JESUS REVOLUTION’s Box Office Success Shows Christians Carry Sway
By Movieguide® Staff
With a $15.5 million box debut, JESUS REVOLUTION shows that Christians will turn out in droves for a movie that honors faith and family values.
The movie, which stars Jonathan Roumie as Lonnie Frisbee, Kelsey Grammer as Pastor Chuck Smith, and Joel Courtney as a young Greg Laurie, opened to $15.5M at the box office—making it the third most profitable movie for Feb. 24-26.
Meanwhile, secular critics proved just how out of touch they are with what audiences really want.
Movieguide®, however, knows that content that promotes strong biblical values scores at the box office, as evidenced by this impressive opening weekend. Christians will show up and purchase tickets for their entire family when they can be assured that a movie contains little to no excessive content and will honor the values they preach in their own homes.
The cast and crew took to instagram to share their excitement of fan and critic reception about a movie that champions faith, the gospel, and Christian values.
Producer Andy Erwin celebrated the success on Instagram, writing: “Dang! The audience is being heard loud and clear. My phone is blowing up with industry people asking what the heck is happening. … Proud of this story and how God is using it. Proud to produce it. @jesusrevolutionmovie IN THEATERS NOW!!!”
Roumie, who is best known for his portrayal of Jesus in THE CHOSEN, added: “My dear friends….this is just too unreal. Thank you for supporting and embracing this film!! All glory to God. Looks like our prayers are being heard. I spent opening day in a monastery in prayer, grateful for all I’ve been given. Because that’s where I needed to be…Reminding myself that serving God and each other is the first priority in life.”
Patricia Heaton congratulated the team behind JESUS REVOLUTION, saying: “I remember when some Jesus freaks rented a house in my little Ohio town in the early seventies. It was quite a phenomenon. Did anyone else experience this? That’s what made watching Jesus Revolution so much fun – I never really knew the backstory of how that whole thing started. It just opened yesterday and it’s a lovely movie – check it out!”
A portion of Movieguide®’s review reads:
JESUS REVOLUTION is an accurate, compressed portrait of the hippies and Vietnam War protestors who find Jesus because God calls several Christians to tell them about Jesus Christ. The plot is propelled by a love story between an impoverished young man, Greg Laurie, with an alcoholic mother, and Cathe, a beautiful young woman from a wealthy Southern California family. Cathe becomes burned out by the drug scene. She brings Greg to Pastor Chuck Smith’s growing church in Newport Beach. Lonnie Frisbee, a young hippie preacher, has convinced Chuck to open his church to the young, disaffected people who’ve been drawn to Southern California.
JESUS REVOLUTION is incredibly well made and captivating. It has many scenes with jeopardy and inspiring, well-written presentations of Jesus Christ’s 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.
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