Jamie and Anna - Their Story [My Oxford Year]

Um, hello. It's you. She probably recognised your car. Oh, my God. You! Me? Hi. Yeah, you're the felon. You drenched me with your car. Oh. We have a student here, all the way from... New York. I really, I really am sorry. Genuinely. Yeah, me too. Hey! He's in here, hiding from you. Sorry. Um, I can come back. No. No, come in. I don't normally hide in chip shops. And drench people with puddles. Terrible mistake. You think that men are only capable of loving a woman for six months? Some men, yes. I'm actually very mature. Oh, that is very reassuring. So am I. But what if they love deeply? Without thinking. What is Matthew Arnold saying? I think that the reality of life is that it's hard, but at least we have each other. Mate. Hi. I don't need rescuing, thank you. No, of course, you're incredibly scary, but it should be clear I was rescuing him. I'm impressed you found hope in the single most pessimistic poem of the Victorian era. Well, now you know something about me. Well, I wouldn't want to drag you away from your harem of girls back there. Well, if harem girls are anything, it's patient. If you have time, then there's something I'd like to show you. I think it's quite special. Jamie, I just got a call from your doctor. Oh, my God. I'm so, so sorry. Why did you choose Oxford? I have a library fetish. Welcome to Duke Humphrey's library. I just love being surrounded by books. I just think there's no better smell in the world than the smell of old books. When was this printed, Professor? 19... Poetry, poetry can be taught, but really, it should be tried. It should be tested. It should be engaged with. Take it on. Allow it to change your life. And so, in that vein, I will endeavor to teach you but one thing in my class. Can anyone guess what it might be? To eat cake? Every chance you get. Well, it is you and Jamie are quite the item. Well, I wouldn't say we're an item. We're just having fun. Not to be blunt, but this is just fun, right? Oh, yeah. Fun. We could go together. No, no, no, Professor. That sounds rather serious. I'm only looking for fun. That's what he's good at. But the question is, are you? Trust me, Anna, it's not worth the pain. Did you build these toy cars? They're model cars. Um, but yes, when I was a kid with my dad and my brother, Eddie. Although you must be sick of seeing him all the time in the library every day. Oh, no. I haven't seen Jamie in weeks. How did your brother die? Let's continue with the tour. Eddie had cancer. I don't understand how you've been dealing with all of this. What is this? Get out. Jamie, I... Get out! I've had Cecilia, who was Eddie's girlfriend. You're not staying? Jamie. No, Anna. Have you spoken to Cecilia? There's no future here. How is any of this funny? It's funny because the two people in this city who most needed a casual relationship ended up here. Don't waste the short time you have left in Oxford on me. I saw what happened to Cecilia with Eddie. You can't stay, Anna. I won't let you. Just because something is fleeting doesn't mean it's not meaningful. God, you seem to think that I'm yours to mold to your ideals, but I'm not, Jamie. Yes, I know that you're not because I would never let you make such a bloody stupid decision. I can't pretend to understand what you're going through, but I know that you don't have to do it alone. This is the messiness of life. And as an annoyingly brilliant man once told me, these are the best bits. As you so politely tried to tell me that first night we went out, that what Thoreau meant by living deliberately wasn't planning everything but being definite about every small moment because a succession of moments is really all we have. And I want mine to be with you. Anna, I want this more than anything. But this is madness. I fear that you'll regret it. Well, I'm of the opinion that you should never regret the things you do. You should only regret the things you don't do.