Even at my most devout, I didn't watch a whole lot of Christianity-themed movies, and those I did were mostly about famous historic figures. This one looked like it could well be run-of-the-mill sappy, preachy fare about coming to Jesus. But it did extraordinarily well at the box office, so I got curious. Was it especially good, or were many Christians just desperate for a new flick with their values? If nothing else, it promised a true story I didn't already know.
The film begins in California in 1968, dividing its focus among high schooler Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney), nondenominational pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), and homeless evangelist Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie). Chuck initially has a low opinion of hippies, but Lonnie, introduced by Chuck's daughter (Ally Ioannides), assures him they've been doing the wrong things for the right reason: looking for answers. Chuck invites Lonnie to preach at his church, drawing a large young congregation. Greg, meanwhile, has followed his crush, Cathe (Anna Grace Barlow), to go from a "square" to an unsatisfied stoner, until Cathe discovers Lonnie, and Greg eventually follows once more. That's not the end of all their struggles, of course....
Before I go any further, let me say that no unambiguous miracles appear. Lonnie sometimes engages in faith healing, but we don't know that it ever works; the one guy who says it did could be a plant. Nothing particularly improbable happens, tho I was a bit surprised at how quickly an old guy like Chuck could change his tune one way or another.
The interpersonal conflicts cannot be summarized as believers versus unbelievers. Most of the characters expressing antipathy toward the revival are traditional churchgoers who find Lonnie's approach far too casual and who suspect the youths are just seeking a different "high." Greg doesn't meet the approval of Cathe's parents because he's not making money. Having been raised by a single mom of questionable responsibility (Kimberly Williams-Paisley), he has a hard time trusting any relationship to last. And while Lonnie may look like a color-coordinated Jesus, he's not a saint; people close to him justifiably believe he's making the movement about himself, whether he realizes it or not, and his patience ebbs.
The rating being PG-13, there's no explicit talk, let alone depiction, of sex. We do see drug overuse and its effects. If not for fidelity to reality and a desire to avoid an R, I would have expected the filmmakers to take some easy opportunities to ratchet up the drama.
Instead, the drama tends toward the tepid. Don't expect any comic moments either. I split the two-hour viewing over two nights to combat boredom. Only in the third act could I appreciate the level of pathos.
I do not blame the budget. Grammer may have the only name I recognize, but he's hardly the only actor pulling his weight. The cinematography works pretty nicely considering the material to work with. The pacing is fine. And the soundtrack, both secular and religious, is enjoyable. No, all I can fault is the story itself, which I probably shouldn't, because again, it's reality.
The mixed reviews of JR fit with what I saw. It's not the movie Christians or non-Christians need or crave, but it could have been a lot worse. And I did learn many things about a phenomenon before my time.
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