A Journal for Jordan (2021) User Reviews

Could have been better given the story and the big names involved

[ethanbresnett · 5/10 · 18 January 2022]

A Journal for Jordan is a bit of an odd one. I actually did enjoy it, but for some reason can't bring myself to give it more than a 5.

The story at times was a little too jumpy, with some quite unnecessary segues which make the film easily 20 minutes too long.

I liked the chemistry between Chante Adams and Michael B Jordan, it was all acted very well. The actual romantic story between them was perfectly well done. Sometimes quite funny, sometimes frustrating, but always sweet. I think that's the problem maybe. It was all very sweet and safe and didn't particularly convey a burning passion and deep love.

Given the name of the film, I feel like there needed to be a greater emphasis on the mother son relationship and the journal itself. This was somewhat pushed to the side and reserved for the final 15 minutes, when it may have been more emotional to have this at the core of the movie. Without this the film mostly plays out like a conventional romcom which means it loses some of its originality.

There isn't really anything to dislike about this film, but equally nothing to love either. I wanted it to be more emotional than it was, so it gets a 5/10. Middle of the road.

A Journal for Jordan

[JoBloTheMovieCritic · 7/10 · 5 January 2022]

7/10 - all the time jumps did not benefit the film and some sharper editing of the scenes would have elevated the film, but I did cry three separate times during it so it definitely will get you in your feels.

Hot bodies but zzz

[Movi3DO · 5/10 · 5 January 2022]

I thought the movie is like a journal itself for Jordan, and I was like wow this is a lil bit too rated R for Jordan.

A movie remembering the real life 1st Sargent, told mostly through the point of view of the wife.

Honestly the first 45 minutes I was pretty intrigued. It's slow, but I still liked the relationship because of the chemistry between the two leads. However, over time I could not wait for the movie to end. It's so dang dragged out. There wasn't that much to this story in the first place. The ending scene was pretty good but I was just mostly glad it's over.

Overall, glad I didn't watch this during Christmas because it would have been a boring one. 4.5-5/10.

Could Have Been a Lifetime Movie

[seansoulo73 · 6/10 · 16 January 2022]

This was a bit too melodramatic for my taste. Denzel's previous directorial productions were better. No doubt, Michael B. And Chante Adams delivered, but the flashback sequences were overdone and confusing at times. From the black perspective, the casting was odd. The lead character didn't have one real black friend? Just co-workers/friends? Also, wondered why the child/Jordan looked mixed when clearly, it's hard to imagine Michael B. And Chante producing a kid to look like he did. I noticed that the real life kid has a lighter complexion, but so did the real dad and mom. Guess they had to attach a big name to get it green lit.

Solid acting can't save this derivative melodrama.

[benjaminskylerhill · 2/10 · 28 December 2021]

Every performance except one in this movie is quite convincing. The actors all look like they're having a good time and they convincingly come across as real friends and family.

Aside from that, this is a complete mess of a film, lacking any sort of coherent direction or consistent thematic focus.

The movie sets itself up as a collection of memories that are being compiled together to teach a series of lesson to the protagonists' son, Jordan. Then the movie immediately proceeds to be everything except that.

I swear, about half of this movie is just the two lead characters hanging out and making out or having sex. Most of the scenes in the film consist of tedious, insignificant relationship drama that nobody would ever have any reason to put in a journal for a kid to read or learn about.

As for the kid, Jordan, we barely see him at all. We have no reason to understand why he needs to learn lessons from his parents' lives because we don't know what's going on in his life that would make such lessons relevant.

The film's conclusion tries to force in some sort of lesson about the necessity of parents leaving a positive legacy for their kids, and that's a good message. But there was nothing in the story that built to this. We never learned how these parents' lives and examples were affecting their kid's life. It's a finale that is unearned and kind of pathetic.

This is one of the most boring films I have seen this year. It's an aimless 130 minute slog that has no definitive purpose or distinct identity and contains an abundance of scenes that have no bearing whatsoever on the story or characters.

What were you thinking, Denzel?

Not often your go off a main character as the film goes on

[coombsstephen · 6/10 · 17 January 2022]

This is a good story and should have made for a poignant film and for the first 20 minutes I thought it would. It's just a shame the female lead rather than gain empathy actually got annoying.

Micheal B Jordan is excellent as ever but is let down a bit by the film. It's 20 to 30 minutes too long and there was no need for some of the not so subtle political view points.

Shame after the Great start.

Cringeworthy Dialogue/Tropes The Main Culprit Here

[zkonedog · 3/10 · 6 January 2022]

I had "Journal for Jordan" on my eagerly-awaited watchlist for quite some time. Michael B. Jordan directed by Denzel Washington? Count me in! Unfortunately, I found the film to be extremely flat (cringeworthy at times) in the atmosphere & dialogue departments.

For a very basic overview, this movie tells the story of young black couple Charles (Jordan) & Dana (Chante Adams). Charles is a soldier, and while serving in post-9/11 Iraq he constructs a journal of thoughts/advice for young son Jordan (Jason Christian). All the while, flashbacks and narrative time-shifting is used to depict how Charles & Dana got to that point in their relationship.

Paramount in my dislike for "Journal for Jordan" was dialogue that I found to be extremely stilted and unaffecting. At times, it felt like a made-for-TV flick in this regard. While I'm sure the meanings of the words & sentiments themselves are just fine, I couldn't get past the flat delivery or feel of the conversations present.

I also was not at all impressed by the number of cliches or tropes that I felt were utilized in place of real emotion. For the majority of the all-important character setup of a romance picture such as this, it seemed like I was watching "young black couple", "independent career woman", & "derived military emotion" far more than real, emotional characters or scenarios.

In a rather odd move, I was similarly underwhelmed by the usage of the film's titular narrative structure, that being the journal from father to son. Maybe if such a structure had been used to frame the entire movie I could have "bought in" a little more. But as it was, "Journal for Jordan" felt like a cheesy rom-com that sharply tried to pivot to high-drama in the final third.

All of that being said, I watched this film with two others who thoroughly enjoyed it. A lack of a central plot/topic could be the culprit for this, especially when I personally was never swept away by the chemistry of the two leads. I can pretty easily give "Journal for Jordan" three stars because it certainly tries to hit all the right notes, but this one just didn't connect with me in any meaningful fashion.

Slow But Worth I

[ginger-gibbons777 · 9/10 · 31 May 2022]

Good job Denzel It was slow but kept my attention. It's not about the quality of the movie but the subject. It was a true story. It was someone's life, not just a movie. Too many men grow up without direction. This man knew how to be a Father.

Michael B Jordan shines!

[exceladeogun · 7/10 · 14 January 2022]

A journal for Jordan

Great acting from Michael B Jordan and the rest of the cast.

The movie steers too far from what the title denotes, and the shuffle between different timelines wasn't executed properly, but it was an enjoyable ride of black love and sacrifices military families go through.

Slowwww

[okdebbie57 · 2/10 · 30 December 2021]

The movie was mostly about them dating. She was rather a spoiled brat. She wasn't very understanding of his career. There was very little about the journal to his son. I wanted to know more about what he wrote to his and why. The last 20 minutes was the main part of the story. If the story had started at that point it would have been more interesting. I may have had shed one tear and believe me I am a crier so I wouldn't call this a tearjerker.

This is a very well done picture with numerous important life lessons and elements

[kevin_robbins · 8/10 · 30 December 2021]

A Journal for Jordan (2021) is a movie my wife and family saw in theatres on Christmas Day. The storyline follows a single mother raising a young man and trying to explain his past, her relationship with his father and why circumstances are the way they are. As the young man faces various struggles in life, she reads him segments of a journal his father left him before passing away on how and why he has to handle various circumstances in life.

This movie is directed by Denzel Washington (Antwone Fisher) and stars Michael B. Jordan (Creed), Chanté Adams (Bad Hair), Robert Wisdom (Face/Off), Tamara Tunie (Flight) and David Wilson Barnes (Capote).

The storyline for this is very well written and executed. The elements of the storyline and how they are presented while jumping around "present day" events are well done. The lessons learned by the characters and how that plays into the final conclusion is excellent. The cast delivers remarkable performances and the movie has many tear jerking moments and elements.

Overall this is a very well done picture with numerous important life lessons and elements. I would score this a strong 8/10 and strongly recommend it.

Michael B. Jordan Shines in an Endearing Story About Military Families

[littlebigness · 6/10 · 7 January 2022]

Denzel Washington's directorial debut wasn't a film that will knock your socks off, but you're bound to be entertained by a solid screenplay that highlights different relationships military families must experience. The film does a great job of capturing the emotion of many different situations that happen throughout the movie.

Michael B. Jordan was excellent as Charles. I genuinely believe that this was right up there with Fruitvale Station and Black Panther as one of his best performances ever. Jordan displayed grace, heroism, discipline, and a nurturing heart. He steals many scenes throughout the movie.

Where "A Journal for Jordan" falls flat is that at times, the screenplay gets a little messy, and the visuals in this film aren't very memorable. When it comes to the screenplay, sometimes dialogue can be basic, and focus can be lost on Jordan, which can make this film feel as if it leans towards being a somewhat dull romance flick at various points. The visuals throughout the film also leave a lot to be desired, as no set pieces stand out and the film struggles to build much of an atmosphere outside of Dana's apartment.

I would recommend this movie to audiences who love romance flicks, good stories about family, and those who are or are closely connected to war veterans.

A journal of boredom

[Gezzerboy · 3/10 · 16 January 2022]

A journal for Jordan , more like a journal of boredom.

Such a great trailor but the film was a total let down, it could have been so much better and just went nowhere..

A big fat 4/10 save your money and don't bother.

yes

[batoolbaloonhead · 6/10 · 28 December 2021]

I swear, about half of this movie is just the two lead characters hanging out and making out or having sex. Most of the scenes in the film consist of tedious, insignificant relationship drama that nobody would ever have any reason to put in a journal for a kid to read or learn about.

Touching story, but poorly executed...

[LiveLoveLead · 5/10 · 20 March 2022]

Touching true story, but this probably made for a better book than this movie gave it justice. The first half is sooo slow. The pacing is just off, and the movie is way longer than it needs to be at 2:11. The acting, dialogue, and the leads' chemistry were flat. These are typically good actors, so a lot of the fault weighs on the script and direction (sorry Denzel). It's almost a little painful to watch in the beginning, when they are telling the love story, and all the flashbacks/flashforwards didn't help. The film finally picked up in the last third of the movie, when they focused on the mom and now pre-teen son (cutie Jalon Christian), as she started sharing with Jordan, the story of how he was born and his father's time in the army. I had really looked forward to seeing this, but the quality and story being more like a TV/Lifetime movie were disappointing, IMHO! March2022 (*true story*sappy*too long*poorly executed*)

Not bad, not great.

[charlesjosie · 7/10 · 3 January 2022]

This movie wasn't what I expected from a movie made by Denzel but it wasn't bad. It's hard to really rate a movie based off a true story. I enjoyed it & I think everyone should give it a chance. Don't watch it based off the reviews & ratings... watch it because you want to judge for yourself.

Incredibly tepid.

[GimmeABreakNell · 1/10 · 30 December 2021]

There is a heartbreaking movement going through Hollywood right now, and it's called "self aware". The true story on which this film is based deserved a much more respectful, poignant representation on screen.

The dialogue and sexual innuendos in this film are much more suited for a Madea film. Much of the writing in 'A Journal For Jordan' felt like pages that were thrown into the waste bin by a Lifetime movie writer, who had one too many wine spritzers with Christmas dinner. Happy to see this sad attempt at drama failing miserably at the box office.

The ending, very moving, beautiful, beautiful, I cried...

[RosanaBotafogo · 8/10 · 25 August 2022]

Ahhhh, those diaries that move us... They could mention the first daughter more, I would feel excluded if I were her... :( The movie is cute, but the development is a little slow... War movies are always painful and beautiful , poetic... The ending, very moving, beautiful, beautiful, I cried...

How does two black people give birth to a mixed race boy?

[therealjaysmoke · 6/10 · 24 September 2022]

I tried to really like this one but it just didn't do it for me. Maybe it's cause I've never really liked Michael's acting but aside that, I just didn't feel the story was deep enough. Also how do two black people give birth to a mixed race kid? That part just screwed with my head. And just like everybody says, it was very slow. Michael was literally emotionless, you'd think he was still playing his role in Black Partner. Definitely not a second watch for me.

And this 600 character minimum is really forcing me to write stuff that don't make any sense but need to because it's what is required.

Sappy Writings

[jeroduptown · 5/10 · 2 February 2022]

Journal for Jordan is a touching story of a soldier's notebook written to his son at the mom's request. The film is a flashback of his mom and dad's relationship - but gets bogged down in the sap of storytelling...

Great story & great directing

[ilovefoodcoma · 8/10 · 27 December 2021]

This movie is based on a true story, a memoir & a journal. Denzel Washington really directed the film beautifully. What a beautiful love story. Both main casts did a wonderful job.

Kinda boring but still worth watching

[imvaughn · 6/10 · 25 April 2022]

I'm watching the movie now. It's a decent movie but not amazing. The female lead isn't a good actor in this movie. The journal isn't the main focus of the story. 60% of the movie is showing them dating. The son was biracial which confused me. The dad left a journal but she only read it to the child once until he was a teen. No chemistry between the lead characters.

Great Story to be told but lost something on the screen

[cbarneey · 4/10 · 27 February 2022]

Denzel's directing is usually on point and engrossing but something was missing in this movie. I have never seen Chante Adams in anything before and her performance in this one does not move me to seek her out in anything else. Just has no screen presence. And no chemistry with Michael B. Jordan. For me, her performance ruined a great story.

Well written script but Chante is overacting in the beginning and lost in the rest of the movie. I have seen Jordan in many other movies and he becomes the character in all of those performances but even he is missing something here. I want to say it's Adams' performance and not the directing or the rest of the cast that is at fault here.

Great set decoration, art direction and a wonderful script but that is about it. The movie trailer and explanation of the film is misleading. This is a love story between a man and a woman and not all for the son which is what you are lead to believe. But even if they named is correctly and described it as such, it still wouldn't save the film, Shame!

A bit touching at certain point, but overall too slow, and full of annoying overuse scene! Not recommended!

[kwenchow · 1/10 · 5 March 2022]

This film start with a woman waking up from her dream, and she walking to her working place scene! As turnout, this film is about a widow "Dana" need to inspire her son "Jordan" with the journal write by her husband "Charles"! Entire film full of boring conversation, and annoying overuse scene! Such as, overuse of the walking scene, overuse of the arguing scene, overuse of the calling names scene, overuse of the talking on the phone scene, overuse of the staring scene, overuse of the drinking scene, overuse of the eating scene, overuse of the driving scene, overuse of the sleeping scene, overuse of the waking up scene, overuse of the reading scene, overuse of the flashbacks scene, overuse of the taking photo scene, overuse of the listening song scene, and overuse of the kissing scene! Make the film unwatchable! At the end, friends, and relatives of Charles pay tribute to him at his grave! That's it! Another disappointed film!

Can't you be discharged with asthma ?

[allboyzokfarm · 4/10 · 11 March 2022]

Can't you be discharged with asthma ?

Little slow.

Not much of Journal was included.

What kind of power plant causes asthma ?

Buried in Cleveland.