Jesus Revolution

[maybetoday]

Have any of you seen this yet?  


'Jesus Revolution' More Than Doubles Industry Estimates at Box Office on Opening Weekend



By Randy DeSoto

February 27, 2023 at 1:06pm


The film “Jesus Revolution” more than doubled industry estimates, taking in over $15 million at the weekend box office and earning a third place finish overall.



Deadline reported that the story about the Jesus movement in the late 1960s and 70s was forecasted to earn between $6 million and $7 million in ticket sales.



The movie earned an A+ CinemaScore rating from movie goers and a 99 percent audience rating from Rotten Tomatoes, meaning the audience loved it, though critics gave it mixed reviews at 55 percent.



We polled @jesusrevmovie and it scored an A+ grade! Congrats to #JonErwin, @brentmccorkle, @jonathanroumie, #NicholasCirillo, @kelsythekilljoyand the entire cast and crew! #CinemaScore pic.twitter.com/oqHDeRJtXU



— CinemaScore (@cinemascore) February 25, 2023


For “Jesus Revolution” director Jon Erwin, it was the fourth time one of his films earned an A+ rating, which CinemaScore President Harold Mintz pointed out is “unprecedented” going back to when the firm began releasing results in 1986.



“Jon Erwin has now achieved four A+ CinemaScores, more than any other filmmaker since we have been compiling data. For a director to achieve that accomplishment once is a rarity. But to hit that mark four times is not only an incredible distinction — it’s unprecedented,” Mintz said, according to Collider.



Rotten Tomatoes viewers give “Jesus Revolution” a 99% t.co/fi25IrURhl



— Joel Courtney (@joel_Courtney) February 26, 2023



Erwin’s other three A+ films were “Woodlawn” (2015), “I Can Only Imagine” (2018) and “American Underdog” (2021).


Deadline’s Anthony D’Alessandro speculated the reason that ticket forecasting was so far off is that it has been a while since a Christian movie was in wide release at the box office, playing in nearly 2,500 theaters.



It earned an impressive $6,272 per theater, according to Box Office Mojo.



Additionally, Lionsgate, the film’s distributor, built word-of-mouth interest in “Jesus Revolution” through early screenings at churches and universities.



(This writer was in fact able to attend an early screening in Phoenix last week thanks to a church friend receiving complimentary tickets.)


Further, Jonathan Roumie, the actor who plays Jesus in the popular series “The Chosen,” portrays hippie pastor Lonnie Frisbee in the movie.



Congratulations, @jesusrevmovie, on a great opening weekend! Check out my conversation with @jonathanroumie, who plays Lonnie Frisbee in the film: t.co/YTA7z5P6o0



— Tré Goins-Phillips (@tregp) February 27, 2023



The Baptist Paper reported that Erwin talked about “Jesus Revolution’s” impressive opening weekend at Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sunday, describing it as his company Kingdom Story’s “boldest” undertaking yet.



Lionsgate, he recalled, initially responded to the subject matter saying, “If it works, we’re going to do a ton more of this,” but, “If it doesn’t, this may be your last.”



“God just showed up en masse this weekend with the church, and it’s been amazing,” Erwin said.




He couldn’t help believing it’s God’s timing that the “Jesus Revolution’s release came on the heels of a revival breaking out at Asbury University in Kentucky earlier this month. A similar outpouring happened in February 1970 during the heart of the Jesus movement.



Erwin’s idea for the film came from a 1971 Time magazine cover titled, “The Jesus Revolution.”


It was about the last great spiritual revival in American history, which saw hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, come to faith nationwide.



In fact, the 1971 cover along with 1966 Time cover asking “Is God Dead?” are both seen in the “Jesus Revolution” movie to illustrate the arc American culture made in a few short years.



What a difference 5 years makes. In 1966, Time asked, “Is God Dead?,” then in 1971 Time ran “The Jesus Revolution” cover after revival had broken out nationwide during the #Jesus movement.



Is the same happening in our day? #Asbury had a big-time revival back then too. pic.twitter.com/vIohLk3t5S



— Randy DeSoto (@randydesoto) February 21, 2023


Actor Kelsey Grammer stars in “Jesus Revolution” as California pastor Chuck Smith, who was one of the most prominent leaders during the Jesus movement.



Grammer told NBC’s “Today” that shooting the movie took him right back to his teen years in the late 60s and early 70s, when all of this was happening.







“What it reminded me most of … in our time, the love, the sense of community, the things that we all had, it was real, and I miss it,” he said.



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“Who knows?” Grammer asked. “Maybe this film will bring some of that back. The light in people’s eyes then was genuine and sincere, and there was a connection of faith that was extraordinary.”


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[PrisonerOfHope]

Having come of age - and being born again - during the time of the Jesus Movement, I was curious to see how it would be presented on the big screen, particularly with "Frasier" (Kelsey Grammar) playing the part of Chuck Smith. I've long been a fan of Calvary Chapel and enjoy listening to many of its teachers, so the history of its inception was of special interest to me. 

From a purely artistic standpoint, the film as a whole was enjoyable and transported me back in time to the late 60s, what with the clothing styles and the music, although I would have chosen secular songs that were more popular than the few relatively obscure ones that were played (and which I've now forgotten even though I saw the show only yesterday) - the iconic "For What It's Worth" comes to mind. Not a major issue; it's just something that would have brought back sharper memories and been a better reflection of the period.

I had expected that the movie would be primarily about Chuck Smith, and reviews have said that in addition to the story of the movement's beginnings it also doubles as the origin story for Harvest Ministry founder Greg Laurie. Although both Chuck and Greg did have major roles in the show, in my opinion the person who seemed to be the most central character was Lonnie Frisbee - his colorful character and frequent appearances throughout the film really dominated the story. Admittedly, I didn't know much about him although I'm well acquainted with the teachings of Chuck Smith and Greg Laurie, so I took it upon myself to do some research about him when I got home.

His was a tragic life, but only parts of it were portrayed in the film, such as his coming from a broken home with an alcoholic mother and being the survivor of childhood abuse - and that is where the film fell short and did what I deem to be a huge disservice to the viewers, even though the truth wouldn't be pretty. In reality, Lonnie came out of the Laguna Beach gay underground scene when he found Jesus. Although he did get married, it didn't last - he struggled with homosexual tendencies throughout his life, and between that, his grueling ministry schedule, and his wife's adultery, the marriage was doomed from the beginning.  I won't go into the more sordid details of Lonnie's life - that isn't the purpose of this review or the film - but there was no question that he loved the Lord and would preach about Jesus to anyone who would listen. Lonnie did have a genuine burden for men in the gay lifestyle, as he did for all manner of damaged sinners wherever he encountered them, from the streets of California to the slums of Nigeria. Like many men carrying wounds from an absent or abusive father and childhood homosexual trauma he had a childlike vulnerability which could manifest in an overwhelming, urgent tenderness for the lost, but...he fought the demons of homosexuality himself all his life. Immature in some ways, he resented authority and  wouldn't submit to church discipline - first being deplatformed by Chuck Smith, and later by John Wimber, whose Vineyard "ministry" Lonnie unfortunately become involved with as he was a huge proponent of "signs and wonders" and miracle healings, and thrived on sensationalism. (In one scene in the movie he "slays" someone "in the spirit" - a totally unbiblical practice.) 

Sadly, Lonnie died of AIDS 30 years ago this week at the young age of 43. In his deathbed confession he stated emphatically that he didn't blame God for his sickness and admitted that he brought it upon himself because the wages of sin is death.  (You can hear more about it in the video below.)  In the end he became reconciled with the Lord, and I believe he's now with Jesus whom he loved so much. 

Getting back to the film, and what I see as its failures: The producers tip-toed around Lonnie's battle with homosexual sin, only obliquely referring to his underground gay phase in Frisbee’s tragic line, “We did everything and everyone.” They could have chosen to use passages from his autobiography (which he dictated to friends, as he had gone blind from AIDS) to emphasize the fact that he believed it was sin even as he struggled with it, and to bring to light the horrific cost of that sin. Instead, today some progressive voices, including Chuck Smith’s own son, Chuck Jr., see Frisbee’s story as a tragedy with the moral that the church should embrace and affirm “gay Christians”  - an oxymoron if ever there was one. One misguided and deceived reviewer wrote, "He was closeted because the Christianity of his time (and much of Christianity today) stigmatized sexual minorities as 'perverse.' In Frisbee’s time (as in ours) most churches applied a handful of biblical 'terror texts,' that were probably written with practices like temple prostitution and pederasty (men who 'mentored' pre-adolescent boys in exchange for sexual services) in mind. As a result, he was trapped — no way to legitimately express his sexual attraction to other men." (a)  From what Lonnie had to say as he lay dying, I suspect he would strongly disagree - he experienced firsthand the penalty of this perversion, and even though he battled with it constantly, he never embraced it. It's a touchy subject, but I believe Lonnie Frisbee would have wanted his dying thoughts (and warnings) made known - it would have been a powerful sermon from beyond the grave. I wonder if anyone would be brave enough to make a movie about it.

The second major failure of the film is one that would have been very simple to deal with. Most likely it's primarily Christians who will go to see this movie, but given it's unexpected popularity, it's probable a lot of non-Christians will be curious to see what it's about. Unfortunately, at no time was a clear presentation of the gospel message given - not in the show itself, and not even in the credits. It could easily have been inserted into one of the scenes where Church, Greg, or Lonnie were preaching...but it wasn't...and there's no excuse for that. 

On the whole the show was worth seeing, but bear in mind some major - and very important - parts of the story remain untold. 

As I left the theater, I found myself wondering, "What happened?" Supposedly many tens of thousands from my generation were saved and became on fire for Jesus, but where's the impact? Since the "Jesus Revolution" more than 60 million babies have been torn from limb to limb or burned to death by saline before they could take their first breath in the United States alone...and now proponents of abortion want to allow the killing of unwanted babies even after they're born. Our children and grandchildren (with too few exceptions) have become the most ungodly, self-centered, narcissistic generations in history. The other day I read that over 20% of young people are gender confused, identifying as "non-binary." Our grandchildren and great grandchildren are taken to drag shows and "drag queen story hours" where their parents happily and willingly subject them to sexual perversion by pedophiles; child pornography has become a multi-billion dollar business, and perversions of every kind have gone mainstream. The drugs that my generation indulged in in secret because they were illegal are now sold openly as their use is no longer against the law. Not to mention today's "woke" culture, the pervasive sense of entitlement, the formation of radical movements such as BLM and Antifa, the total disrespect for authority...I could go on and on.

The Book of Proverbs says to "train up a child in the way in which he should go and he will not depart from it." It's not an actual promise from God, just sage advice, but look at people like Andy Stanley: He was raised in a godly home but has become one of the biggest heretics of our day, and the "church" which he "pastors" is wildly popular!  According to a recent Pew survey, although 70% of Americans claim to be Christians, only 3% of those have a biblical worldview! Today's "gospel" isn't about our brokenness and need for repentance and forgiveness, it's all about health and wealth and our "best life now."  Never mind, "What can I do to serve God?" - it's now all about "What can God do to serve me? It's all about ME! ME! ME!" There is no longer any fear of God. What happened?  Where did we go wrong? 

Yes, there's talk of revival - but of what kind? Today's version of the "Jesus Revolution" is progressive "Christianity" that denies the true gospel, taught in places like Hillsong Church - a hotbed of heresy, blasphemy, and false teaching. Do I believe a revival is coming in these Last Days? Yes I do - right after the rapture, when no one can pretend to be a Christian, because being a genuine one will almost certainly cost someone their life. 

Here's Lonnie's deathbed confession; it's well worth listening to:



(a) Remembering Lonnie Frisbee, the Gay Man Who Sparked the Jesus Movement

[Pink Rose]

You're right POH - the gospel was never clearly presented in the movie. Seeing how well it's doing that's too bad, because some might have gotten saved because of it.  


Nolte: ‘Jesus Revolution’ Grosses More than 4 Oscar Nominees…Combined


JOHN NOLTE
7 Mar 2023

After only two weeks in release, a little Christian film called Jesus Revolution has grossed $30.5 million, which is a better domestic take than five of this year’s Best Picture nominees. In fact, it’s a better domestic haul than four of those Best Picture nominees combined.



And only an idiot is surprised by this news.



What makes this accomplishment even more satisfying is that Jesus Revolution has accomplished this after just two weeks in theaters. Every one of the Best Picture nominees listed below has already completed or is at the end of its theatrical run…



The Banshees of Inisherin– $5 million

The Fabelmans– $2 million

Tár– $7 million

Triangle of Sadness– $5 million

Women Talking– $9 million

Combined, those five films only grossed a total of $44 million, which Jesus Revolution will likely top before its theatrical run is over.





But once you remove The Fabelmans’ $17.2 million from that list, the number drops to a total of just $27 million for the FOUR remaining Best Picture nominees, which is below Jesus Revolution’s take after only two weekends of release.



I could get cute and add Netflix’s All Quiet on the Western Front to that list, a movie that made zero at the box office. But it was a streaming-only release, and these numbers are already so damning; why get cute?



So let’s look at some other numbers…



The production budget for Jesus Revolution was a reported $15 million, and other than Kelsey Grammer, I don’t recognize any of the other actors.



The Banshees of Inisherin cost $20 million to produce and stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleason, Barry Keough, and Kerry Condon.



Tár likely cost in the $20 million range and stars two-time Oscar winner Cate Blanchett.



The Fabelmans cost $40 million and is a freaken Steven Spielberg movie.



Triangle of Sadness cost $15.6 million and stars several international actors and Woody Harrelson. Nevertheless, worldwide it flamed out at $24 million.



There’s no budget listed for Women Talking, but it stars Claire Foy, Frances McDormand, and Rooney Mara.



If Hollywood is profit-oriented, why does the industry continue to produce movies no one wants to see?



Listen, I loved Tár and hope everyone sees it, but the numbers are what they are.



And now we know that no one, even when the movie is available on a streaming system they already subscribe to, is watching them at home.



Here’s something else… As an everyday movie consumer and fan, I knew all about these Oscar-nominated movies before they hit theaters. They enjoyed all kinds of free and paid publicity. But I knew nothing about Jesus Revolution until it was in theaters and over-produced at the box office.



There is a market for well-made movies that tell interesting stories about characters everyday Americans can relate to. And guess what? We can relate to Christians! There are about a hundred million of us out here.



But in the same way Hollywood will never try to recreate the success of Greg Gutfeld’s late-night show, Hollywood will never seek to entertain and draw normal American Christians into theaters, at least not anymore.



Will Hollywood recreate the success of Best Picture nominee Top Gun: Maverick, which felt like the last blockbuster we will ever see where men are men, women are women, and both the story and themes are relatable? Nope. Twenty years ago, Hollywood would have copied Top Gun: Maverick’s formula until we grew sick of them. Not anymore.



Hollywood hates normal people more than they love money… And let me tell you… That’s a lot of hate.

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[bloodbought]

'Jesus Revolution' becoming Lionsgate's highest grossing film, report

This past weekend, the film came in sixth place among top movies and brought in $5.1 million.


Updated: March 17, 2023 - 3:55pm


The faith-based film "Jesus Revolution" is having early box-office success and is reportedly on the way to becoming Lionsgate's highest grossing film since 2019.



The film stars are Kelsey Grammer and Jonathan Roumie, from the streaming series "The Chosen." The movie is based on a true story about the "Jesus movement" that took place in Southern California in the 1960s and 1970s.



This past weekend, the film came in sixth place among top movies and brought in $5.1 million. And the film has brought in a total $39.4 million in its so-far, three-week run, according to IMDb.com.



Producer Kevin Downes told the outlet Christian Headlines that audiences are eager for movies about faith.



"The numbers are incredible, especially coming out of a pandemic," he said.



Roumie says the film has some good lessons in it.



"It's about faith. It's about hope and redemption and finding your identity in God," he told Christian Headlines. "It's the great human conundrum. It's the great question we all ask ourselves: 'What am I doing? Why am I here? What is my purpose?' "



Christian Headlines says the film is the Lionsgate's highest grossing in roughly the past four years.

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