Blue Like Jazz (2012)
Average Rating: 5/10
Reviews Counted: 39
Fresh: 15 | Rotten: 24
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 4.9/10
Critic Reviews: 13
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 9
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 12,132
My Rating
Movie Info
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 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.
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Cast
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Marshall Allman
Don, Don Miller -
Claire Holt
Penny -
Tania Raymonde
Lauryn -
Justin Welborn
The Pope -
Jason Marsden
Kenny -
Jenny Littleton
Don's Mom -
Eric Lange
The Hobo -
Will McKinney
Jordan -
David Alford
Priest -
Jeff Obafemi Carr
Dean Bowers -
Matt Godfrey
Yuri -
Jeffrey Buckner Ford
James Larkin -
Traber Burns
Phillipe Nouvel -
Barak Hardley
Town Crier -
Jenson Goins
Quinn -
Marin Miller
Reed Activities Recepti... -
Josh Childs
Bookstore Manager -
Becky Fly
Professor -
Scott Kerr
Houston Pastor -
Valerie Parker
Aqualike Babe -
Donald Miller
Lewis Dagg, Trendy Writ... -
Terra Strong
Lauryn's Friend -
Bobby Daniels
Convenience Store Clerk -
Travis Nicholson
Book Store Clerk -
Erin McGarry
Debate Moderator -
Ciana Griggs
Sophie -
Tiffany Montgomery
Astrogirl -
Chuck Willis
Robot #1 -
Zephyr Benson
Robot #2 -
Rhyan Schwartz
Bicyclist -
Robert Fitzgerald
Black Jesus -
Austin Johnson
Drunk Freshman -
Alexander Tan
Boy with Balloon -
Susan Isaacs
Fan -
Henry Flenory
Prison Guard -
John Birkel
Brody -
Natalia Dyer
Grace -
Joseph Lopez
Levi -
Andrew Vandergriff
Neptune
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Blue Like Jazz Trailer & Photos
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (15) | Rotten (24) | DVD (2)
Just earnest enough to blend its religious theme with a beer-chugging hero for a surprisingly contemporary look at faith.
Top CriticThe film's heart is in the right place; it just can't make the rest of its parts function smoothly.
An uncommon thoughtfulness about spiritual issues distinguishes this otherwise generic coming-of-age story.
"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.
It is - somewhat surprisingly, given the heavy-handed subject - neither sanctimonious nor preachy.
It tackles existential struggles that many of us grapple with - and the film industry virtually ignores - while doing so in an entertaining way.
Blue Like Jazz certainly breaks the mould in terms what audiences have come to expect from spiritual cinema, but it refuses to take the necessary leap required to fully redefine mainstream audiences' perception of this niche genre.
A hot mess that somehow manages to somewhat redeem itself by the final frame but sadly not enough to save it from ultimate damnation.
reveals the shallowness of the college years in which an otherwise legal adult can act like a child well into his 20s
[It] playfully serves up more food for thought than most comedies we've seen so far this decade.
Unlike other 'faith-based' films, it lacks a down-on-your-knees come-to-Jesus moment, presenting its young hero as a conflicted Everyman with the same questions about 'the human dilemma' as any sensitive college freshman.
Might make a like-minded double feature with The Way, but Miller's propaganda-lite eventually suffers in comparison.
... two-dimensional characters, trite and stilted situations, and awkward, arch dialogue.
Blue Like Jazz is a coming-of-age story that lurches around in terms of character and themes, and the result is something a good deal less than it could have been.
The vocabulary of faith should not be the exclusive property of one small subset of believers; it is heartening to watch a movie that makes that point with such grace.
dares to confront its audience, both secular and religious, by honestly dealing with the complexities of religion, politics, and personal identity
While one can applaud the desire to offer something less heavy-handed and preachy than the overtly Christian movies that have found their way to theatres in recent years, 'Blue' is too mild and muddled to carry off what it aims for.
School days have never been wilder onscreen than in this vividly entertaining and funny clash between a young Christian's sensibilities and the ultimate radicalization into which he is seduced.
... not compelling or provocative enough to effectively translate its progressive message for a wider audience.
Audience Reviews for Blue Like Jazz
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
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- Penny: You don't even know what you've done, because you don't know the people you've hurt.
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- Penny: Don, Everyone's life is full of crap.
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- 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.
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- Boy with Balloon: Mommy, look!
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- Penny: People in Portland don't use umbrellas.
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- The Pope: Dude, watch out. There's a hot lesbian in your bed.
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