Willy Russell has once again crafted a deeply affecting situation, this time centered on a listless, hard-drinking “Professor Bryant” (played by Michael Caine), who takes on Rita (Julie Walters) as a student. She’s come from a state school and possesses the basics but craves something more—the freedom to decide her own path, which doesn't automatically involve marriage and children. At first, she feels both overwhelmed and motivated by the academic world that Bryant and his students occupy, but their lives gradually become intertwined as it becomes apparent that Bryant himself is battling inner turmoil – demonstrated through his relationship with girlfriend “Julia” and her poorly concealed affair with Michael Williams’ "Brian," along with his reliance on Scotch. The storyline seems straightforward at first glance, yet this simplicity highlights the genuine challenges many women encountered when striving to escape from societal expectations tied to family and home, even in the 1980s. There's plenty of humor, delivered in a sharp, understated style, including a delightful and insightful performance by Maureen Lipman as "Trish," the new roommate with an enthusiasm for Mahler. The musical score could have benefited from more refined orchestration; the synthesized sound feels somewhat unpolished. Occasionally, like the original stage production, it moves at a slower pace, but this ultimately allows us to understand what truly drives both characters—her willingness to give up so much in pursuit of her ambitions. Caine and Walters are excellent, believable, and appealing, telling a moving story of redemption for each of them. It was beaten by "Terms of Endearment" & "Tender Mercies" at the Academy Awards – which is disappointing because it’s far more impactful than either of those films.

Source on TMDB