Jesus Revolution (2023)

Warning: Spoilers
Saw this in a suburban theater with two elderly black ladies who waved at me cheerfully as they took seats at the end of my row. We were the only patrons in this matinee showing.

I was a little worried in an early scene when we first meet Lonnie, with long hair and serape, walking along a coastal highway. He’s using a walking stick the size Andre the Giant would find accomating, but when offered a ride by the preachers daughter he’s suddenly inside the car, the giant walking stick nowhere to be seen as they drive off. Not an encouraging start.

But this movie does get a lot right from then on, especially the scenes of hippy drug culture. An acid trip montage is very well done, twice, the consequences of reality bursting into the delusion to disastrous effect are some of the most emotional moments of the film. It’s easy to see why young people started to look beyond drugs for meaning.

But exactly why they turned to Jesus is not explored in any depth. Despite the casting of. Jonathan Roumie as Lonnie Frisbee, there felt like a disconnect between the Christian faith that was saving souls and the emotional conflict unfolding on the screen. Will Greg Laurie, recently kicked out of ROTC, win the heart of. Cathe, dedicated acid-head? Will Chuck Smith save his conservative church by this infusion of barefoot congregants? Will the movie tell the real story of Lonnie Frisbee, who succumbed to his sexual and pharmaceutical appetites when egoism crept into his ministry? The answer to the last question is no. Lonnie’s fall is kept out of the ending credits.

There is one particularly moving scene, when a wheelchair bound drug addict vet cries out in a loud voice “I need help!” and a very large service stops to surround the man with healing hands and prayer. Luckily had napkins available. It felt spiritual.

As I said in the title, will probably see it again, when it’s released on streaming services. Might not be giving it a fair shake on first viewing.

As the lights went on, both the elderly ladies and I watched the ending credits. They were chatting about the movie as I passed and we exchanged have a blessed days. That, at least is an exchange you won’t have after Cocaine Bear.