A journal for jordan movie movie#
A journal for jordan movie tv#

The implication is as clear as anything in Virgil Williams’ fumbling script: She’s penning said letter to give to the cute kiddo along with the titular journal, all in a bid to explain the love story from which he sprang. No, it’s not what you’re expecting, and what it is isn’t very good, either.īased (apparently?) on Dana Canedy’s memoir, Washington’s film kicks off with a heartbroken and recently widowed Dana (Chanté Adams) writing a heartfelt letter to her young son. Jordan) a soldier deployed to Iraq who begins to keep a journal of love and advice for his infant son” - but the end result is a baffling feature that so desperately wants to be an entirely different film that audiences might worry they’ve stepped into the wrong theater. Denzel Washington’s “ A Journal for Jordan” certainly has a straightforward enough premise - per its own synopsis, it’s “based on the true story of First Sergeant Charles Monroe King ( Michael B. It’s ultimately a mixed bag, with the final moments acquiring an emotional power that should be felt sooner.“It wasn’t what I was expecting” is perhaps the cheapest piece of criticism that can be lobbed at a work of art, but in the case of, oh, a fact-based melodrama that pulls from both a) real life and b) the memoir written about it, some basic expectations are inevitable. The scene - jarring and abrupt - captures what it feels like to watch most of A Journal for Jordan. Instead of getting an inspirational story of a father and his love for his son, “A Journal for Jordan” delivers about 90 minutes of flat romantic dramedy, all focused on two people who are criminally ill-suited for each other. This year’s yuletide flick, A Journal for Jordan, feels particularly dated and often times emotionally cloying.Ī Journal For Jordan's impact feels dampened by trying to fit in every little detail of the events rather than making some necessary cinematic choices. Even outside of the plot, there are no surprises in its insight or its texture, the affecting true story conveyed through obvious filmmaking.

A journal for jordan movie movie#

There's no spoiling a movie like A Journal for Jordan, and not just because its big tragedy is revealed from the beginning. Here are more of the negative A Journal for Jordan’s reviews.Ĭertainly among the worst films of the year considering the reputable talent involved, this inspirational drama stains Washington’s directorial filmography. Instead of a coherent work of art, the film feels segregated into sections: a rom-com part characterized by cheesy clichés, a war drama, and a rushed, uninspired finale that should have reinforced its central message. This further supports the critic consensus that the film, despite being fact-based, “ stumbles onscreen thanks to Denzel Washington's undistinguished direction and overly sentimental approach.” Despite A Journal for Jordan being Washington’s fourth directorial feature, the melodrama’s quality is only similar to a low-budget made-for-TV movie - with its writing and cinematography more akin to a Hallmark movie.

A journal for jordan movie tv#

Jordan Movie & TV ShowĪt the time of writing, A Journal for Jordan is officially rated Rotten, holding a 42% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 24 reviews.