A Journal for Jordan
A Journal for Jordan
Starring Michael B. Jordan, Chante Adams, Jalon Christian, Robert Wisdom
Directed by Denzel Washington
Dana (Chante Adams) is a headstrong, take-no-prisoners writer for the New Yorker who just got over a relationship and knows how it feels to grow up in a military family, with her father T.J. (Robert Wisdom) serving as a Sergeant. She saw how he cheated on her mother, how he felt trapped into getting married after she announced she was pregnant with Dana, and how he ruled the family with an iron fist. This shaped her steely resolve, and she has no time for distractions in life.
Yet distractions come her way, in the form of First Sergeant Charles Monroe King (Michael B. Jordan), who worked under her father in the Army, and whom she meets at her parents' home one day. Despite her stubborn nature and his quiet, respectable resolve, the two hit it off and slowly begin their own relationship. Then 9/11 happens, and Charles heads to Iraq to fight in the war, and during a leave home Dana becomes pregnant. She gives birth to their son Jordan, and gives Charles a present: a journal for him to write in for Jordan, chronicling his life, his beliefs, and anything else he wants to write to their son. This journal will go on to shape Jordan (Jalon Christian) as he grows up, turning him into a man like his father - kind, respectable, fearless, and loving.
"A Journal for Jordan" could've passed for a Hallmark Channel Christmas special in so many ways: the gruff, unkind, jaded successful writer meets the quiet, reserved, respectable Army man and despite their differences the two fall in love (during Christmastime, no less), with all the sappy montage moments such as exploring New York City (in an offbeat sense of timing, they're sitting on a bench overlooking the gardens with trees with no leaves, before skipping six months later to Christmas...meaning they were sitting on the bench in June, so the trees should've had leaves in full bloom, but I digress), chiding one another, and exploring their interests together. There's even the mushy musical score you find in these Hallmark movies. But what sets it apart is two things: the director, and the actor, but not even they could raise this story from the generic tropes that it constantly falls for.
That director is none other than the great Denzel Washington, who tries his hardest to tell a love story for the ages, but can't generate enough heat between the two actors to start a campfire. Charles and Dana seem more fit to being best friends than a couple, and there's absolutely no chemistry between the two. Not even the great Michael B. Jordan can muster enough energy to show any type of emotion, and all Chante Adams does is go full-Karen at each given moment.
In fact, it's Dana's character that's the most frustrating. She obviously has trust issues but they're not really fully developed as to why that is, other than some throwaway lines about her father cheating on her mother. The walls she has put up are stronger than the walls that surrounded Jerusalem, and not even Charles blowing the trumpet could bring them down (it's a Biblical reference, read it!). Dana wouldn't be the girl I would go for, as she is constantly on edge and snippy, barking at people for absolutely no reason, and just coming off as a total Karen in every situation. One in particular, for me, would've ended the relationship: Charles was supposed to see her, but he doesn't show. She calls but he doesn't answer, until he finally does, and tells her he was at the hospital as the wife of a solider under his command just gave birth, and she was having complications. Dana flat-out said he was lying and was cheating on her, and not even his soldier's word could convince her otherwise, because they'd say whatever Charles wanted. If I was in Charles's shoes, at that moment I would've broken it off and wishes her farewell, but he's too nice of a guy and keeps the relationship going. Even when he wants to make it official, she's hesitant to do it. There's so many red flags for him, but he ignores them, and it's supposed to come off to the audience as a true love story, but there's no real love lost between these two, at least in my opinion.
The movie doesn't really ramp up until the final moments, and although the trailer more than hints at it, I won't give it away, but needless to say those are the best performances of the film, but by then - at a little over two hours long - it's too little too late to care about anyone by that point.
While trying to offer a tear-jerking love story, Denzel Washington's "A Journal for Jordan" is hampered by a lack of chemistry and a highly unlikable female lead who you'd find at the local department store demanding to talk to the manager about an expired five dollar coupon.
The Score: C+
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