Blue Like Jazz is a rarity.
Once in a blue moon, the Christian base in Hollywood will strike lightning in a bottle, producing a satisfying look at faith and religion through unfiltered eyes.
More often than not, audiences are served up a fresh bowl of faith-based pabulum – be it in the form of a “Kendrick brothers original” (Facing the Giants, Fireproof) or another off-brand copycat you might find at the local Redbox.
Films made by the faithful often lack any bite. The projects are too focused on being happy, inoffensive and resolved. The end result is harmless, but a typical Sunday morning sermon usually finds greater success.
This past August, golf-centric melodrama Seven Days in Utopia succeeded in slightly rising above the genre, providing a decently endearing story while staying within the confines of the churchyard. Having a cast featuring Robert Duvall and Melissa Leo didn’t hurt.
Still, I wondered when the right movie would come along at the right time to finally put an end to the usually languished faith-based fare. I wondered when a filmmaker would be bold enough to portray the daily walk of a Christian without a coating of fresh sugar.
Blue Like Jazz, adapted from Donald Miller’s best-selling memoir, finally offers Christian audiences a film they can be proud of – a journey into faith and life through the eyes of a scarred believer.
Don Miller (Marshall Allman) stands as the example of the perfect Bible-belt Christian until a horrid discovery sends him from his Texas home to Oregon’s Reed College, a super-secular institution based in free expression. Miller begins to struggle with understanding who God really is, encountering key individuals who help shape his experience along the way.
The film finds its effectiveness with its deft storytelling. Miller’s script (co-written by Ben Pearson and director Steve Taylor) avoids key pitfalls by letting the story tell itself without inserting too much unnecessary explanation. The film balances its narrative with its ideas and themes in a way that shows care and consideration.
Allman provides a strong lead performance as Don, channeling the innocent confusion of the character to a tee. I was also drawn to supporting player Justin Welborn. As the nameless Pope, Welborn shines. He naturally fits into the part, providing a fluid, biting performance. One scene in particular towards the film’s close will show why Welborn is now a force to be reckoned with within the acting world.
While the film reaches a level of quality rarely attained in the genre, a few setbacks refuse any flirtations with greatness.
At times, the film does get a bit silly. Whether it’s a strange musical choice here or a smirk-worthy line there, the cracks are somewhat evident. The film’s weakest moment involves an oddly placed, horribly animated sequence following Don on his way to Reed. The strange scene shows that the film still holds a few immature leanings which serve as temporary drawbacks to an otherwise solid feature.
Being that this is Steve Taylor’s second film, I can understand why the film feels tonally uneven on occasion. Taylor seems to be trying to find his voice as a director – a job likely increased in making faith-based films.
If anything, Blue Like Jazz stands as a benchmark for the filmmaker. If Taylor can learn from his seldom mistakes, I believe that his next project will be one to truly anticipate.
I left Blue Like Jazz impressed and hopeful. The film makes the first step into a possible future where film can be a respected medium in which faith can be expressed earnestly without any outstanding jeers.
Blue Like Jazz is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, drug and alcohol content, and some language. Runtime: 1 hour and 47 minutes.