Blue Like Jazz (2012)

Director:

Steve Taylor

Writers:

Steve Taylor (screenplay)
Ben Pearson (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

13 April 2012 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Everybody belongs somewhere.

Plot:

Don, a nineteen-year-old sophomore at a Texas junior college, tries to escape his Bible Belt upbringing for life in the Pacific Northwest at the most godless campus in America.

Plot Keywords:

Texas | College | Church | Marionette | College Campus

Cast

Marshall Allman	...	Don Miller
Claire Holt	...	Penny
Tania Raymonde	...	Lauryn
Justin Welborn	...	The Pope
Eric Lange	...	The Hobo
Jason Marsden	...	Kenny
William McKinney	...	Jordan (as Will McKinney)
Jenny Littleton	...	Don's Mom
David Alford	...	Priest
Jeff Obafemi Carr	...	Dean Bowers (as jeff obafemi carr)
Matt Godfrey	...	Yuri
Jeffrey Buckner Ford	...	James Larkin (as Jeffery Buckner Ford)
Traber Burns	...	Phillipe Nouvel
Barak Hardley	...	Town Crier
Jenson Goins	...	Quinn
Marin Miller	...	Reed Activities Receptionist
Joshua Childs	...	Bookstore Manager (as Josh Childs)
Becky Fly	...	Professor
Scott Kerr	...	Houston Pastor
Valerie Jane Parker	...	Aqualike Babe (as Valerie Parker)
Donald Miller	...	Trendy Writer
Terra Strong	...	Lauryn's Friend
Bobby Daniels	...	Convenience Store Clerk
Travis Nicholson	...	Book Store Clerk
Erin McGarry	...	Debate Moderator
Ciana Griggs	...	Sophie
Tiffany Montgomery	...	Astrogirl
Chuck David Willis	...	Robot #1 (as Chuck Willis)
Zephyr Benson	...	Robot #2
Rhyan Schwartz	...	Bicyclist
Robert Fitzgerald	...	Black Jesus
Austin Johnson	...	Drunk Freshman
Alexander Tan	...	Boy with Balloon
Susan Isaacs	...	Fan
Reegus Flenory	...	Prison Guard (as Henry Reegus Flenory)
John Birkel	...	Brody
Natalia Dyer	...	Grace
Joseph Lopez	...	Levi
Andrew T. Vandergriff	...	Neptune
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mitch Miller	...	Monk
Robert M. Coles	...	Virgin Bride (uncredited)
Paul Colligan	...	Extra (uncredited)
Tom Delfino	...	Church Parishioner (uncredited)
Meredith Fitzsimons	...	Extra (uncredited)
Matt Gilliam	...	College Student Extra (uncredited)
Brandon Lee Harris	...	Drum Major (uncredited)
Colleen Helm	...	Student (uncredited)
Denise Johnson	...	College Student (uncredited)
Wendy Keeling	...	Choir Lady (uncredited)
Luke Marr	...	Pope Candidate (uncredited)
April Rodell	...	Sexy Carrot (uncredited)
Alexandro Sandoval	...	(uncredited)
Shannon Spencer	...	'Emo' Girl / Student (uncredited)
Audra Todd	...	Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Steve Taylor

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Donald Miller		screenplay
Donald Miller		story
Ben Pearson		screenplay
Steve Taylor		screenplay

Produced by
Jimmy Abegg	....	associate producer
Marshall Allman	....	executive producer
Wayne Caparas	....	associate producer
Paul Castiglia	....	associate producer
Tim Chambers	....	associate producer
Scott Derrickson	....	associate producer
Mark Foster	....	associate producer
Jonathan Frazier	....	assistant producer
Peter Furler	....	associate producer
J. Clarke Gallivan	....	producer
Matt Godfrey	....	associate producer
Erick Goss	....	executive producer
Sara Groves	....	associate producer
Brittany Hailes	....	line producer
Drew Hood	....	associate producer
Mike T. Jorgensen	....	associate producer
Kylee Larson	....	associate producer
Phil Larson	....	associate producer
Rick Law	....	associate producer
Scott Lewis	....	executive producer
Russ Long	....	associate producer
Mark McFerran	....	associate producer
Chip Murray	....	executive producer
Charlie Peacock	....	associate producer
Zach Prichard	....	assistant producer
Dan Raines	....	executive producer
Tania Raymonde	....	associate producer
Coke Sams	....	producer
Matt Slocum	....	associate producer
Dona Spangler	....	co-producer
Steve Taylor	....	producer
Eric Townsend	....	associate producer
Tom Varner	....	associate producer
Sheila Walsh	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Danny Seim

Cinematography by
Ben Pearson

Film Editing by
Matthew Sterling		(as Matt Sterling)

Casting by
Elizabeth Barnes
Corbin Bronson
Kim McCray

Production Design by
Cyndi Williams

Art Direction by
Jamey DiDomenico
David Hewlette

Costume Design by
Amy Patterson

Makeup Department
M'chel Bauxal	....	key hair stylist
M'chel Bauxal	....	key makeup artist
Allison Boxall	....	hair stylist
Allison Boxall	....	makeup artist
Lisa Ensminher	....	makeup artist
Kylie Evans	....	makeup artist
Jamie Ford	....	key makeup artist
Jody Sunday	....	hair stylist
Beka Wilson	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Gary Kout	....	unit production manager: Portland
Dona Spangler	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Drew Langer	....	first assistant director
Emily Neumann	....	second assistant director
Mark Sizemore	....	second second assistant director
Andrew Stanfield	....	assistant director: second unit: Portland

Art Department
Ashley Amezcua	....	art production assistant
Victoria Mischa Austreng	....	assistant props: Oregon
Troy Cobb	....	art intern
Jeff Danley	....	property master
Sean Fong	....	property master
Maeve Human	....	art intern
Mik Venuti	....	carpenter

Sound Department
Daniel Brennan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Greg Crawford	....	adr mixer: Atlanta
Joe Deihl	....	adr editor
Joe Deihl	....	dialogue editor
Joe Deihl	....	foley editor
Joe Deihl	....	sound designer
Joe Deihl	....	supervising sound editor
Michael Fowler	....	foley mixer
Miles Fuqua	....	adr recordist
Christopher Greenwood	....	boom operator
Morgan Hobart	....	boom operator: Oregon
Grant Johnson	....	boom operator: additional sound mixer
Craig Kyllonen	....	foley artist
Thomas Morrison	....	sound mixer
Fred Paragano	....	adr mixer
Nick Price	....	additional boom operator
Peter Townsend	....	boom operator (as Pete Townsend)
Sarah Vorhees	....	adr recordist

Special Effects by
Terry Arthur	....	special effects
William Boggs	....	special effects technician
Scott Moore	....	special lighting effects
Patrick Sittnick	....	special stage effects creator

Visual Effects by
Brian Behm	....	visual effects supervisor
Jim Lockhart	....	visual effects supervisor
Scott Meador	....	visual effects artist
Jonathan Richter	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Ian Quinn	....	stunt coordinator
April Rodell	....	stunt performer

Camera and Electrical Department
Jimmy Abegg	....	still photographer
Chuck Bogard	....	best boy grip
Mike Breece	....	jib operator
C.K. Cates	....	d.i.t. tech
James N. Clark	....	camera production assistant
Kyril Cvetkov	....	first assistant camera: "a" camera, Oregon
Robert Michelob Fedusenko	....	electrician
Bryan Fowler	....	steadicam operator
Drew Frazier	....	gaffer
Scott Friedland	....	key grip
Evan Hurst	....	best boy electric
Chip Ingram	....	key grip: Oregon
Kip Kubin	....	camera operator: "b" camera
David Mellow	....	first assistant camera
Efrem Peter	....	Steadicam operator: Oregon
Brandon Rivera	....	grip
Matthew Satterfield	....	electrician
J.T. Sumner	....	additional assistant camera
Mike Toews	....	additional grip
Joe Vitellaro	....	best boy grip
Justin C. Ward	....	gaffer: Oregon
Steve Waters	....	best boy electric: Oregon

Animation Department
Jonathan Richter	....	animator

Casting Department
Erica Berger	....	casting associate
Stephanie Reeves	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nikki Bartnick	....	set costumer
Carey Kotsionis	....	set costumer
Joy Patterson	....	set costumer
Sara Patterson	....	background costumer
Jamie L. Scott	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Scot Olive	....	digital intermediate colorist
Kevin Scott Page	....	post-production intern
Derek Pearson	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Matthew Sterling	....	music editor (as Matt Sterling)

Transportation Department
Katico Cadwallader	....	transportation dispatch
Nick Edgerton	....	transportation coordinator: Oregon
Steve Evans	....	transportation captain: Oregon
Dave Hodgin Jr.	....	transportation coordinator
Steve Moffit	....	driver: honeywagon
Mike Russell	....	driver: fueler
David Tinsley	....	picture car coordinator

Other crew
Marrisa Ayala	....	office intern
J. Thomas Bailey	....	background production assistant
Claudia Beesley	....	script supervisor
Katie Bonaccorso	....	set intern
Susan Routh Bowman	....	production coordinator
Emily Carver	....	set intern
Tanja Crouch	....	post-production facilities manager
Robert A. D'Esposito	....	assistant production office coordinator: Portland
Laryssa Emeigh	....	key set production assistant
Sarah Gibson	....	assistant to the director: Portland
Jeffrey Giles	....	distribution executive
Cj Giordano	....	production assistant
Bethany Haynes	....	production legal
Allison Hughes Stroud	....	script supervisor (as Alison Stroud)
Courtney Hyder	....	publicist
Sabrina Jackson	....	on-set medic
Velvet Kelm	....	publicist
Jana Regnier Laiolo	....	production accountant
Matthew Lasseter	....	assistant production accountant
Sydney Lunn	....	location manager
Michael Lurie	....	international distribution
Dustin Masters	....	office production assistant
Jenny Nichols	....	production assistant
Elizabeth Nouri	....	set intern
Diane Johnson Patten	....	craft service
Edith Pommerol	....	assistant to the director
Tonia Pound	....	research and clearances
Chad Ray	....	office intern
Ingrid Reed	....	caterer
Nicole Sanders	....	assistant location manager
Andrew Stanfield	....	location manager: Portland unit
Linda Stowe	....	assistant craft service
Dylan van Gardner	....	key office assistant

Thanks
Jeremy Childs	....	special thanks
Yuri Cunza	....	special thanks
Steve Horswill-Johnston	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Ruckus Films

Distributors

• Roadside Attractions (2012) (USA) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Kickstarter  funding
• Paragon Studios  post-production sound services

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexuality, drug and alcohol content, and some language

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Portland, Oregon, USA

Company:

Ruckus Films

Trivia:

The movie was made possible by the efforts of fans the refused to see the project die. A campaign on KickStarter was started after a September 16th blog post by Donald Miller that the project was dead due to the lack of backers. By the end of the funding period on October 25th, Save Blue Like Jazz had raised $345,992 (of the $125,000 goal or 276%) from 4495 backers. The earns the project a Hall of Fame ranking on KickStarter as the highest funded project ever.

Goofs:

Continuity: Don tells his mother that there are no roommates in the dorms at Reed college, but Lauryn tells a story about her "first year roommate".

Quotes:

Donald Miller:[to Lauryn] Are you trying to make me a lesbian?

excellent, thought-provoking film

I read Blue Like Jazz a few years ago. In the years since, I've noticed changes in my thinking which I can trace back to having read the book. So last night, when I was privileged to go to a preview screening of Blue Like Jazz: The Movie, I was pleased to find that my reaction to the movie matched my reaction to the book--in that sense, the movie is true to the book. While it will immediately alienate some viewers, it will cause many to rethink some things, possibly without them even knowing it. Since it is unashamedly fictionalized, that is no small accomplishment.

BLJ moves effortlessly among comedy, drama, and thought-provoking. Characters are complicated enough to feel real, not so complicated as to feel contrived. Bottom line, it's a good story; realistic enough to feel believable and unrealistic enough to be interesting. It's an excellent film, and I'd highly recommend it to believers and unbelievers alike. You should be prepared to see it more than once; I got the feeling that, knowing the story, a lot of nuanced themes would show up.