Blue Like Jazz

First of all, I have to be honest. I found this film scrolling down Tania's filmography. I was curious (and still am) what she was like before Goliath.

Now, While watching the film I've learned it's a book. Since I didn't read it I'm judging the film as a film from a standpoint of viewing experience. And even that was hard because I'm struggling to find the source of my dissatisfaction.

Regardless how the film is a book's reincarnation seems, as a film film it gives you a hard time in finding something amongst all the storylines to stick your mind to. What is the film about is it about loosing faith, or is it about finding faith? Is it about Reed College, ahh, wait, wait, no it's clearly not. But it sure seemed that in the beginning. Is it a coming-of-age film? Well, the dude is a grown-up man. Where else you need to "come" of this "age"? Ok, maybe it's a love story? Well, sure the screen time isn't dedicated to the love story.

Paraphrasing the quote from the film. This film is like a bad jazz tune. It can't find its theme to improvise on, instead it's just rambling around like a young musician that just learned a couple of scale-runs.

Can't give it anything lower than 6. It's not a b-film. Casting is good. Music selection is very very good. Probably because they didn't have a budget and they chose all the obscure indie band which tilt the film into this earth Stumptown vibe very neatly. Locations are good. Cinematography does its jobs. I didn't see anything groundbreaking but clearly they put some thought into it. Sound recording should be also taken into consideration. It's comfortable to watch and it doesn't sound like a radio play. Editing is pleasing, it helps to tell the story, however messy it might be.

I'm not going to discuss the characters. It's a slippery slope. We tend to do all crazy stuff in real life. It's hard to argue what is realistic and what is not. On a personal level I don't sympathize with the main character. He's dumb. But we need stories about lost souls too.

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.

As a big fan of the book the movie is based on, I went in thinking there was no way that the movie could compare with the book.

While it is very hard to translate a series of essays into a story with a flowing plot, the creators of Blue Like Jazz the movie did an exceptional job.

The film is unique in that there is no way to compare it to any other Christian film. The message of Jesus isn't heavily preached, and instead, a truthful representation of a boy brought up in the Southern Baptist religion is presented. It also leads to a discussion on what it means to be a true follower of Christ.

While there is language, alcohol, and drug use, the movie has integrity and heart, and I highly recommend it!

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.

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.