Same Kind of Different As Me appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.35:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. For the most part, the image looked positive.
Sharpness usually seemed fine. Some wide shots displayed mild softness, but those instances remained minor. The majority of the flick offered pretty good clarity.
No issues with jaggies or moiré effects occurred, and I witnessed no edge haloes. Print flaws failed to mar the presentation.
In terms of colors, Different went with a teal/orange feel. In particular, blues dominated and made this a stylized affair. I think the movie would’ve made more sense with a natural impression, but the hues worked fine within those limitations.
Blacks seemed deep enough, and shadows showed mostly good smoothness, though some shots appeared a bit dim. This wasn’t a great image but it merited a “B”.
I didn’t anticipate a slambang DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack from Different, and the audio followed expectations. For the most part, the soundscape didn’t have much to do, as it tended toward general ambience.
The scenes used the side and back speakers in a mildly engaging manner, and the track provided solid music from all the channels. These components didn’t bring a whole lot to the package, so this remained a laid-back mix.
Audio quality was satisfactory. Music sounded peppy and full, while effects were reasonably accurate and concise.
Speech sounded natural and easily intelligible. Though nothing here impressed, the track was appropriate for the material.
The disc includes a few extras, and we begin with an audio commentary from writer/director Michael Carney and writers Ron Hall and Alexander Foard. All three sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story/characters and aspects of Hall’s life, cast and performances, sets and locations, music, and connected topics.
The best parts of the commentary discuss Hall’s experiences and the facts behind the movie’s tale. Those carry us through the track’s slow spots, as most of the rest of it tend toward superficial elements. Listen to the piece if you want to hear about Hall’s history, but don’t expect to learn a ton about the production itself.
Two featurettes follow. Love Is Patient, Love Is Kind: The Making of Same Kind of Different As Me runs 26 minutes, 54 seconds and offers info from Hall, Carney, Foard, producer Stephen Johnston, Mary Parent and Darren Moorman, and actors Greg Kinnear, Renee Zellweger, Jon Voight and Djimon Hounsou.
We learn how the novel moved to the screen, story/character areas, cast and performances, and Carney’s impact on the production. Though “Patient” offers some decent notes, it largely remains superficial and sanctimonious.
Did I really hear the claim that “God wanted this movie to be made”? If so, why did God allow Different to sit on the shelf for so long and to barely earn a release?
Filming in Mississippi lasts 10 minutes, 35 seconds and features Parent, Johnston, Foard, Carney, and director of photography Don Burgess. They chat about various sets and locations. We get a smattering of useful thoughts but the final product lacks a lot of insight.
24 Deleted and Extended Scenes fill a total of 28 minutes, 36 seconds. That’s a lot of footage – albeit mostly short snippets instead of long added sequences.
These sequences tend to expand characters, with an emphasis on some secondary roles. We also see a lot more of a prominent character’s illness. None of the cut sequences would’ve helped the final film, and I’m especially glad the sickness-related segments got the boot – they feel like misery for misery’s sake and don’t expand the movie’s overall narrative.
We can watch the scenes with or without commentary from Carney, Hall and Foard. They tell us a few notes about the sequences but don’t always – or usually relate why they failed to make the film. Their commentary proves to be less informative than I’d like.
Although Same Kind of Different As Me wrapped production in late 2014, it sat on the shelf for years. I can see why, as the end product lacks much depth or drama. The Blu-ray offers generally positive picture and audio along with a decent array of bonus materials. Different offers a paint-by-numbers character piece.