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?
Review of The Jazz Singer
