JESUS REVOLUTION’s Joel Courtney Wants Others to Experience ‘Joy’ Found In Faith

Published: July 26, 2023

JESUS REVOLUTION’s Joel Courtney Wants Others to Experience ‘Joy’ Found In Faith

By Movieguide® Contributor

JESUS REVOLUTION star Joel Courtney opened up about his passion for faith-based projects and his desire to share the joy of his faith with others.

“I just connected with it immediately,” Courtney said of JESUS REVOLUTION. “First off, anything with the gospel in it, I’m immediately passionate about. There’s a joy in my faith that I long for others to experience.”

Part of that connection was the “similarity” he saw between himself and Greg Laurie, who he played in the movie.

“Our faith is such a perfect way of connecting to the character,” Courtney said. “I think we’re looking for truth. I think we’re looking for something greater than ourselves…I think that searching, that longing I think that’s core to humans. Greg found his faith…Jesus found him first…and my story is very similar to that.”

The actor explained that the hit movie accurately portrays Christianity.

“[It] pulls no punches. It confronts sin, and it confronts hardships and character,” Courtney said. “[It shows that] once you become a Christian, life doesn’t just get easy, and I really appreciated all of that.”

That accuracy is part of what pushed JESUS REVOLUTION to the top of the box office. According to Box Office Mojo, the movie took in over $52 million.

He also shared a story about a recent showing he did of JESUS REVOLUTION for a group of students from his church.

“We did a little Q&A at the end. And I prayed for them,” Courtney said. “And it was just a profound time getting to experience them watching the film. And knowing like they are on the brink of adulthood, or young adulthood, and it’s such a turbulent and difficult time to traverse. And I just think that this movie shows a beautiful path and a hope…Hope is everything. If you don’t have hope and love, you don’t really have anything.”

A portion of the Movieguide® review for JESUS REVOLUTION reads:

JESUS REVOLUTION is incredibly well made and captivating. It has many scenes with jeopardy and inspiring, well-written presentations of Jesus’ Gospel. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution because the movie accurately depicts the drug scene from an impartial viewpoint that might attract younger children. The movie also shows Greg Laurie’s mother’s constant drunkenness and philandering. The immoral behavior is part of the true stories in JESUS REVOLUTION, which, to an amazing degree, have been made into an exciting, cohesive, uplifting movie.