Plot Summary
Adapted from Greg Laurie’s book of the same name, Jesus Revolution tells the story of Greg and how he (and thousands of other young people) were transformed by an evangelical Christian movement that took place in Southern California in the late 60s.
The movie is set in 1968 at a time when many young people were questioning the moral values of the government and searching for acceptance and meaning in their lives. Greg Laurie was one of these people and after meeting Lonnie Frisbee, a spirit-filled Christian hippie, and Chuck Smith, a pastor of a Californian church, he began to find his place in the world.
Lonnie and Chuck had met some time previously and together they had started a successful movement to evangelize hippies and other local youth. Greg fell under their wing, as did many other people who were warmly accepted into their church.
Of course, nothing in life is perfect, even when living as a Christian. This is something both Greg and Lonnie discover during the movie’s story.
In our Ending Explained article, we take a look at the events of the movie and the revelations discovered at the end.
How did Chuck and Lonnie meet?
At the beginning of the film, we meet Chuck Smith who is a pastor of Southern California Calvary Chapel. Like many religious people of the time, he is against the hippie movement that is taking over the youth of America. His fears aren’t completely unfounded as drugs are a major part of the hippie lifestyle and it’s because of this that he and his wife are worried about their daughter Janette who they fear may become a hippie herself.
After meeting a hippie when on a drive, Janette decides to bring him home to meet her father. She does this because the man, whose name is Lonnie Frisbee, is as spiritual as her pa, so she thinks the encounter with Lonnie will change her dad’s perspective.
Thankfully, Chuck is impressed by Lonnie’s spiritual persona and Biblical knowledge. So impressed is he that he takes Lonnie to his church and allows the young hippie to take over the pulpit. Unfortunately, some members of the congregation aren’t as bowled over by Lonnie as Chuck, but over time, they become more tolerant towards the barefooted guy and the other hippies that Lonnie and Chuck introduce to the church.
Who is Greg Laurie?
Greg Laurie is a young man with a troubled background. During his childhood, he lived with his alcoholic mom and the various men that she brought to their home.
Like many young people of the time, Greg is searching for meaning and quite possibly a parenting role model too, and he finds both of these things in Lonnie and Chuck.
Before joining the church, he enrols on the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program but he quits the course when he meets a group of hippies who welcome him into their group.
One of the hippies Greg meets is Cathe, a girl that he grows increasingly close to, much to the annoyance of her conservative father.
It’s while Greg is with Cathe that he tries psychedelic drugs for the first time and experiences his first high. He enjoys it but is later convinced to turn away from drugs by Cathe after her sister overdoses.
Cathe begins to attend the church that Lonnie is running with Chuck, and Greg follows soon after. A while later, the two of them get baptised at Pirate’s Cove by Chuck.
Greg’s faith begins to deepen and he is granted an opportunity to speak to the local youth fellowship at another church. Greg wants to continue speaking at the church but its leader, who is as stuffy and conservative as Chuck’s past congregation members, refuses to let him continue. Surprisingly, Chuck doesn’t stand up in support of Greg, causing the young man to feel as lost and directionless as he was before he became a Christian.
Do Chuck and Lonnie work well together?
For a long time, Chuck and Lonnie work very well together, and as a result of their shared ministry, hundreds of young hippies join their church and become Christians. Similar churches start up around America – the so-called Jesus Movement – where many more young people are introduced to God through the work inspired by the goings-on at Calvary Chapel.
Unfortunately, the partnership between Lonnie and Chuck falters when Lonnie begins to perform healing miracles at their gatherings. Chuck is wary of Lonnie’s supernatural abilities and his ego and after a disagreement between them, Lonnie leaves the movement and moves to Florida with his wife to work on their struggling marriage.
What happens to Greg?
Chuck sees the errors of his ways in not supporting Greg’s dream to preach and he buys an abandoned church which he gifts to Greg. The young man takes over the church and begins his own successful ministry.
At the end of the film, we are told Greg and Cathe are married and that their marriage is still going strong. His church, which goes by the name of Harvest, is now one of the largest churches in California. His evangelistic crusades have been attended by millions of people worldwide.
What happens to Lonnie?
We don’t see Lonnie again after he leaves for Florida but at the end of the film, we learn he and Chuck later reconciled and continued to minister together. In 1980, Lonnie helped birth the Vineyard Movement, which is still going strong today.
Lonnie passed away in 1993 but in the film, we aren’t told how he died.
As discussed here, Lonnie died from AIDS complications. Also omitted from the film was his homosexuality, which presumably resulted in him contracting AIDS. It can be assumed that his sexuality played a part in the disagreements between him and Chuck in the run-up to his decision to leave Calvary Church, but that isn’t explored in the film.
It’s a pity Lonnie’s full story isn’t told in Jesus Revolution but if you would like to learn more about the man and his lasting legacy, you can learn more about both in the article we linked you to previously.
Read More: Jesus Revolution Movie Review