First of all, I have to say it's an incredible step forward for the film industry. To have a project of this magnitude and quality that received quite a bit of funding from people, like you and me, is nothing short of incredible. Films are normally backed by several large investors, not by over 4,000 fans. Add a great story, great cast, beautiful filming and editing, and filming on location in Portland OR, and Nashville, TN. All of these pieces put together allowed it to be an Official Selection of the SXSW (South by Southwest) Film Festival and allowed it to open in about 150 theaters from NY to LA.
The film is about Danny Miller, a young Southern Baptist living with his mother in Texas. He is an assistant to the youth pastor, heading off to bible college, and basically is what everyone would call "the perfect Christian". When Danny is betrayed by those whom he holds dearest, he turns his back on the world and in a spirit of rebellion heads off to 'the most godless campus in America'. Once there he realizes that in order to fit in he has to hide from his past and pretend to be what everyone wants him to be. As his father has told him many times, "Life is like Jazz, it never resolves." Throughout the film we find him time and time again trying to find out who he really is and what his purpose and meaning are.
The storyline of the movie was one I hadn't seen before, at least in this light. Probably all of us have seen those generic "coming of age" movies where the main character looses who he is, and somehow fixes his whole life by the end of the movie. It might even have been through believing in Christ! But this movie is different. It shows the dark side of trying to please everyone, the sin that occurs on campus, the predicaments that Danny willingly flings himself into to try and get away from his family and church. It is definitely a new look for a "Christian film. Some have criticized it's lack of a clear Gospel message (eg. Jesus died and took away all our sins so we can be forgiven). Granted, it could have thrown a bit more in there, but that wasn't the point of the movie. This was a story about finding one's self and how without God, we fall away so quickly into sin. This is a film even a non-Christian could watch and probably enjoy, maybe even taking a bit of the Gospel message away.
Be sure and watch the trailer below! I definitely recommend this movie!
In Christ,
Nick