"Jesus Revolution" is a 2023 movie based on a true story about how hippies in California began a movement towards Christianity in the late 1960's. I do want to point out that the trailers seem to bury the lead of this movie. Most trailers are advertising this by its biggest name star, Kelsey Grammar. It sells the movie on the idea that the story is about Grammar's Chuck Smith learning to be more accepting to unfamiliar people. That is not the movie we are getting. The main protagonist and POV character of the movie is not Chuck Smith nor Lonnie Frisbee, it is Greg Laurie, played by Joel Courntey. That is not a spoiler for the movie, that is just me being up front to the audience, unlike the trailers.
The movie has its fair share of heart-warming moments, offset well by its darker more melancholy scenes. The actors all do a good job in their roles. And I admire the fact that the movie does not shy away from showing all of the characters' flaws. At times, based on true story movies can be afraid to show their heroes in unflattering lights, out of fear of offending the real-life counterparts. In this movie, as in real life, nobody is perfect. Everyone has their flaws, and that helps them be more engaging characters. By showing faults on both sides, the movie doesn't feel like it is pushing that "hippie-ism" is 100% right nor that Christianity is 100% perfect. The characters are just people searching for the truth.
I admire their attempt, but in execution this movie is flawed. It feels like there are one too many subplots going on in this movie. There are characters that completely disappear from the story, and when they pop in again later, I have to remind myself, "oh yeah, Chuck Smith has a daughter." The movie is a little all over the place as far as the story goes. One minute it is focused on Chuck Smith, the next on Frisbee and finally settles on Gary. Like many based on true story movies, the story we get feels incomplete. Some characters have changes of hearts for reasons we don't get to see. Character progression is delegated to off-screen growth. With the two hours the movie has, it just doesn't feel like they used their time wisely.
It may not be a perfect film, but I feel its heart is in the right place, it can repent of its sins and find salvation someday.
The movie has its fair share of heart-warming moments, offset well by its darker more melancholy scenes. The actors all do a good job in their roles. And I admire the fact that the movie does not shy away from showing all of the characters' flaws. At times, based on true story movies can be afraid to show their heroes in unflattering lights, out of fear of offending the real-life counterparts. In this movie, as in real life, nobody is perfect. Everyone has their flaws, and that helps them be more engaging characters. By showing faults on both sides, the movie doesn't feel like it is pushing that "hippie-ism" is 100% right nor that Christianity is 100% perfect. The characters are just people searching for the truth.
I admire their attempt, but in execution this movie is flawed. It feels like there are one too many subplots going on in this movie. There are characters that completely disappear from the story, and when they pop in again later, I have to remind myself, "oh yeah, Chuck Smith has a daughter." The movie is a little all over the place as far as the story goes. One minute it is focused on Chuck Smith, the next on Frisbee and finally settles on Gary. Like many based on true story movies, the story we get feels incomplete. Some characters have changes of hearts for reasons we don't get to see. Character progression is delegated to off-screen growth. With the two hours the movie has, it just doesn't feel like they used their time wisely.
It may not be a perfect film, but I feel its heart is in the right place, it can repent of its sins and find salvation someday.