Blue Like Jazz movie Interview

CT Movies, always reliable for good Christian movie news, and good movie reviews in general, has a new interview with Steve Taylor and Donald Miller.  As we previously reported, Taylor is adapting Blue Like Jazz, Miller's bestselling pseudo-memoir into a movie.  

In the interview Taylor and Miller talk a bit about the movie, which will start filming in Portland next month.  Taylor mentions that they are hoping for a 2009 release.  They don't get much into the story, but they do talk a bit about inventing the story, since the book really doesn't have any plot lines other than a series of ruminations and conversations.  Based on my reading of the book, I'd guess that the story will involve a disillusioned college-type who wants more out of the church than just something to do on Sunday mornings, but is fed up with the Pharisee-like rules of traditional conservative Christanity in America.  I'll be that the girl that Miller was obviously in love with in the book(his female "friend") will have some sort of major role.  There will probably be lots of hanging out in bars with tatooted and pierced alternative-Christians.  

God only knows what music they'll put on the soundtrack.  At least one jazz song, for the scene where the main character is upset with God, his female "friend," and life in general, and is walking alone in the rain when he sees a blind jazz musician improving on the sidewalk with a saxaphone.  He then realizes that, like his earlier tirade against jazz music, he's been wrong about a lot of things.  

I'll be money the scene plays out very close to that.  Check back in a year or so and we'll see.  

I have high hopes for the movie, mainly because of Taylor's invovlement. The Second Chance was a better movie than Blue Like Jazz was a book, so hopefully he elevates the material.  

A couple of other blogs have already commented on this, with interesting remarks.  Will Humes at OnethingIknow isn't too happy with the idea of the book being turned into a movie, and he points to Greg Horton over at the parish, who's comments make me think that he's never seen The Second Chance, or just didn't get it, or else he'd give Taylor more credit than dismissing him as a music person who needs to "stick to movies."  One of Horton's commentators does have a great casting idea; Richard Dreyfuss as Miller.  That would be awesome, and a perfect fit.  If only he was 30 years younger...who's a young Richard Dreyfuss these days?


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