JESUS REVOLUTION

US, 2023, 120 minutes, Colour.

Joel Courtney, Jonathan Roumie, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Anna Grace Barlow, Kelsey Grammer, Jackson Robert Scott, Nicholas Cirillo, Julia Campbell.

Directed by Jon Irwin, Brent McCorkle.

When 21^st-century historians, as well as the public, look back at 1968, the focus is on the American involvement in Vietnam. And, especially in San Francisco, they look back at the hippies. However, this documentary looks back at the hippies but from a different perspective, from a religious perspective. The beginnings of the Jesus Revolution, and the influence on Christianity, evangelical churches, revivalist Christianity, Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity, and the tele-evangelists, as well as the alert about cult leaders, sexual abuse, financial mismanagement…

This film is based on a book by one of the central characters of the film, Greg Laurie. And, there are the writings of several of the other key characters in this film, especially Pastor Chuck Smith and evangelist Lonnie Frisbee. And, documentaries have been made about each of these characters.

The film had great box office success in the United States and received some affirmation from critics who felt that it was not “preachy” like other faith-based films. However, there is a great deal of enthusiasm that pervades the film, offering credibility for this kind of enthusiastic Christianity. It opens with enthusiasm, baptisms in the ocean, crowds, declarations of faith, manifestations of prayer. It then goes back a year, re-creating the atmosphere of 1968, especially the hippy movement, protest, alternative lifestyles, critique of the status quo, drug experimentation…

Key to the drama is the presence and performance by Jonathan Roumie as Lonnie Frisbee. Frisbee, a reformed hippy with a drug background, gay orientation (not really explicitly mentioned in the film), dressed and appearing like many traditional portraits of Jesus himself – this complicating audience response because Rumi appeared as Jesus in the celebrated television series, The Chosen.

The other key to the drama is Pastor Chuck Smith, dedicated to a small congregation, supported by loving wife, a critical daughter who commends hippies, Smith saying he would need to meet one in his own home, and his daughter inviting Lonnie. Chuck Smith listens, is moved, Lonnie bringing hippies to the church, the displeasure of the traditional elders (under threat of withdrawing financial support), a growing collaboration, a marquee, huge and filled on its first night of prayer gathering. And, Smith is played effectively by Kelsey Grammer.

It is in this context that Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) is introduced, his story as a child with a single alcoholic mother, military academy, an encounter with a hippy girl, drug experimentation (and a sequence featuring Dr Timothy Leary, the promoter of LSD), a wild drive, sitting on the curb in the rain – and found by Lonnie Frisbee.

(For those interested in these characters and their careers, there is ample material available on Wikipedia.)

While there is the enthusiasm of gatherings, prayer, music, the hippies stating that in their search for truth, many of them found the truth in Jesus, the Gospels, there is the issue of the cult of the leader, especially with Lonnie Frisbee, his capacity for healing, and this being challenged by Chuck Smith.

The Jesus Revolution was more Protestant, evangelical in orientation (the Catholic Church developing Charismatic Renewal during this period). The three central characters continued their ministry for many decades, Greg Laurie continuing at the time of the making of this film.

An opportunity for audiences to see, appreciate, consider, critique, the Jesus Revolution and its consequences.

1. The title? The events of 1968, 1968-1972? Recreation of the period, the spirit? And scene in the retrospect of the 21^st-century and consequent history of the Jesus movement, evangelical churches, revivalism, Pentecostalism, Charismatic Renewal, media evangelists, exposes…?
2. The screenplay based on the book by Greg Laurie, with reference to the books by Lonnie Frisbee, Chuck Smith, documentary films made? And the extensive material available on Google, Wikipedia, giving full background to the characters, the events, the difficulties suggested but not explored in this film?
3. The commercial success of the film in 2023, box office, highly profitable? The wide range of audiences, American, overseas?
4. The response from religious audiences, enthusiastic? From secular audiences, observation, generally favourable reviews, contribution to American cultural and religious history?
5. The opening, the baptisms in the ocean, Chuck Smith, Lonnie Frisbee, the crowds, the enthusiasm? Going back to a year earlier?
6. The story of Chuck Smith, impersonated by Kelsey Grammer, loving relationship with his wife, her support? Their daughter, 1968, the touch of rebellion, the issues of drugs, Vietnam, protests, the hippies in California, San Francisco? Chuck in the small congregation church, quite buttoned up? His daughter, talk of hippies, his saying he would like to meet a hippie? The daughter, driving, seeing Lonnie on the road, giving him the lift, his Jesus -like appearance, his way of talking, bring him into the house, her father’s reaction, shutting the door, opening it, the conversation, Lonnie coming to the church, bringing friends, the reaction of the congregation, the threats to Chuck’s ministry?
7. Lonnie Frisbee, as interpreted by Jonathan Roumie, the fact of Jonathan Rumi portraying Jesus in The Chosen, audience response, the story of his upbringing, drug addiction, wandering, hippie, religious experience, the Bible, enthusiasm? The mention of his past, doing everything and everyone (and the screenplay’s reticence about his homosexuality)?
8. The effect on the congregation, more hippies coming, music, song, the address, church elders and their criticism, their feet spoiling the carpet, the sequence of Chuck washing the hippies’ feet before they entered the church? The crowds, the final challenge, the Elder and wife walking out, the older man joining the crowd, the applause?
9. The nature of the Jesus Revolution faith, the hippy experience and what it brought, opting out, protest, freedom, the sequence with Timothy Leary and the LSD solutions, rock stars like Janice Joplin? The growing disillusionment, the drugs, the effect, finding and enthusiasm in the personal Jesus (rather than the personal saviour as later emerged)?
10. The reasons given for the spread of the Jesus Revolution, the movement, faith, issues of the truth, open to possibilities of other truths, faith and the gospel? Community, support, music?
11. Greg Laurie and his story, at high school, the flashbacks to his mother, the video of swimming with his father, the father’s disappearance, the mother and her behaviour, his looking back, settling, singing “Fly me to the moon…”, The further flashbacks, his mother and her behaviour? His going to the Academy, the uniform, his photography and movie camera, his sketches, observing the hippies, the encounter with Cathy, the hippies coming to the Academy, his walking out despite the authority threats? Sharing with Cathy, the hippy experience, the drugs, seeing the woman foam, the effect on him, his mother’s accident and going to the hospital, later visits to her?
12. Greg, the journalist, his observations, discussions with Greg, the questions asked about faith in the movement, his initial scepticism, not revealing the magazine – and the later cover of Time Magazine?
13. Cathy, her parents, her father’s disapproval of hippies, her sardonic sister? The encounters with Greg, the attraction, with the hippies, moving towards religion and the movement, Greg to the meal, the father’s disapproval and warning him off? His reaction, sharing with Cathy, clashes with Cathy, going to the home to apologise, the father support? His encounters with Lonnie, wandering after the reckless car ride, the rain in the street, Lonnie rescuing him, Lonnie finding him again, talk about his vision of what would happen to Greg? Going for the baptism, the visuals of the baptism, the underwater photography (reminiscent of Romans 6 and Paul on the death to self and baptism)? The reconciliation with Cathy? His lack of self-confidence, the discussions with Chuck, the first attempt with a Bible group Father Malone, the failure, Chuck buying the church, offering the job to Greg – and its continuing for decades?
14. Lonnie, his manner, charm, Jesus-appearance, encounters, preaching, encouraging, in the small church and small congregation, the effect on Chuck, Chuck supporting him, Chuck’s wife? Lonnie and his relationship with his wife, her enthusiasm? The bigger church, moving towards the healing, his sense of healing, the “slaying in the spirit”? The effect on him, the drama raising the issues of self-importance, newspaper article suggesting cult? His defending himself, Chuck and the theatrics, the ultimate confrontation, his decision to go to Florida?
15. The development of the Jesus Revolution, small church, large church, the tense, the marquees, the crowds, prayer, song, Scripture, and the healings?
16. Chuck, some depression, support of his wife, his daughter? His later ministry, reputation?
17. The Time Magazine article, the television reports, the significance of the Jesus Revolution in the late 60s and early 70s, the consequences in churches, ministry, evangelical perspectives, later moral and political issues?
18. An opportunity to look at this aspect of American cultural and religious history? In comparison with other cultures?