An inspirational account of the ‘last great American revival’
How relevant are today’s churches, especially to younger folk? Your answer to that question will depend on your own experience of church, assuming, of course, that you have actually attended a place of worship at any point over the last few years.
From my experience, there are some brilliant churches out there that appeal to people of all ages and lifestyles, but there are also those that predominantly cater to die-hard congregation members who are against non-conformist church attendees and the types of sermons that could be considered radical or youth-friendly.
It’s sad that some people aren’t more accepting, as judgemental attitudes from severe church folk (who conveniently forget the messages of acceptance of Jesus’s teachings in the Bible) can put off those people who are genuinely searching for a spiritual connection to God. The same is as true now as it was in the late 1960s and early 1970s when a lot of religious people were wary of the live-free hippie generation that populated America.
Southern California pastor Chuck Smith was one such person, fearful that his daughter might be turned to the dark side by one of these high-on-life (and high on a few other things) free spirits, but his perspective changed when he met a young hippie by the name of Lonnie Frisbee.
As is told in the film Jesus Generation, Chuck met this Jesus lookalike when his daughter gave Lonnie a ride into town, and he was surprised to discover this long-haired individual was a spirit-filled Christian. He developed a deep respect for the young man, unlike the people of his church, who didn’t take too kindly to Lonnie or the other hippies who began to fill up the dwindling congregation.
These religious traditionalists were more protective of the church’s carpeted floors than the souls of these young people, but their bad attitude wasn’t enough to sway Chuck and Lonnie from joining forces and creating a church that welcomed all, as Jesus had done two thousand years previously.
Their ministry exploded in popularity and the ‘Jesus Revolution’ began, a term coined by the media to describe the spiritual awakening of the nation’s youth. The film tells the story of this movement, its effect on the people of the American West Coast (and beyond), and the way in which one broken and spiritually hungry young person named Greg Laurie found God through this ministry and carried on the baton that was passed to him by Chuck and Lonnie.
Kelsey Grammar stars as Chuck, the pastor who played a major part in what some people have dubbed the ‘last great American revival,’ and he gives a convincing performance, ably displaying both the initial sternness of the spiritual leader and the deep humbling he experienced after his encounter with Lonnie.
Credit must also go to both Jonathan Roumee who sensitively plays Lonnie, the born-again hippie who changed the lives of many, and Joel Courtney who gives a believable performance as Greg, the young man who, after a childhood scarred by bad parenting, finally found somebody (and something) worth believing in after joining the church.
Christian filmmakers Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle wisely sidestep the sappy sentimentality that has hurt other faith-based movies, meaning Jesus Revolution is a film that can be enjoyed by both Christians and non-Christians alike. The acting, camerawork and production values are all very strong, so it’s easy to see why this is less a niche religious film and something more befitting for the mainstream. The time and place of California in the 1970s is very well evoked and the story of the evangelistic Christian movement and its growth is never less than interesting.
Unfortunately, some parts of the real-life story are skipped over. Lonnie Frisbee’s homosexuality is never mentioned, for example, and consequently, neither are the affairs he had with other men while trying to stay true to his marriage and his faith. There is a point in the film when his position in the movement is threatened but we are told this is because of his overzealousness rather than his sexuality, the factor that likely played a big part in his removal from the ministry he helped begin.
Of course, the film isn’t only centred on Lonnie, so this could be the reason why some facets of his story were removed, but I also get the feeling the makers of the film may have been afraid to upset those Christians who still struggle to accept gay people into their congregations. If this is the case, it’s rather ironic, as it takes away the focus of the film and its messages of acceptance and spiritual salvation for all.
To cut mention of Lonnie’s homosexuality out of the narrative is a misstep but the film, as a whole, is still worth a watch for both the Christian faithful and those at the beginning of their spiritual journeys. It’s inspirational, but never cloyingly so, and it stands as a documented piece of history of a time when young people were on a high, not because of the drugs they had taken but because of the spiritual transformation that completely changed their lives.
Read More: Jesus Revolution Ending Explained
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Verdict - 7/10
7/10