Blue Like Jazz Film Opens To Positive Critical Reviews
April 16, 2012 – The motion picture adaptation of Donald Miller’s evergreen bestseller Blue Like Jazz (Thomas Nelson) opened to excellent reviews from USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, and other media heavyweights during its 136-city premiere April 13. View the trailer.
USA Today called the Steven Taylor film a “surprisingly contemporary look at faith.”
“It tackles existential struggles that many of us grapple with – and the film industry virtually ignores – while doing so in an entertaining way,” said the San Francisco Chronicle.
Alive’s president Rick Christian said, “When the book was first presented at our weekly agent meeting more than a decade ago, we all laughed aloud because Donald had a chapter about faith called Penguin Sex. But he pulled it off because he’s a brilliant storyteller, and the book became an instant success. I’m just glad his trademark humor and honesty were finally captured on screen.”
The story of a young man’s search for spiritual truth at one of the most liberal colleges in the Pacific Northwest, Blue Like Jazz almost didn’t make it to the screen due to insufficient funding. Two devoted fans built a “Save Blue Like Jazz” website where they encouraged others to donate money through a program called Kickstarter. This end-run around normal fundraising channels ultimately generated nearly $350,000 for production costs and saved the project. During its opening weekend, the film averaged $1,900 per screen and box office sales topped $250,000. – RC