Blue Like Jazz dvd

Disenchanted by the church and his devout Christian mother, 19 year-old Donald escapes Texas for the liberal Northwest and attends Reed College at the urging of his secular father. At Reed College, Don finds that his classmates, from all walks of life, are more anti-religious and anti-everything than he was prepared for. In an attempt to fit in, and more importantly, in an attempt to find himself, Don joins an activist group which forces him to question what he really believes in. (from IMDb)  It has a great cast, including stars Marshall Allman, Claire Holt, Justin Welburn, and Tania Raymonde. The screenplay was written by Donald Miller (book and film), Ben Pearson, and Steve Taylor (who also directed.

Blue Like Jazz explores the spiritual journey of Don Miller as he flees his conservative, evangelical roots in Texas for the Godless environment of Reed College in Oregon. Very loosely based on the semi-autobiographical book of the same name, I honestly don't know what is fact and what is fiction, but the theme of the film resonated with me more than I expected. I never rebelled or ran quite as far as the main character, but even now there are times when the urge to fit in with others overrides my true feelings. There have definitely been times when being thought cool by others was such a heady feeling that I let it take over.

If you are offended by some vulgar language (*not obscene or profane), this may not be the film for you. There are attacks on Christianity (especially the hypocrisy of some believers) in the film, but I felt it was realistically portrayed. Not everyone embraces Christianity, and all Christians fail on one level or another. This is a rebellion of long-held childhood beliefs and an exploration of other points of view. All was not resolved in the end, but it was a satisfying ending as Don realized his faith had been more about the rituals than the relationship with Jesus. The final scene left me evaluating my own walk with Christ, and I believe that is something we should all do from time to time. I love the lines from Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing, "Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love;" They are so true of me, but I feel that, like Don discovered, Jesus will lead each of us who are honestly seeking right back to Him.

I would not recommend this film for children and younger teens...or those who prefer the more bland Christian films. I really liked it a lot.