Jesus Revolution flew under the radar when it came to advertising, which made it all the more surprising that it became a box office hit. Now that the film is on Netflix, we can’t help but wonder: is it based on a true story? Luckily, we have you covered on everything you need to know about the Jesus Movement and the men who were responsible for it all.
Directed by Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle, Jesus Revolution is a Christian drama that stars Kelsey Grammer as Pastor Chuck Smith, Jonathan Roumie as Lonnie Frisbee, and Joel Courtney as Greg Frisbee — the real-life group who helped kickstart the Jesus Movement.
The movie was initially projected to make $7 million during its first weekend — but instead, brought in $15.5 million. Moreover, it raked in a whopping $45.5 million at the domestic box office after three weeks in theaters, according to Collider.
So what is Jesus Revolution about? Is it based on a true story? Read on for more information:
With the help of Frisbee, a hippie who relays the teachings of the Ministry of Jesus, Smith works to save his dying church by inviting hippies and other rebellious youths into the Calvary Chapel to evangelize them. The indie movie, which takes place in the late 1960s in Southern California, is told from the perspective of Laurie, a high-school student who goes on to join the church.
Yes, Jesus Revolution is based on a true story. Pastor Chuck Smith was a real man who invited hippies into the Calvary Chapel in the late 1960s to help raise membership numbers and improve the church’s finances.
The Jesus movement of the late ’60s and early ’70s — in which its followers were dubbed “Jesus freaks” — began in California before spreading throughout the world. It helped bridge the generation gap between rebellious youth and evangelical Christianity. Plus, it’s credited with popularizing the Christian rock music genre, according to Collider.
Aside from Smith, Greg Laurie and Lonnie Frisbee are also characters based on real people. The latter, who had the stereotypical look of a hippie, claimed to be a prophet as he preached homosexuality as a sin — even though he was a closeted gay man. He died in 1993 of AIDS.
Meanwhile, Laurie, one of the “Jesus freaks” who is now a famous pastor himself, recently reflected on the controversial TIME cover story from June 1971, which honed in on the movement.
“We didn’t call it a revolution,” Laurie told the outlet. “TIME magazine coined that phrase. We called it ‘The Jesus Movement.’ But I think actually TIME editors had it right, because they saw something bigger.”
Jesus Revolution is currently streaming on Netflix.