Same Kind of Different as Me

I am not a regular viewer of Christian films, and I was kind of surprised that this film is considered one. But I guess when the initial distributor dropped the picture at the last minute, a Christian company picked it up. But why, if a movie conveys decent human values, and there happen to be a couple of scenes in a church, is it pigeonholed? It's message is not overtly Christian, yet it is so powerful it should speak to anyone, religious or not. I was truly shocked to read that the critics' reviews were not entirely favourable, that they thought it saccharine, and simplistic in terms of racial issues. Because of a dream, a couple of rich white folks befriend an old homeless black man, and it changes not only their three lives but those of many people in the community. I don't think that's self-congratulatory; it's TRUE! I thought all the characters were well developed, given that there wasn't a ton of backstory, but just enough. They were portrayed fairly but all they faced demons in their own ways. I was so moved and touched by the story, especially by the truly stunning acting of Djimon Hounsou, and by the scenes of his childhood in Jim Crow Louisiana. I'd easily see this again just for Hounsou's acting alone. What would anyone want to change? I am baffled.

Same Kind of Different as Me is a powerful character driven film. Actor, Djimon Hounsou's excellent portrayal of Denver, a colored homeless man who through divine intervention becomes friends with a wealthy white couple, (played convincingly by Greg Kinnear and Renee Zellweger) is flawless. The journey they're taken on changes them all for the better.

The movie reminded me of some of the character driven classics made by Frank Capra.

Of course the book is better, it always is. My hubby read and loved the book (although he felt the book had a slow start he stuck with it) He was eager to watch the movie... and he was very disappointed by it. As expected there were changes to the movie and things left out but beyond that, the movie was just lacking. I can't put my finger on it... the acting, the directing, no character development... definitely the pacing. The movie was slow and uneven and the acting was wooden and hollow... if it wasn't for these actors being famous I'd say the acting was almost amateur. They really could have done so much more with this heartwarming and encouraging true story In My Humble Opinion! 11/2019

It is a very motivating movie; the plot is moving and the performances of Renée Zellweger and Djimon Hounsou are sublime; highly recommended.

This film would have been great if novice writer/producer/director Michael Carney didn't hack the screenplay and knew how to direct the scenes properly. The pace was dragged out too long and either the editing was just as bad or the screenplay was that poor. The acting could have been better (maybe also the directors fault for not directing his cast properly?), especially from Greg Kinnear, but Djimon Hounsou stole the show with his outstanding performance. This film lost its potential with all these flaws and it missed the mark for me. Would I recommend it? Yes, it's a great and inspirational true story. Would I see it again? Nope. A generous 7/10 from me