REVIEW: Blue Like Jazz

Courtesy of Roadside Attractions

When I read that director Steve Taylor wanted to turn Donald Miller’s bestseller Blue Like Jazz – which recounts the author’s struggle to align his love of Christ with his distrust of organized religion – into a movie, I was excited but skeptical. The book changed my life and remains a favorite, but a cinematic version never crossed my mind. It’s a collection of stream-of-consciousness essays, for crying out loud.

I don’t know how they pulled it off, but Taylor and Miller (who both co-wrote the screenplay with Ben Pearson) somehow managed to create an entertaining and meaningful narrative that incorporates the book’s most intriguing arguments. I never should’ve doubted Taylor, who proved with 2006’s The Second Chance that he can discuss Christian themes in an eloquent fashion without resorting to proselytizing.

In the film, a highly fictionalized version of Miller (Marshall Allman) puts his Southern Baptist life behind him when he discovers that his extremely religious mother has been sleeping with his youth pastor. At the behest of his much more secular father, who tells him to go to a school “where they don’t hand you the script and tell you to copy it,” Don drives right out of the Bible Belt and straight to Portland’s uber-liberal Reed College.

Once there, he befriends several students he would’ve never met around his old stomping grounds. They include a quick-witted lesbian (Tania Raymonde) who becomes his mentor; a miter-wearing atheist known as The Pope (Justin Welborn); and Penny (Claire Holt), a pretty blonde with a penchant for civil disobedience and helping the poor.

Because of his personal baggage, Don falls in with the Christian-bashing crowd for a while before realizing it’s not Jesus he has the problem with. It’s those pesky fallible humans, which includes the party-ravaged guy staring at him in the mirror.

Most flicks grouped into the “Christian” genre start with a sermon in mind and then try to construct a story around it, meaning they usually just end up preaching to the choir. That’s not even taking into account the shoddy production values and subpar acting. The faithful might love them, but outsiders are often left confused, bored or in desperate search of Cliff’s Notes to help them decipher the members-only lingo.

Blue Like Jazz avoids these pitfalls, telling a witty and relatable story with solid performances. And it looks fantastic to boot, especially considering the flick’s microscopic budget (which fans helped fund through a successful Kickstarter campaign).

Allman is a terrific choice for Don; he’s charismatic, funny and not afraid to come across as unlikable when the story calls for it. The supporting cast is strong as well – especially Raymonde and Welborn, who tackle heavy scenes without seeming melodramatic. However, the narrative does feel a bit thin at times, particularly the scenes involving the youth pastor. It's the only time someone in the movie feels more like a stereotype than a character.

As with much of Taylor’s work, there’s already controversy surrounding the film, mostly because it realistically depicts college life and points out that not all Christians share the same religious and political beliefs. Meaning Blue Like Jazz might end up being too gritty for the typical “Christian movie” demographic and too Jesus-y for mainstream audiences. I hope that’s not the case, as it deserves to be seen by both.

Blue Like Jazz is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexuality, drug and alcohol content, and some language.

Grade: B+