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BLUE LIKE JAZZMovie Reviews
Comedy about a pious college sophomore who escapes his evangelical upbringing at one of the most progressive campuses in the country. Cast:Marshall Allman, Claire Holt, Tania Raymonde, Justin WelbornDirector:Steve TaylorRelease Date:April 13, 2012DVD Release:August 7, 2012From:Roadside AttractionsRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 46 min
Blue Like Jazz played in key cities to moderate reviews. • Marc Mohan wrote in the Portland Oregonian, "...the vagueness of Don's character and the borderline cartoonish depiction of those kooky, atheistic Reedies prevents us from taking the movie seriously..." • And Michael O'Sullivan wrote in the Washington Post, "...a small fish-out-of-water tale... neither sanctimonious nor preachy." More Reviews Below...
Blue Like Jazz Positive Reviews (17 Reviews, reviews below)
Scott Bowles, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...just earnest enough to blend its religious theme with a beer-chugging hero for a surprisingly contemporary look... give it credit for acknowledging another side exists."(See all of Scott Bowles's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 483 words, 04/13/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (6 Reviews)
Rachel Saltz, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Sincere and literary in its presentation of themes -- 'Animal House' it ain't -- the movie aims for quirky comedy but mostly settles for broad."(See all of Rachel Saltz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 267 words, 04/13/12
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...ill-conceived... an overlong mishmash of coming-of-age comedy, social satire and spiritual think-piece whose ultimate stance on religion feels awfully fuzzy."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 245 words, 04/13/12
Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "...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."(See all of Farran Smith Nehme's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 253 words, 04/13/12
Roger Moore, Chicago Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "...an ambling movie that skates around on the surface of a lot of deep thoughts... It's a meandering medley of disconnected solos..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 523 words, 04/13/12
Ben Mercer, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...preaches tolerance and personal integrity over indoctrination... One only has so much patience, though, for watching Communion-wafer-thin characters..."(See all of Ben Mercer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 290 words, 04/11/12
KEY CITIES (6 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a small fish-out-of-water tale... It is - somewhat surprisingly, given the heavy-handed subject - neither sanctimonious nor preachy."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 573 words, 04/13/12
Barbara Vancheri, Philadelphia Inquirer: MODERATE(cg) "...uneven... just making a movie about religion isn't enough; the story has to fit the big screen and high expectations... strikes too many wacky and off-key notes."(See all of Barbara Vancheri's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 386 words, 04/20/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...never conveys a genuine sense of yearning, spiritual or otherwise. There's plenty of Ecstasy here, but not nearly enough agony."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 470 words, 04/13/12
David Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "Taylor's film is never boring, and it has some beautiful, thought-provoking moments. In a genre in which preaching to the choir seems to be the norm, it's a welcome entry."(See all of David Lewis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 258 words, 04/13/12
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: MODERATE(cg) "...while there are a few laughs in this 'Animal House'-for-smart-kids setting, director Steve Taylor embraces excessiveness for its own sake..."(See all of Tom Keogh's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 225 words, 04/13/12
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: FAIR(cg) "...the vagueness of Don's character and the borderline cartoonish depiction of those kooky, atheistic Reedies prevents us from taking the movie seriously..."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 219 words, 04/13/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Ben Mercer, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...preaches tolerance and personal integrity over indoctrination... One only has so much patience, though, for watching Communion-wafer-thin characters..."(See all of Ben Mercer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 290 words, 04/11/12
Brett Michel, Boston Phoenix: POOR(cg) "...this cartoonish movie centers on the journey of a disillusioned Christian who discovers that he's... still a Christian. Heavens!"(See all of Brett Michel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 160 words, 04/12/12
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "The film makes a virtue of open-mindedness. It's affectionate and unexpectedly sophisticated in its depiction of bohemian college life..."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 379 words, 04/12/12
R. Kurt Osenlund, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...curious... remains atypical by being hip while also treating religion fairly.... feels like a rare tour of the role of God in young American culture..."(See all of R. Kurt Osenlund's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 714 words, 04/10/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (2 Reviews)
Rachel Saltz, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Sincere and literary in its presentation of themes -- 'Animal House' it ain't -- the movie aims for quirky comedy but mostly settles for broad."(See all of Rachel Saltz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 267 words, 04/13/12
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...ill-conceived... an overlong mishmash of coming-of-age comedy, social satire and spiritual think-piece whose ultimate stance on religion feels awfully fuzzy."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 245 words, 04/13/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...tries to deviate from the earnest, preachy norms of so much faith-based cinema.... mostly engaging if somewhat fuzzy-headed..."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 935 words, 03/13/12
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...ill-conceived... an overlong mishmash of coming-of-age comedy, social satire and spiritual think-piece whose ultimate stance on religion feels awfully fuzzy."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 245 words, 04/13/12
Rachel Saltz, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Sincere and literary in its presentation of themes -- 'Animal House' it ain't -- the movie aims for quirky comedy but mostly settles for broad."(See all of Rachel Saltz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 267 words, 04/13/12
17.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Blue Like Jazz's reviews are separated by an average 17.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Blue Like Jazz (17 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Blue Like Jazz's reviews cover 19.6% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 6,670 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 392 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Blue Like Jazz Coverage, Volume & Length (17 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 15.4 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Blue Like Jazz's reviews on average broke 15.4 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Blue Like Jazz's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Blue Like Jazz (17 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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