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Marshall Allman, Claire Holt, Tania Raymonde, Justin Welborn, Jason Marsden ... see more see more... , Jenny Littleton , Eric Lange , Will McKinney , David Alford , Jeff Obafemi Carr , Matt Godfrey , Jeffrey Buckner Ford , Traber Burns , Barak Hardley , Jenson Goins , Marin Miller , Josh Childs , Becky Fly , Scott Kerr , Valerie Parker , Donald Miller , Terra Strong , Bobby Daniels , Travis Nicholson , Erin McGarry , Ciana Griggs , Tiffany Montgomery , Chuck Willis , Zephyr Benson , Rhyan Schwartz , Robert Fitzgerald , Austin Johnson , Alexander Tan , Susan Isaacs , Henry Flenory , John Birkel , Natalia Dyer , Joseph Lopez , Andrew Vandergriff

Don, a pious nineteen-year-old sophomore at a Texas junior college, impulsively decides to escape his evangelical upbringing for life in the Pacific Northwest at one ofthe most progressive campuses in... read more read more... America, Reed College in Portland. Upon arrival, Reed's surroundings and eccentric student body proves to be far different than he could possibly imagine from the environment from which he came, forcing him to embark on a journey of self-discovery to understand who he is and what he truly believes. -- (C) Roadside Attractions

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69% liked it

12,130 ratings

Critics

38% liked it

39 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: Steve Taylor (VII)

Release Date: April 13, 2012

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DVD Release Date: August 7, 2012

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Stats: 293 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (293)

  • crazydannielle16
    August 30, 2012
    crazydannielle16
    Loved the end. Different from the book but still had aspects that were similar. Thought provoking and quirky.
  • fb1025970122
    August 22, 2012
    fb1025970122
    There has always been a struggle with religion and faith. That is what is obvious to anyone who attends college or anyone who has the capacity to think outside the box (hopefully that would be everyone). No matter how man Sunday school classes you attend or how many times you hea... read morer a gospel there will remain the questions that bother your mind until you can't ignore them. Do you really believe? Is there anything besides faith that you can base these beliefs in or are you "strong" enough to let faith be the one thing you can lean on and trust in. It is a tough line to walk and especially in film. There are christian films and then there are secular movies. In every christian film we've seen there is no other dilemma in the world other than the crisis of ones faith. There is never any poor people or cussing, if anything these films feel as wrapped in a bubble as those who refuse to look past the actual state of the world and would rather sit in their safe, squeaky clean world and go to church every Sunday just to hear how much they need to improve as people. What is admirable about "Blue Like Jazz" is that it doesn't try to shy away from the real issues that come along with believing in a God that is so easy to doubt. While this is a small budget indie with unknown actors, the quality of the film and the acting is generally better than you might expect it to be. I was consistently engaged with the conversation that was going on here. It is easy to say that everyone is going to have their own views and we have to live with it, but it is another to actually accept that. That speaks for both sides of the line for the argument of God's existence.
  • ThomasJayWilliams
    September 12, 2012
    ThomasJayWilliams
    Blue Like Jazz ends up being a pretty-good, earnest religious-themed movie. I oftentimes feel terrible trashing a film with a religious message and I am sure some read my reviews and instantly judge my person as a heathen with no morals simply because I dislike(d) a movie that h... read moreas drawn some inspiration from the Holy Bible. I don't love, like or dislike a movie because of of who is in it or what it is about. That this is even a foreign concept to some is rather amazing; but it isn't the subject matter of a movie that upsets me or makes me dislike it. I am objective with ALL films I watch (and it is heartbreaking to loathe a Kate Winslet film!) and it doesn't please me to bash a film that has several scenes that take place in a church. To me, a film has to be "well-done" and respectably made ... film's don't get free-rides because the main character is a Christian (although here ... he's in hiding). Based on a novel by Donald Miller -- said to be semi-autobiographical -- it is the story of a devoutly religious, college-aged Texas boy, Don (Marshall Allman -- "True Blood", "Prison Break") who helps lead his church youth group and who is planning on attending a local college in order to stay close to his divorced mother and remain active in his much-loved church. This all changes, though, when he sees first-hand the hypocrisy of a SINGLE person within that church (keep in mind it is one individual and NOT an attack/assault on ANY religious institution). Instead, Don uproots his life and drives to Reed College in Portland, Oregon (where he had been enrolled by father in order to see other viewpoints) which is a liberal bastion of tolerance (unless you are religious ... although, again, NOT all are intolerant ... just some). Blue Like Jazz readily puts somes stereotypes on full-display but ALWAYS as an individual example and NEVER as an all-emcompassing composite. Broad generalities are dangerous and that is just one of the many messages on-hand in Blue Like Jazz. Don has been so hurt by they hypocrisy of ONE that he hides all he has believed in until he wisens-up enough to see that we are all merely human getting by day-by-day. The film has decent production values which many start-up Christian production companies lack -- and poor production values (to me) are beyond distracting and they sadly make a "films" impossible to recommend. This isn't the case here and the story is both realistic and universal. People are so quick to judge another; but we must remember we are ALL human. "To err is human to forgive divine." NOBODY shouldn't forget this.
  • misterjason31
    August 25, 2012
    misterjason31
    An interesting fictional adaptation of Donald Miller's non-fiction masterpiece. With Tori Amos references and Ben Linus's daughter from LOST! Did you see it? Why haven't I heard a single person talking about it? Does this story only speak to those of us who grappled with Christia... read morenity in the 2000s? Have those involved in Miller's and the Emergent's revolution moved on? I guess this adaptation IS a bit dated, for I think I've transcended much of the satire. But the film was incredibly creative. Any thoughts?
  • jaltman2
    August 16, 2012
    jaltman2
    I get why many critics didn't "get" it. I got it because I recognize the story the movie is telling. This IS how Don Miller actually experienced that year at Reed College. It's certainly well worth thoughtful discussion.
  • filmscum
    March 26, 2012
    filmscum
    Admittingly, I haven't read the book that the movie is (loosely) based on, but I did really enjoy the pre-screening of the movie with Donald Miller and Steve Taylor (director) there to introduce us. I also have to admit that I gave it an extra half star rating because I think it... read more's worth watching. I would recommend it for all of my 'normal' friends. My Christian friends, however, may be offended or confused by the message it's sending. I hope not, but I'd never consider this a Christian movie. Although it's rated PG-13, I honestly wouldn't recommend it for anyone under the age of 16 either. Not a family movie. People of all walks and faiths should definitely watch it though. I think it'll open up a lot of conversations that need to have been had.

View All Blue Like Jazz Reviews

Critic Reviews

Scott Bowles
April 13, 2012
Scott Bowles, USA Today

Just earnest enough to blend its religious theme with a beer-chugging hero for a surprisingly contemporary look at faith. Full Review

Eric D. Snider
April 13, 2012
Eric D. Snider, Film.com

The film's heart is in the right place; it just can't make the rest of its parts function smoothly. Full Review

Ben Sachs
April 13, 2012
Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader

An uncommon thoughtfulness about spiritual issues distinguishes this otherwise generic coming-of-age story. Full Review

Farran Smith Nehme
April 13, 2012
Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post

"Blue Like Jazz" is a pleasant film, as well-intentioned as the character Don himself, but it ducks the thorniest questions of faith and dogma while patting itself on the back for realism. Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan
April 13, 2012
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

It is - somewhat surprisingly, given the heavy-handed subject - neither sanctimonious nor preachy. Full Review

David Lewis
April 13, 2012
David Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle

It tackles existential struggles that many of us grapple with - and the film industry virtually ignores - while doing so in an entertaining way. Full Review

Gary Goldstein
April 12, 2012
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times

An overlong mishmash of coming-of-age comedy, social satire and spiritual think-piece whose ultimate stance on religion feels awfully fuzzy. Full Review

Rachel Saltz
April 12, 2012
Rachel Saltz, New York Times

Don's crisis of faith, which should be the movie's core and engine, is never really convincing. It's spelled out but dramatically inert, lost among the yuks of the Reed kookiness. Full Review

Tom Keogh
April 12, 2012
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times

This is a movie with heart but too many distractions. Full Review

Ty Burr
April 12, 2012
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

The outcome rarely seems out of God's hands, and the filmmaking is low-budget-earnest to the point of drabness - it's not a movie to make converts. Full Review

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    • Penny: You don't even know what you've done, because you don't know the people you've hurt.
    • Penny: Don, Everyone's life is full of crap.
    • Don: Sometimes you have to watch someone love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way.
    • Boy with Balloon: Mommy, look!
    • Penny: People in Portland don't use umbrellas.
    • The Pope: Dude, watch out. There's a hot lesbian in your bed.
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