Blue Like Jazz - The Movie

This probably will be a niche thread at best, but I know a handful of us have talked about enjoying the book before.

As excited as I was to see this, I've had a sense of dread all along about how much would get changed from the book. I still wasn't prepared. In this version, Don vietually abandons his faith altogether

 

That didn't go well. Stupid phone.

Virtually the entire viral marketing campaign (they have no budget, and needed $300k from Kickstarter to get over the finish line) was that this was the antithesis of a Fireproof or Facing the Giants. But I think they leaned too far the other way and tried to get shock value out of any straight-laced evangelicals that wandered into the theatre. Donald Miller said he wanted it to reach unbelievers more than believers, but I don't think that's how the audience will break down. And for unbelievers who do see it, I don't think there is much depth to make them want to dive deeper. The genius of the book was that it presented Christianity as a hot mess, but a complex and intriguing mess. By necessity, that didn't translate to 1:46 of running time.

I did like it overall, and I think it is most effective in the early scenes showing just how vapid church life can be. And there was one scene where he is comforting his lesbian friend that got rejected by her crush, and passes no judgment. I've lived out something nearly identical and it felt like the most authentic moment.

 

Still waiting to go see it...closest place to see it is 45 miles away. Just haven't had the time to get up that way.

I am a HUGE fan of Steve Taylor's music and other projects and am looking forward to seeing this pet project. I also need to grab the book.