The premiere of Jesus Revolution took the box office’s No. 3 spot this past weekend.
Moviegoers defied film critics’ reviews of the newly released film, which is based on the real-life experience of hippies being invited into church by Southern California pastor Chuck Smith, who was played by Frasier star Kelsey Grammer. The film depicts the Christian movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s that spread across the country as thousands joined the faith.
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Jesus Revolution grossed $15.5 million while showing on less than 2,500 screens across the country. The film trailed Walt Disney’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which grossed $32 million in its second weekend, and Universal’s Cocaine Bear, which grossed $23 million across 3,500 screens in its opening weekend.
Film review site Cinemalogue suggested that Jesus Revolution’s storyline is “narrow” and “muddled.”
"The intentions are pure enough, but the film suffers from a narrow historical perspective and a muddled narrative focus while trying to push its message," Cinemalogue wrote.
Rotten Tomatoes gave Jesus Revolution a score of 54%, while the film has notched an audience score of 99%.
CinemaScore also noted Jesus Revolution grabbed a rare A+ grade from filmgoers after seeing the movie. Top Gun: Maverick and The Woman King were the only two films to grab such a score in 2022.
Grammer, who played the role of Chuck Smith in the film, called it “really uplifting.”
“What Chuck did went back to one of the basic precepts of Christianity, which is inclusion,” Grammer said. “He thought, ‘Well, I’m doing it this way, and people aren’t listening,' so he finally surrendered. He said, ‘You show me a hippie, and I’ll listen.’ It became a great adventure, which is still going on.”
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Grammer also noted how it highlighted his dedication to his faith.
“I have come to terms with [the highs and lows of my own faith journey] and have found great peace in my faith and in Jesus,” Grammer said. “It’s not cavalier — Jesus made a difference in my life. That’s not anything I’ll apologize for.