Blue Like Jazz: The Movie

Yes, it's gonna be a movie. Here's a story that includes an interview with Donald Miller and Steve Taylor. According to the interview, Miller will have a cameo as the "trendy writer" character from the book. No decision has been made on actors yet, but I can't wait to see who plays Driscoll. Zack Braff is my choice for Donald Miller. I'm thinking a slimmed-down Vin Diesel for Driscoll, although word is Will Ferrell is a complete jack-ass, so that may work if the filmmaker is going for irony.

Steve Taylor, whose claim to fame as a filmmaker was the 2006 stunner The Second Chance featuring the magnetic Michael W. Smith, will direct. Will the music people please stick with music? Please. Except for Smith. He needs to not sing, ever. Unless he's doing a remake of The Muppet Movie.

Miller is honest enough to say that he believes the movie will appeal primarily to Christians. Taylor is more hopeful. I'm thinking it's going to appeal to a subset of Christians--those who are weary of megachurches but still think evangelical theology has the answers.

Comments

[ninjanun]

Vin Diesel for Driscoll?! No, no no! I don't want Vin Diesel's hotness in any way associate with Mark Driscoll's boorish, sexist, homophobic attitude. Plus, like Mark Driscoll NEEDS that kind of ego-stroking! Geez.

Even if Will Ferrell played him, I might have too much sympathy for his character. How 'bout someone who can embody his essence, not necessarily his body type? Richard Dreyfuss, maybe?

[greg]

Ninjanun,

I guess we disagree on Diesel. I think he's a talent-free tool. His over the top, neanderthal acting seems perfect for Driscoll's boorish pastor persona.

Nice to hear from you again, btw.

[graham]

I've got to agree with Ninjanun. Driscoll would be too chuffed with Vin Diesel. How about the bloke who plays the lead role in the US version of the Office?

Or if you want neaderthal, plus over-the-top, Keanu Reeves is perfect!

[Leighton]

Nah, Steve Carell is too big a name in the U.S. What about Ricky Gervais, who was Michael Scott's counterpart in the BBC Office? He even looks sort of like him.

[Jason]

Will the music people please stick with music?

But then the world would have never known the awesome horribleness of Carman's star turn as Vic Rizzo in "R.I.O.T: The Movie."

http://www.imdb.com/Reviews/57/5771

[brenda]

I don't even know how to respond to that. Stream of consciousness book turned movie? I wonder if they will include the carrot cartoon. That could be funny...

[Zossima]

I couldn't even make it through the first chapter in the book. I didn't like Miller's writing style. It wasn't "stream of consciousness" to me; it was "contrived stream of consciousness". But based on the actor choices, I think I get the picture...

[ninjanun]

Greg, Vin Diesel can still be hot and be talentless, though. ;) Anyway, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on that. Same with Keanu. I'm sure you don't let your opinion of an actress's acting abilities get in the way of your opinion of her beauty.

The point is, NO HOT ACTOR should be allowed to play Driscoll. Period. He doesn't need that kind of ego-stroking, and people don't need to have their opinion of him improved by the actor who happens to play him.

[Miss W]

I agree with ninjanun... Vin Diesel is hot

[greg]

Ninjanun,

I have to concede your point. Acting ability does not diminish hotness. The inability to speak in intelligent sentences does though, and Diesel fails there as well. I've pretty much decided that anyone who was involved with The Fast and the Furious should be lobotomized for the security of American filmmaking.

[jonnyflash]

I think you're giving Steve Taylor a bad rap(get it? Steve Taylor, Bad Rap...anyone?). The Second Chance was the best Christian movie I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot, considering I do a podcast about them. Smith was pretty decent as an actor as well.

Anyway, I thought you might like to know I linked to your blog:
http://supercandid.blogspot.com/2008/04/blue-like-jazz-movie-interview.html

[greg]

jonny,

It pains me to talk bad about Taylor. I always had great respect for him in terms of his music career. Thanks for the link, and I'll check out your podcast.

[Sean]

yeah, the narrative journey The Second Chance took was worlds apart (get it--journey? world's apart?) from any of the crapola eschatological pictures put out by the "Left Behind"ers or the "Thief in the Night"ers or the "Omega Code"rs or even the "Years of the Beast"ers (anyone remember that stinker???)...

seriously, all fecal puns aside, check out "The Second Chance" if you haven't. Sure M.W.S. is no actor (and not much of a musician since i2eye, IMHO), but as a first film it at least stands on par with 'Pi', 'Following' or 'In the Company of Men', if not in innovative structure than at least in quality of dialogue, cinematography, and acting. Steve is proving himself to be quite a filmmaker, even if he has started with the cinematic equivalent of "I Want to Be a Clone".

:)
Great blog. Thanks for doing it!

[ninjanun]

Greg, you can't blame Vin Diesel's supposed inability to speak in complete sentences on a piece of crap movie like the Fast and the Furious. That rests entirely on the script. Sure, he's no Harrison Ford (in his ability to take a bad script by say, George Lucas, and give it better dialog), but we really can't determine Vin's ability to speak in complete sentences based on movie dialog. And I'm only defending Vin Diesel because he's one of my few celebrity boyfriends. ;)

I think you're just jealous of his muscular physique and his deep manly voice. :p

[greg]

Or maybe on his stellar performance as Riddick!