Same Kind of Different as Me (2017) Poster

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8/10
You never know where a dream will take you.
Aregie15 April 2018
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.
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7/10
Deliberately paced, and different from the book, but still pays off in the end
jacobs-greenwood23 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Based on the true story of Deborah (Renée Zellweger) and Ron Hall (Greg Kinnear), a wealthy Texas couple who befriended a violent and intimidating homeless man dubbed Suicide but named Denver (Djimon Hounsou), this heartfelt tear-jerking retelling captures the essence if not the full depth of the relationship that transformed these three, the Hall's children and their community.

Central to the movie is Debbie's character, whose faith drives her to forgive Ron's dalliance and involve him in her outreach work at the Union Gospel Mission in Fort Worth. Through a dream, she sees a man that will change the world; that man is manifested in Suicide, a large homeless loner that swings a baseball bat at whomever he feels threatened by at the mission. Debbie pushes a reluctant Ron to reach out to Suicide; Ron learns Suicide's name is Denver, and his harrowing background. The three of them steadily form a friendship and relationship of trust that includes their children Regan (Olivia Holt) and Carson (Austin Filson).

Unfortunately, as Denver predicts, because Debbie is making a positive impact on the world for the Lord, she attracts of the attention of His enemy, and is stricken with terminal cancer. However, she deals with her illness most gracefully and there are some sweet family moments to the end.

For fans of the book (like me), as is typically the case, there are some significant differences between the book and this movie including the focus of the title itself: the funeral speech draws a link between Denver and Debbie whereas the book's title refers to the sameness between Denver and Ron! Several important scenes have been altered (e.g. Denver praying outside Debbie's hospital has been replaced with a scene of the two of them sitting silently tearful on a bench) or cut (Denver doesn't drive Regan cross country) and Ron's entire background has been left out (though it's alluded to through the retrospective plot device of his writing the book) while an alternative storyline with his father Earl (Jon Voight) has been inserted (as a proxy for Denver's care of Mr. Ballantine?).

That being said, I'm still recommending the movie as the book's essential themes of love - and how that is manifested in outreach to the poor, forgiveness and hope are still intact.

The closing credits indicate that this was a 2016 production; the movie was originally slated for release in April, 2016, which was then pushed to February, 2017 before it was finally released on October 20, 2017. Besides the shift from Paramount Pictures to Pure Flix Entertainment for distribution, there may also have been other changes (reshoots and reediting?) that account for these delays.
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8/10
Bound to be the most under appreciated movie of the year, yet a very fine film
fullheadofsteam1 November 2017
That this movie has not received the publicity and advanced advertising that it truly deserves is shameful -- the producers and production studio should be ashamed of themselves and they will reap their due reward from low attendance and most likely box office profit loss. This film definitely is worth its proverbial weight (cost) in gold. First and foremost is the plot itself, which propels the human instinct of avoidance of the uncomfortable, as with dirty homeless people, to a higher plane of reaching out, in caring rather than invasive ways, in order to actually help those less fortunate despite their social handicaps. That there is a Christian spirit about this movie is without doubt, but there is no specific religious dogma or theology. There is no "action", there is no graphic violence, there is no nudity, there is no profanity -- how completely refreshing in a movie. It is all character and dialog driven -- the acting is absolutely top notch, the dialog thoughtful and smart. The theme: reconciliation in all of our weakened or seemingly broken relationships if possible, with the onus being on ourselves to make the effort, in other words doing what we can to heal ourselves, and then being able to effectively, meaningfully reach out to and help those less fortunate, with respect rather than pity. This movie is a true treasure which, sadly I fear, will be missed by a very large audience due to lack of effective promotion.
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A very touching film
Gordon-1113 February 2018
This film tells the story of a wealthy couple who drifted apart. They become closer together by helping in a homeless shelter, and in the process they deeply touch other people's hearts.

I haven't imagined how touching this film can be. I thought it was a forgettable romantic comedy, but it turns out to be a very emotional and touching drama about how to love one another. All we have to do is to reach out to people in need, listen to the person and he genuinely there to love and care. I find this film very touching.
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7/10
God oriented
fmwongmd24 August 2018
Here is a God oriented film worthy of watching. Solid performance by Djimon Hounsou,good story and supporting actors
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6/10
Beautiful true story, poorly done...
LiveLoveLead10 November 2019
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
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9/10
All about the story and the acting
jkwjr20 October 2017
This movie is a throwback to Hollywood's earlier days in the sense that it's all about the story and the acting. There's not a special effect to be seen.

The story is powerful. And the acting amazing. I had read the book and listened to an audio version, so I knew what was going to happen, and I was still moved. Djimon Honsou is terrific.

If you are looking for a light, fun night at the cinema, Same Kind of Different as Me is not your film. If you are looking for a memorable movie with powerful acting, it is.
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7/10
The poor writing/screenplay and directing/editing depleted this film
Top_Dawg_Critic6 May 2018
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
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10/10
Excellent movie
jan-noyes24 October 2017
At first, I thought, "Oh no, this is going to be a cheesy religious movie of some kind" but I changed that thinking quickly. It turned out to be extremely thought provoking on several levels. It made me want to do more with my life, reach out to others, and be a better person. Can't beat that for $5.50! I'm telling everyone I know that they should see it.
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7/10
Too underrated
DogePelis201510 October 2021
It is a very motivating movie; the plot is moving and the performances of Renée Zellweger and Djimon Hounsou are sublime; highly recommended.
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3/10
Sappy Melodrama
lavatch28 February 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This film was made by well-intentioned and decent people, who wanted to tell a heartwarming story based on real events. Unfortunately, the movie was overwhelmed by sentimentality without offering a logic to the events it sought to portray.

Debbie is the controlling figure as "a girl with a heart so big that Texas can't hold it." She forgives her husband Ron for an affair that nearly destroys their marriage. Years later, when she is dying of cancer, the saintly Debbie says that the adultery was a good thing.

The constant spinning of real life calamity into the theme of "God works in mysterious ways" is the heart and soul of this film. But the film fails to acknowledge that there were some genuinely cruel characters being depicted. One malicious woman tips off Debbie to Ron's affair. A similarly callous wife of the doctor is the first to inform Debbie that she is "terminal" with her cancer. A racist politely asks Ron to stop bringing "the Negro" to the swanky club. And the Scrooge-like father of Ron is the most callow of all...until his unexpected, Scrooge-like reformation at the end.

The most interesting character was Denver, the homeless man filled with secrets of the heart, whose potential is recognized by Debbie while working in a "mission" serving hot meals to the homeless. But whereas we clearly follow the transformation of Denver into a wise and articulate self-sufficient individual and, by his speech, an accomplished poet, he curiously remained homeless, living in the bushes through the entire action of the film. It was not until the closing credits that we learn how Denver assisted Ron Hall with the book that became a spiritual bestseller, then accompanied him on the lecture circuit.

One especially human trait that is left unexamined in this motion picture was the human emotion of guilt. Ron clearly is driven to help out at the mission by the guilt of adultery and for selling Debbie's anniversary gift of the Mary Cassatt painting, then replacing it with a copy. Debbie is motivated by the guilt of her gaudy, opulent, shallow lifestyle to work at the mission and "dream" of a new man entering her life with obvious sexual innuendo. Denver is guilt-ridden for having committed murder while imprisoned at Angola. And the guilt finally catches up to the mean-spirited ex-soda salesman father of Ron.

If the collective guilt experienced by these characters had been examined thoughtfully by the film artists, "Same Kind of Different as Men" might have been elevated from a mundane soap opera into more profound existential film about genuine human realities. If that had happened, it might have been possible for Ron to address his father as "Dad," as opposed to "Earl."
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9/10
A powerful character driven film
robsargeant-122 October 2017
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.
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7/10
Mixed feelings, but overall positive
vincentlynch-moonoi7 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
To me there are two problems with this film.

The "introduction" sets the stage, but it is boring and you sit wondering for some time where this film is going, and twice I nearly turned off the film. I was glad I didn't.

The second problem was very poor acting on the part of Renee Zellweger. To begin with, I didn't even recognize her! That's how much her appearance has been...changed. I had missed the opening credits, so it wasn't until I stopped the film and checked the internet that I knew who she was. But I thought she was awful in this film. And her role is crucial.

On the other hand, there are two performances that are very good. Back when he was the host of "Talk Soup", who would have ever thought that Greg Kinnear would become such a fine, dependable actor? But that's exactly what he is...usually...and in this film. The other acting performance I admired here was that of Djimon Hounsou. I've seen him before...thought he was good...but this film gave him a chance to demonstrate two different personas as the film progressed.

Some people have criticized this film as being a religious movie. I'm an atheist/agnostic, and that didn't bother me at all. I can watch a film that has religious angles, providing the film doesn't preach to me...and this film doesn't do that.

The plot of this relatively true story is a rich couple (primarily as a result of the dying wife) helping homeless people, and one African-American homeless man, in particular. It transforms the homeless man, and it transforms the somewhat reluctant husband. I found it quite touching, and it gives a very different picture of homeless people.

This film was good enough that I was tempted to give it an "8", which I rarely do. But I was bothered enough by the dull beginning and the poor performance of Renee Zellweger, that I put it down to my more common rating of a "good" film...a "7". But this is worth watching.
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1/10
Trapped- again
sonnybatson-5727730 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Silly good overcomes all suffering and defeats all evil. A previous reviewer made the statement of 'two Forth Worths"- the rich and the poor and that's exactly how this movie presents every aspect of the story. Good, evil- no in-between. Mindless drivel poorly acted with silly plot lines. "I'm so sorry." "About?" "Your diagnosis as terminal." "Nobody told me that." Exchange between heroic white woman savior of the poor and downtrodden and her physician's wife. And so on...

PLEASE develop a new rating- C for christian drivel works for me. At least I can then skip the movie.
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Great Story. Superbly Moving Film That's Very Well Crafted.
MovieMystro20 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"We are all homeless, working our way home." Truly powerful insight delivered remarkably well from an emotional and powerful film. I had no idea going in that this was a true life story. I enjoyed the trailer and took a flier on the cast. I'm extremely pleased that I did.

All these Oscar nominees and winners brought their A-game and have delivered one of the better movies of the entire year. I wouldn't even classify this as a faith based film. In fact, Greg Kinnear's character never seems to embrace any particular religious sentiment. It's a true story of a woman's kindness and generous soul that is still reverberating through many people's lives. Her simple philosophy of feeding the homeless and SEEING them bares fruit in many ways. Her life and by extension those who are carrying her torch are one's to admire and even strive to emulate.

Her (Renee Zellweger) story is told through the eyes of her art dealer's husband (Greg Kinnear) and heavily involves a homeless person (Djimon Hounsou) who we get to know as the film unfolds. Great racial strife and emotional scenes of his life are seen through flashbacks. Overall, all three character arcs are moving and fleshed out amazingly well. It is a slow burn as the first act sets up very slowly. The pacing improves and the journey experienced is worth the exposition. While not a perfect movie (pacing issues, Hounsou's Denver character shifts fast from crazy violent homeless man to wise sage, severe marital problems glossed over quickly) it is a movie that will make you think and even move you to tears.
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7/10
Emotional
ajokeajoke-5849710 November 2018
A slow film but built in to an enjoyable character diven emotional movie .
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7/10
Djimon Hounsou makes the film count; direction is very slow and labored
inkblot1118 March 2018
In Fort Worth, there are two worlds. The first one is the successful part of town where art dealer Ron Hall (Greg Kinnear) lives with his beautiful wife, Deb (Renee Zellweger) and their two wonderful teenagers, in a spectacular house. The other side is where the poor and homeless reside, including Denver (Djimon Hounsou). Ron and Deb have grown apart as of late and Ron cheats on his wife. Yet, Deb, a strong Christian, decides to work through their problems and especially wants Ron to join her in volunteering at a soup kitchen near the homeless. Reluctantly, he does so. One day, Denver comes in with a baseball bat and starts breaking furniture. Deb confronts him and he leaves....for a spell. When returning more subdued, Deb and Ron reach out to him and a friendship begins. Little by little, they learn Denver's sad life story, from being abandoned by his mother, having his grandmother's house burn down, working as a sharecropper, etc. No wonder he is such a bitter man, at times. Yet, all parties learn how much they have in common, rather than dwelling on differences. Even over the objections of his bigoted and alcoholic dad (Jon Voight), Ron insists on staying pals with and helping Denver. Then, a huge crisis occurs, involving Deb's health. Will this crisis draw them closer together or tear them apart? This beautiful true story is hampered by a direction so slow that even a snail would object. As such, the impact of the tale is greatly diminished, despite good performances from Kinnear and Zellweger. Only Hounsou rises about the tedious pace; when he is on screen, the viewer is riveted. The Texas scenery looks great as do the costumes and art direction. Certainly, too, the message of forgiveness is welcome anytime so no one should be discouraged from seeing it for its themes. Yet, after a view, even the most casual movie fan will wish that the film had a better pace and better editing. Let's hope the producers of Pure Flix will learn from the down side of a story on screen which should have had greater meaning.
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10/10
Best Movie I've Seen In Years
feet_ontheground5 January 2018
This movie should win awards. It is the best movie I have seen in years. It covers many difficult subjects in a very beautiful way. In America, laws & law enforcement are used to STOP US from helping people who are homeless, hungry, and need help which is inhumane... We MUST NOT STAND FOR THIS! 80% of Americans are in debt. 70% have little to no savings. #1 cause of bankruptcy is medical bills. Rich, sociopathic people control our govt, media & elections. But there are hundreds of millions of us... and not so many of them. SEE THIS MOVIE... think about it....
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7/10
good churchy
sergelamarche16 June 2020
Churchy movie but good churchy. If true, the story is unusual.
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10/10
Bring some Kleenex
ReelBig25 October 2017
We were excited to see this film. We like almost any film that is "based on a true story". We especially like the "follow up" that comes at the end of such movies. "Same Kind" was not a disappointment on either front. It was powerful. It was deep. It was very dramatic. It was an eye-opener. I think I spent the last 30 minutes with tears in my eyes--but good tears. Would highly recommend this as a "must see" movie.
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7/10
The only thing you keep forever is what you give away.
shiannedog11 April 2021
This is a nice movie and it stirs the heart. The acting is very well done, especially Jon Voight and Djimon Hounsou. The racism emphasis from Hollywood's perspective can be a bit tiresome these days but it is handled respectfully in this film. I appreciated the quality of the production and how well it kept moving through the story not losing my interest. Highly recommended.
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2/10
Kindness
CutUncut202110 April 2021
This 119 minutes of drive-in drivel is rescued here and there by actors reaching beyond their trite lines and roles, the irony being that the underused Voigt embodies the real voice of America, and the rest is a pseudo-liberal attempt at redemption, with Hounsou playing the worldly wise "good dog" with a history, a pooch the whites can pat (now wash your hands) so as to expiate their centuries of sin. This is cultural and spiritual expropriation at every imaginable level. Founded on murder and plunder, the United States still serves up this gratifying pap, and there's the rub. Gravy on the turkey, maple syrup on the waffles, mayonnaise on the salmon: the land of sauces that miraculously mask whatever dross lies beneath (72+ ingredients in the BigMac, for starters). Spoiler: you can cook a meal for ten using a dozen natural, fresh ingredients. Djimon does his parody of the wild man with a big heart ("Your mean old daddy has got a good heart in him"): the rich white family conscripts the former Black slave to redeem the entire WASP dynasty. And just to keep the audience comfortable, the "tragedy" shifts to the white woman with terminal cancer, with Denver's infinite compassion. Echoes of the egregious yet (slightly) more honest "Blind Side" (2009, J. L. Hancock). Ron Hall's account is seedy and manipulative, the classic white spin on redemption: Look how noble we are, rescuing the lame dogs eating scraps from under the table (Matthew 15:27). Her project is possible through money. Wealth. She surveys a beautiful pasture and decrees this will be the site of her future project, her "heritage" to the world. The rich, whose wealth was accrued through exploitation of the Other, are once again the saviours of mankind. Noble husband, dying mother, Kardashian children. Unfortunately, this Gospel trash turns out to be eminently watchable! Bravo bravo corny Carney. Oh, by the way, if you pat the stray dog, please remember to wash your hands afterwards.
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9/10
Djimon's best role ever
shbs-7159421 October 2019
Heartbreaking, happy and sad in turns; heartwarming, a bit predictable because of the foreshadowing, but EXCELLENT nonetheless. Certainly the best movie I've seen all week, possibly all month. Maybe this quarter.

This is something you can share with family, quite dependably, on family movie night.

Invite the in-laws, children over 7, and have tissues ready.
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7/10
Very underrated
HaHaClintonDix5 September 2020
Can relate to multiple characters a lot. Good screenplay, cinematography. Refreshing but also not overdone.
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5/10
Never mess with a successful formula
esteban_guitierrez14 November 2017
Pureflix has a single story to sell: family/person in conflict, conflict gets worse, invoke the supernatural and everything magically gets resolved. SKoDaM is the same thing because they know religious people like repetition.

I won't synposize the story here... what's the point? You've already met the characters in a previous Pureflix movie, so it's repetition now. If you liked the previous installments of the family/person, conflict, worsens, magical resolution, you'll like this one.
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