Jesus Revolution movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Jesus Revolution

This dramatic and moving biopic is now playing in theaters.

RATING: PG-13

LENGTH: 2 hours

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: A

IN A NUTSHELL:

The movie is about the national spiritual awakening in the early 1970s and its origins within a community of teenage hippies in Southern California. The film was directed by Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle.

I was just a little girl and remember feeling just a little bit frightened of the cigarette-smoking, bead-wearing teens. Sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll…and God.

The film is a biopic of Harvest Crusades founder Greg Laurie, Chuck Smith, Lonnie Frisbee, and enthusiastic teens looking for answers and purpose in life.

THINGS I LIKED:

This definitely doesn’t feel like a typical cheesy, preachy Christian movie. You’ll feel all the feels and might even think about some things differently.
I’ve been a fan of Kelsey Grammar ever since I first saw him in the popular TV show “Cheers.” He gives an outstanding, thoughtful performance in this role as the famous pastor, Chuck Smith.
Fans of the popular and inspirational “The Chosen” will be thrilled to see Jonathan Roumie as Lonnie Frisbee. He makes such a fantastic Jesus in “The Chosen.”
Great acting all around. The fantastic cast also includes Joel Courtney, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Anna Grace Barlow, Charlie Morgan Patton, and Nick Cirillo.
Outstanding filmmaking. The movie was directed by Jon Erin and Brent McCorkle.
Impressive cinematography by Akis Konstantakopoulos.
Fantastic soundtrack.
The characters are deliciously flawed and real because they’re not characters at all, but represent real people.
Some humorous, insightful, and heartfelt moments.
I loved the foot-washing scene. So sweet.
At the end of the movie, we get to see video clips with the real people involved in the events of the 1970s Jesus Revolution.
It’s ironic that being called a square was considered to be such a terrible condition that people did things they might not ordinarily do just to prove that label false.
Bible passages are quoted often but not in a super preachy way; instead, it was shown as an honest attempt to find out what God had to say about various things.
Non-Christians can still enjoy the film as an interesting biopic.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

It’s really long!
The movie makes the viewer believe that it was all about Jesus, but the reality is that there were a lot of drugs involved too. It’s unclear how many of the hippies actually experienced a true, deep conversion that lasted a lifetime.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

No profanity
Teens take drugs

THEMES:

Truth
Love
Faith
Christianity
Hypocrisy
Search for God
Desperation
Searching for all the right things in all the wrong places
Finding your calling in life

INTERESTING LINES:

“There is an entire generation of people today looking for God.” – Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie)
“Families are like bands, man; they break up.” – Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie)
“We can only walk through doors opened to us.” – Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie)
“It’s not just for hippies. It’s so much bigger than that.” – Cathe (Anna Grace Barlow)
“Don’t be so arrogant to think God can’t work through your failures.” – Mrs. Smith