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Blue Like Jazz

  • 2012
  • PG-13
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
3.1K
YOUR RATING
Blue Like Jazz (2012)
Don, a nineteen-year-old sophomore at a Texas junior college, tries to escape his Bible Belt upbringing for life in the Pacific Northwest at the most godless campus in America.
Play trailer2:32
7 Videos
10 Photos
ComedyDrama

Don, a nineteen-year-old sophomore at a Texas junior college, tries to escape his Bible Belt upbringing for life in the Pacific Northwest at the most godless campus in America.Don, a nineteen-year-old sophomore at a Texas junior college, tries to escape his Bible Belt upbringing for life in the Pacific Northwest at the most godless campus in America.Don, a nineteen-year-old sophomore at a Texas junior college, tries to escape his Bible Belt upbringing for life in the Pacific Northwest at the most godless campus in America.

  • Director
    • Steve Taylor
  • Writers
    • Donald Miller
    • Ben Pearson
    • Steve Taylor
  • Stars
    • Marshall Allman
    • Claire Holt
    • Tania Raymonde
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.8/10
    3.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Steve Taylor
    • Writers
      • Donald Miller
      • Ben Pearson
      • Steve Taylor
    • Stars
      • Marshall Allman
      • Claire Holt
      • Tania Raymonde
    • 96User reviews
    • 28Critic reviews
    • 48Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos7

    U.S. Version
    Trailer 2:32
    U.S. Version
    "Robot Invasion"
    Clip 1:25
    "Robot Invasion"
    "Robot Invasion"
    Clip 1:25
    "Robot Invasion"
    "Classroom"
    Clip 1:23
    "Classroom"
    "Cafeteria"
    Clip 0:50
    "Cafeteria"
    Blue Like Jazz: Robot Invasion
    Clip 1:25
    Blue Like Jazz: Robot Invasion
    Blue Like Jazz: Cafeteria
    Clip 0:51
    Blue Like Jazz: Cafeteria

    Photos9

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    Top cast57

    Edit
    Marshall Allman
    Marshall Allman
    • Don Miller
    Claire Holt
    Claire Holt
    • Penny
    Tania Raymonde
    Tania Raymonde
    • Lauryn
    Justin Welborn
    Justin Welborn
    • The Pope
    Eric Lange
    Eric Lange
    • The Hobo
    Jason Marsden
    Jason Marsden
    • Kenny
    William McKinney
    William McKinney
    • Jordan
    • (as Will McKinney)
    Jenny Littleton
    Jenny Littleton
    • Don's Mom
    David Alford
    David Alford
    • Priest
    Jeff Obafemi Carr
    • Dean Bowers
    • (as jeff obafemi carr)
    Matt Godfrey
    Matt Godfrey
    • Yuri
    Jeffrey Buckner Ford
    • James Larkin
    • (as Jeffery Buckner Ford)
    Traber Burns
    • Phillipe Nouvel
    Barak Hardley
    Barak Hardley
    • Town Crier
    Jenson Goins
    Jenson Goins
    • Quinn
    Marin Miller
    • Reed Activities Receptionist
    Joshua Childs
    Joshua Childs
    • Bookstore Manager
    • (as Josh Childs)
    Becky Fly
    Becky Fly
    • Professor
    • Director
      • Steve Taylor
    • Writers
      • Donald Miller
      • Ben Pearson
      • Steve Taylor
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews96

    5.83K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    8jmalon16

    Great film that leads to discussion

    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!
    2jim-nikkel

    Disappointing, not authentic, missed the essence of the book.

    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.
    7appleinwaiting

    Not your "typical Christian movie" is an understatement in all the best ways.

    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.
    5ellehcorj

    Painful to watch, at first

    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?
    2mindyloucooper

    Don't do it if you aren't already Christian!

    I have never written a review on IMDb before but felt compelled to after watching this film.

    Last night I was looking for a good independent film to watch and this flicked across the screen in my Netflix options. Never having heard of the book and not knowing a thing about what I was getting myself into, I went for it.

    There were early hints that I had walked myself into a "Christianity is the bestest" type film, but I didn't know for sure until halfway through when the main love interest professes to the main character something along the lines of, "I can't explain it, I just love Jesus!". I recognized this tell-tale sign of propaganda but decided to suspend judgement. I sat through the rest of the film in hopes that there'd be surprise character or plot development in the second half. Unfortunately, there wasn't.

    The plot is thin and predictable. I find it remarkable that others who have reviewed the film found it thought provoking. In my estimation, those who found it to be this way enjoyed the affirmation that the film provided. Can't fault anyone there: we all like a little positive reinforcement from Hollywood every now and then.

    For those of us who aren't sold on Christianity, the underlying theme of Christianity being the "right" belief is obvious and more than a little off-putting. In order to be truly thought provoking (to those who aren't already on board with the concept), the message shouldn't have been so obvious and cheesy.

    If the hope was that this movie would help put Christianity in a better light with non-Christians, the movie misses that mark too. None of the characters exhibited a need for Jesus/the church - at their core they were smart people with good consciouses, and were clearly capable of sorting themselves out without the church. I didn't see or hear any testimony as to why either required religious support to do this, in fact the movie highlighted several good reasons to stay away from the church: priest pedophilia and some mixed up relationships amongst church members. If a salesperson is trying to sell something, they need to talk about the benefits of the product they're pushing at least a little bit, right?

    All in all, this is probably a great film if you are a "church-every-Sunday" kind of person - this may be just the thing to make you feel great about your beliefs (basing this not on personal experience but on other reviews). But if you are that person, please don't kid yourself that this will be the movie to convince your non-believer friends that they should worship with you.

    For the non-believers, regardless of your non-believing status, this movie is skippable. The plot, characters, acting and writing is all pretty thin - not a whole lot of meat to chew on here.

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    Related interests

    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The movie was made possible by the efforts of fans who refused to see the project die. A campaign on KickStarter was started after a September 16th blog post by Donald Miller that the project was dead due to the lack of backers. By the end of the funding period on October 25th, Save Blue Like Jazz had raised $345,992 (276% of the original $125,000 goal) from 4495 backers. This earned the project a Hall of Fame ranking on KickStarter as the highest funded project ever.
    • Goofs
      Don tells his mother that there are no roommates in the dorms at Reed college, but Lauryn tells a story about her "first year roommate".
    • Quotes

      Donald Miller: He told me jazz was like life, cause it doesn't resolve.

    • Crazy credits
      The names of over 1,500 people were listed as Associate Producers of the movie.

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Blue Like Jazz?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 13, 2012 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Sắc Màu Cuộc Sống
    • Filming locations
      • Portland, Oregon, USA
    • Production company
      • Ruckus Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,200,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $595,018
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $261,190
      • Apr 15, 2012
    • Gross worldwide
      • $595,018
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 48m(108 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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