected friendship with a charming young man that took her on a profound exploration of mystery, vulnerability, and love. But more importantly, it was through this relationship that she was introduced to a life-changing relationship with God.
Based on Carolyn’s memoir, Surprised by Oxford, comes a movie of the same name that follows the journey of Caro Drake, a driven and guarded young woman determined to earn her PhD at Oxford University. Starring Rose Reid (Finding You, The Shift) and Ruairi O’Connor (The Morning Show), the movie will have a limited theatrical run, showing in cinemas September 27th and October 1st.
I recently sat down with Carolyn to discuss her captivating narrative of self-discovery, friendship, and love, the film’s ability to provide an evangelistic message without being preachy, and why she was surprised when the opportunity came along to make a movie about her life.
For every author there comes a moment, a trigger, a tipping point where you say to yourself, “I have to write this book” or “I have to do this movie!” What was that moment for you?
It came for me quite a bit later because I wrote it years after I was in England. I had never intended to write a memoir. I was an academic writer and a teacher. It wasn't a genre I ever considered, but the story had percolated and students had been interested. I have unbelieving family and friends. I kind of have a foot in each world. And I thought, I'd love to write this and share this in a way between me and God at first. And then I determined that maybe this was something I could share with unbelieving friends and family. But it took years and it was finally after the birth of my twins that I decided to write it on my sabbatical. I was supposed to write an academic project, but I lied and wrote what became Surprised by Oxford instead.
What I love about this movie is that while it focuses on main character Caro Drake’s conversion to faith, it was not preachy in any way? Was this by design in your writing or did it just sort of happen that way?
Well, Ryan Whitaker wrote the screenplay adaptation. He's a wonderful writer, and I think he's very savvy, nuanced, and gentle. I was hoping in the book that I would be able to strike a chord that would speak to people who were also thinking about their faith or perhaps not even thinking about it. And I felt that he was able to capture that,even more so in a gentle, inviting way in the film. That is no easy task because he had to condense so many things. But I do think that he kept it very invitational, contemplative, and gentle.
If you don’t mind, let’s roll the clock all the way back to before you wrote your memoir that would essentially become this movie. Why did you want to tell your story in such a profound way?
Like so many others, I'm a perfect example of somebody who came from a North American background. I would've described my family as loving enough to get by, but broken enough not to deserve God's attention. I would've defined myself as agnostic because I couldn't disprove God. But I was definitely not dependent on a father, so I wasn't going to trust an eternal father. I wanted eventually to just write it really between me and God, but also as an invitation to people, for us to think about the relevance of faith to our lives. C.S. Lewis says that we often don't think of faith as being relevant to us in any way. And I think I was just really challenged as I began to think about my faith more seriously, how absolutely relevant it is to how we live our lives and the most important questions in our lives.
Your book, Surprised by Oxford has won many awards over the years. Did it surprise you when the film opportunity came along? Were you protective in any way before turning it over to the filmmakers?
I was. I had had other queries about it being made into a film, and I was very protective about it. This is because I really wanted to keep the integrity of the story, and I was particularly concerned about the God question in it. But when Ryan Whitaker approached me five or six years ago, he just had such a vision for it. I felt immediately safe talking to him and his team. We developed a relationship and friendship where there was a great circle of grace involved. And I just knew his heart was in the right place about it. I felt I could trust him to be at the helm of that adaptation.
One thing I love about this movie is the cinematography. Unlike so many other movies where California serves as the backdrop for a movie that took place in Indiana, this movie was actually shot in Oxford. Was that important to you that it was made in the place where your story actually takes place? The city truly shines here.
I think Ryan Whitaker puts it best. He says that Oxford itself is a story. It's just a beautiful place, and speaks in and of itself. It necessitates being on the screen. It's more than a character in the film. It’s a very profound setting. So, there was no question that we wanted the movie filmed there, but we were thrown by COVID. We had started working on this project before COVID and thought everything would be tabled. But then, when we traveled during COVID and got there to do the filming, all these doors were open that normally are not. So, we were able to film in different places at Oxford University. It really was pretty amazing that all these things were made available and accessible to us.
It’s sometimes a risky tightrope to walk within the confines of being a faith-based film while also attempting to make a movie non-Christians will also watch and enjoy. I believe this film was able to do that. Was it your intention to be sure this movie would appeal to all audiences?
Absolutely. I wanted it very much to appeal to people like myself. We all have the same longings, the same desires to be known, to be seen, to be loved. I think all those longings and desires do point us to God. As Augustine says, “We're restless until we find our home in Him.” And I think that's the case for all of us. That's what makes us human. I really wanted, in my story as well as in the film representation of it, to invite everyone to the table so that people could go with faith, but bring friends that were put off by it, allergic to it, annoyed by it, or curious. One of the great things that Jesus does is He just meets people where they're at and He asks them questions. That's always really spoken to me. And so I was hoping that it would be a place where people could sit between themselves and their own souls, and be able to reflect on what they had watched.
After audiences have had a chance to see Surprised by Oxford what would you like to see them take away from the viewing experience? What is your greatest hope for the film?
My absolute greatest hope would be to have them receive the same gift that I've been given. That would be God's steadfast love for us, His pursuit of us, authenticity, safety in the truth, and in knowing that we are loved. Also, that His grace is sufficient. Those aren't canned ideas, cheap, tinny, or empty, but that they're eternal and true and really what matters. I'm hoping that people would be at least encouraged and think beyond their emptiness.
Watch a Trailer for Surprised by Oxford:
