Blue Like Jazz

I am a huge fan of the book "Blue Like Jazz" and was so looking forward to the movie. I felt this was a great opportunity to produce a Christian film that would be authentic, could show what Christianity really could be, something based on an authentic relationship with Jesus, something really quite beautiful.

To say I was disappointed with the movie is an understatement. For those of you who have read the book and really loved its essence, its soul, how relationships with the key characters were developed, how his relationship with Jesus was developed and experienced, you will be disappointed too.

The thing about the book was it was so authentic, so real, so honest. The movie is none of those things. To say it is a loose interpretation of the book is giving this movie too much credit. It is not an honest and authentic portrayal of the book.

I feel like in some ways Donald Miller sold out - that is, he allowed a movie to be produced that is not an accurate depiction of how he got to Reed college, his key "struggle" is fabricated, acts of deviance are fabricated, the whole movie is really a fabrication.

I was so sad. What a great opportunity missed.

Blue Like Jazz was extremely well-received at its World Premiere at Austin's Paramount Theater as part of the SXSW Film Festival. This is a powerful film about a young man's spiritual journey from an unthinking fundamentalism to trying to develop a better understanding of his own self. The story is loosely based on Don Miller's book about his own spiritual journey from an evangelical upbringing in Texas to the "Godless" Reed College in Portland, Oregon. It is a coming-of-age story about a man searching for his faith in the most unlikely place possible. This independent film is well-written and well-acted and keeps the viewers engaged. The story mixes quirky characters into a film that might otherwise feel heavy. The film's themes remind me of one of my favorite films, Saved!, which also deals with a character's spiritual struggle to find her own faith. This is the kind of provocative films that one wishes Hollywood would make, but which usually end up being produced by Independent films.

When I heard Donald Miller's book was being made into a movie, I was half elated, half skeptical. While the book-- that sold over 1.2 Million Copies-- is one of my favorites, it doesn't really lend itself well to a movie screenplay.

Or so I thought.

The movie follows a young kid named Don as he grows up in a Southern Baptist church in Texas, the only child of a uber-religious single mother and absentee deadbeat dad he refers to as "the hobo." Don is about to graduate from High School and is headed to Bible College. He's then faced with a situation that shakes him to his core. He ends up at Reed College, a liberal college in Oregon. The stories that follow show us the author's real struggles with faith and how he comes to grips with his own spirituality aside from the oppressive, rigid religious home he was raised in.

In addition to the screenplay, the director of photography does an impeccable job bringing the characters to life. The characters in the book, though not completely identical to the ones in the movie, become so personally vulnerable and familiar through equal parts can't-look-away awkwardness and close, tight, clean camera work that by the end of the film I found myself angry at myself for not interpreting the characters in the book more accurately even though they were in fact the real people.

BLJ is a movie that is desperately needed in the Christian art scene. The stunning dialog surrounding the film and the idiotic, egocentric way it has been received by many evangelical groups and churches clearly illustrate how needed films like this are. It earns its PG13 ranking in earnest, and there's no Kirk Cameron anywhere to be found. People talk about loving Jesus while drinking a beer, and not everyone who professes to follow Christ walks about with a pious attitude praying out loud and thumbing their Bibles incessantly. They make mistakes, hurt each other, and even cuss! In other words, it's real.

Kudos to Miller, Taylor and company. BLJ has, if nothing else, made in-roads for other non-craptastic movies with a Christ-centered message.

Thank you, God.

It could have been a good film, but it almost seems as though those involved were too close to it to see how it fails to draw any kind of an emotional response or much sympathy for the main character until much later in the story. The pace is slow, nothing was all that funny to me, cartoonish devices were used inconsistently and unnecessarily, which made the first half feel disjointed, as though different sections were directed by different people. Actions that moved the plot forward were so subtle as to be easily missed. One of my least favorite devices is to show a progression of time with a montage and music playing over the voices.

Some scenes left me wondering 'why did they do that?' as there was no obvious metaphor (or perhaps it was so obvious as to be insulting) and no further reference given to, for instance, a worn costume. Once some of the relationships were established, the movie picks up momentum, and the ending rather saves it.

I'm sure it's very difficult to portray the complex themes from the book, which makes it such rich reading. Action flicks are much easier. Much had to change for a movie to be created out of it. But a good director knows how to accomplish this without confusing, boring, or trying the patience of his audience. Perhaps Mr. Taylor should stick to music unless he wants all his work to go straight to DVD or the Hallmark channel. Sure, compared to other "Christian" movies this one rises above, but shouldn't we hold all movies to a critical standard, regardless of the company that made it?

Not your "typical Christian movie" is an understatement for this film in all the best ways. The absence of poor acting or cheap looking Hallmark-like production, gives Blue Like Jazz authenticity to tackle the misrepresentation of Christianity in a boldly candid way. While making fun of the way church is often viewed by the public, the movie tries to show the audience that there is more than meets the eye to this perceptively stuffy, and often annoying, complacent religion. There is a poetry to the universe that should evoke some search for deeper meaning that isn't so much about absolute rightness, as it is about continuous discovery, and pursuit of truth and compassion.

The movie roughly follows the book's range of stories and characters, but introduces several fictitious turns to tie us in emotionally to the story. There are several major themes and little details that anyone who has read Blue Like Jazz would recognize and connect with. However, for those who are not familiar with the book, the overall story should be easy to follow, relevant, and entertaining. And to those who watch it and become intrigued, I can only say that the book takes you on an even deeper and more thorough journey. Don't believe me? Just ask the 4500 fans who financially supported the making of the film when all seemed lost. The story behind the movie is just as poignant as the movie itself.

Disclaimer: There is a decent amount of profanity, drug and alcohol use, and adult themes that nearly cost the movie an R rating. So while it is PG 13 it was made for mature audiences that can comprehend the compromising nature of the real world. I know this film will cause an inadvertent dropping of the jaw for most of the Christian community, but the response of the rest of the world seems to be a refreshing sigh of relief.

So come without expectations, and a willingness to see the bigger picture, and I think it will create a good amount of discussion that could lead to a change in our subculture.