J is for Jesus Revolution

 A to Z Challenge

A Month At The Movies

Hello and welcome back to A Month at the Movies,  my contribution to the A to Z challenge for 2023.

This year I am copying from a myriad of other A to Z  challengers by reprinting the same synopsis about my theme with every letter.  You can skip over this part if you want to.  

I love movies and have decided to share with you a movie each day that I have enjoyed to one degree or another.  With each entry, I'll give a brief synopsis of the film, share a positive and negative review from Rotten Tomatoes ( a website, I didn't use much at all until preparing for the challenge), discuss its resiliency (the theme of the A to Z challenge this year), and other tidbits like whether the film may appear in my top 100 film list, which I have been revamping this year. I think that's enough in the way of introduction, considering you'll be reading it (hopefully) 16 more times this month.

Film: The Jesus Revolution (2023)

Directors: John Erwin & Brett McCorkle

Picture from Light Magazine Article Chuck Smith: Father of The Jesus Movement 

By Rev Dr. Ed & Janice Hird

The Jesus Revolution is the most recent movie included in the challenge this year.  Its story goes back more than 50 years and was inspired by the events depicted in the Time Magazine cover story shown below.  Ultimately that story is inspired by the story of Jesus told in the Gospels. 

Time Magazine June 21, 1971
Cover Credit Stan Zagorski

Positive Tomato: Intriguing and occasionally inspiring...the acting is consistently strong, especially by Jonathan Roumie. There are heroes here, but no halos as the true-life characters live through problems and flaws. Michael Medved - The Michael Medved Show

Negative Tomato: Jesus Revolution takes a fascinating period of American history - the hippie movement and its associated fallout within the Christian co
mmunity - and transforms it into a bland, TV movie-of-the-week experience. James Berardinelli - ReelViews

The movie tells the story of the Jesus movement by focusing on these  4 characters: 

Chuck Smith portrayed by Kelsey Grammar best known for his long career playing Frasier Crane on Cheers and then Frasier.  

Lonnie Frisbee played by Jonathan Roumie best now for playing Jesus in The Chosen.

Greg Laurie is played by Joel Courtney and Cathe is played by Anna Grace Barlow. 

T

Lonnie Frisbee & Chuck Smith

Kelsey Grammar & Jonathan Roumie

I liked this movie and especially liked the  warts and all approach of the characterizations.  Each of these characters is flawed.  Each of these characters makes mistakes.  Some of you who know the historry of these events know that not all the mistakes some of these characters made are mentioned in the movie.  Some have suggested that this means a white-washing of the events. I don't land that way.  If a two hour movie was made about me many of my foibles, sins, and setbacks would not be seen.  I have more than 2 hours of foibles, sins and setbacks in a day let alone a life time,  However, that each of these characters are shown as human rather than superhuman it is easier to see the divine in them,

Resiliency: The resiliency of this story flows from the title.  The actual life , death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was relevant and powerful enough to capture the attention of the Hippie movement and then the world. Easter was days ago where Christians all over the world celebrated the greatest event in history.  If that's not resiliency, I don't know what is.

Top 100: Like I said I really enjoyed this movie and would  recommend it highly. However, I doubt that it will be in my top 100.  First of all, I generally need to watch a movie at least twice before I can know for sure whether it's top 100 material.  But I usually have a better sense for when it isn't.  

A TO Z Connections: This is the second movie to depict Christian ministers (Chariots of Fire). This is the 4th movie, to depict historic events (Chariots of Fire, 42, and Hidden Figures).

Next Time: Kuh Kuh King