A Quote to Start Things Off

""I'd love to go to Santa Fe at some point, Emmett said, but for the time being, I need to go to New York. The panhandler stopped laughing and adopted a more serious expression. Well. that's life in a nutshell, aint it. Lovin' to go to one place and havin' to go to another. Amor Towles in the Lincoln Highway.

Search Me!

Pictures of Memories I

Pictures of Memories I
Snow kidding! These "kids" now range from 17 to 23

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

J is for Jesus Revolution

 A to Z Challenge

A Month At The Movies



#AtoZChallenge 2023 letter J

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 


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

5 comments:

Irene Latham said...

Hi Dave - just looking for your line in this year's Progressive Poem! Please email me when it's up: irene (at) irenelatham (dot) com...so that I can add my line. Thank you! (If I don't hear something from you by noon est, we'll count you as a no-show and I'll go ahead with my line.) Hope all is well with you and yours. Happy National Poetry Month!

skanny17 said...

Hi Dave,
Janet here. Wondering if you can remind Emily about her line from yesterday which I don't find yet either. Thanks again. But if you miss this year, there is always next. But the poem does depend on trying hard to remember you day to post. I have loved being a part of this almost from the beginning thanks to Irene!

Margaret Simon said...

Dave, We are looking for yours and Emma's lines for the Progressive Poem. Email me at margaretsmn at gmail if you are having trouble. The last line that was written was at Denise's blog. Please go to her blog to copy and paste the poem so far. https://mrsdkrebs.edublogs.org/2023/04/09/progressive-poem-2023/

I am traveling today, so I'm not able to take over for you. If you cannot do it, we will skip yours and Emma's lines and move on. Thanks, Margaret

Anonymous said...

I will have the lines in soon

Arlee Bird said...

It doesn't sound like a film that would make my top 100 list, but I'd like to see it and will if it comes on a source where I can watch it. I've seen it advertised on TV. Just the other night I watched a 2021 documentary called The Jesus Music which covers the same time period and to date. It's an excellent film that I'd watch again.

Lee

A to Z 2023 Road Trip

#AtoZChallenge 2023 RoadTrip