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Chicago – There’s a reason why the terms “Christian” and “filmmaker” don’t seem to go together. Pictures that push religious agendas tend to sacrifice complex plots and characters in favor of amplifying its message. These films fail not only as entertainment but as quality storytelling. Whenever an aspiring artist attempts to speak for a group rather than oneself, it’s almost always a recipe for tediously preachy dreck.

The mediocre output from studios such as Affirm Films and the mercifully scrapped Fox Faith soured many filmgoers on modern Christian entertainment by displaying an utter lack of interest in artistic integrity. Many doubting Christians found their frustrations mirrored in the 2003 book, “Blue Like Jazz,” a collection of essays written by Donald Miller, who reflected on his evolving faith while auditing courses at Portland’s liberal arts school, Reed College. Director Steve Taylor’s film version of the book functions as...

Blue Like Jazz is based on the New York Times best-selling book of the same title by Donald Miller, and an official selection in the SXSW (South By Southwest) Film Festival. This alone may be enough for some to count this film as an unwavering success, but despite the film’s valiant efforts, it is not without it’s flaws. That being said, the film is also far from being a waste of the viewer’s time… in fact, I encourage seeing this film for what it is, flaws and all, because it’s the kind of movie we rarely see in theaters, and one that is rarely as accomplished as this one has turned out within it’s distinct genre of storytelling.

Directed by Steve Taylor, Blue Like Jazz is a story of faith and how it collides with one’s struggle to find his place in the world.