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So much average

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

As a movie, "The Jazz Singer" is not terribly good. However, Neil Diamond's music make it worth at least a look. Particularly relevant in these times is his hit "(Coming To) America, an anthem extolling immigration and the contribution of immigrants to American culture. The acting, however, is another story. This was one of Laurence Olivier's "made it for the money" flicks and Lucie Arnaz was tragically miscast. As an actor, Diamond is a great singer. I don't know what spoilers I'm adding here but I figure it's better to err on the side of caution.

THE JAZZ SINGER is a straight-up remake of the 1927 Al Jolson musical in which a Jewish man pursues his dream of becoming a pop singer. How much you enjoy it depends really on your appreciation of Neil Diamond, as he dominates the proceedings here. The rest of the cast, including Laurence Olivier, don't get much of a look in, and there's little plotting to boot. Diamond's acting skills are limited to say the least, but he does belt out a number of decent tunes, so as an easy-listening piece this works pretty well.

Although one cannot escape their past, one can always dream, what if? And like an itch if you don't scratch it it just keeps growing and growing till you have to. I don't know how historically "The Jazz Singer" is but every time I watch it I believe that there was that itch that Mr. Diamond had to scratch, regardless of whatever the future brought. My brother was hired as a junior at University of Kentucky to play 1st chair in the production "Hair" in 1969. A 5 1/2 octive range and four wifes later he always played 1st chair trumpet in Vegas for 25 plus years. He burned out some and became a broker in real estate there but the itch came back. Now he moved to South Carolina on climate and is working hard playing again. His first wife said it was his horn or her, well we know who won, just like the itch. Mr. Diamond has the ability to bring up my soul and in the movie juggle the singer verses his religious role. To quit premed 6 month before graduation says that "I will do it or bust". The movie is a great role model for todays youth. Like the movie had in it a line "One musician can always find another". I know with my brother it is true, from coast to coast. His instructors at UK became his students. I one time saw him talking to Charlie Dianels and said are you going to see him? He said no, why should he, he worked for me. My mother always called him poor little rich boy. Riches are in the heart and are not always confined to money. Mr. Diamond is indeed rich beyond words in my humble opinion. students over time. Good show Mr. Diamond!

This is an unnecessary updated remake of the venerable Al Jolson musical weepie: still, the end product remains hopelessly clichéd and actually gives the term 'old-fashioned' a bad name! Besides, in view of star Neil Diamond's pop repertoire, the title doesn't make any sense - and, while the new songs in themselves aren't too bad, there's no comparable number to the original's show-stopping and heart-rending "Mammy" (actually, the protagonist's mother here doesn't come into the picture at all!). The rest is glossy but also unintentionally funny: there's Diamond singing in blackface, a punk rendition of a typical Diamond ballad, Laurence Olivier's embarrassing performance (especially the scene where he disowns his son), Diamond's period in the 'wilderness', etc. Not surprisingly, the film - and Olivier - emerged a winner at that year's Razzie Awards: could it be that the great English thespian accepted such an obviously demeaning role solely for the purpose of adding this unenviable tribute to his long list of accolades?