I finally saw the movie. A few months ago, I mentioned that this was a wholesome movie that, at the time, had grossed more money than nearly all the Best Picture nominees combined. But I hadn’t seen it yet.

The movie has now grossed $53.1 Million. It cost $15 Million to make. It has been a commercial success.

On the spiritual front, it is not nearly as successful as it might have been.

On the positive side, the acting is excellent. There is no nudity or profanity. It is a family-friendly movie. It provides families an opportunity to discuss the movie’s theology.

It promotes obedience to God as being good for you.

Unfortunately, obedience is also presented as a condition of eternal salvation.

Which brings me to the negative side. The evangelistic message presented is a confusing form of Lordship Salvation. The hero of the movie is famous Lordship Salvation pastor Greg Laurie. When he is baptized in the ocean, he is asked if he has decided to follow Jesus yet. He answers, “No.” Lonnie Frisbee then asks him if he is ready to decide right then. “Yes.” So Frisbee leads him in a sinner’s prayer. Laurie confesses that he is a sinner, says that he is turning from his sins, and invites Jesus into his life to be his Lord and Savior. With that, he is baptized.

I don’t recall anyone in the movie saying that whoever believes in Jesus has everlasting life.

Lonnie Frisbee introduced charismatic practices–supposedly prophesying and healing–to Calvary Chapel.

As some films do, after the movie ends but before the credits, it shows pictures of the real Chuck Smith, Lonnie Frisbee, and Greg Laurie. It also gives updates on what happened to them.

It says that Lonnie Frisbee later helped start the Vineyard Movement and that he died in 1993. However, the movie does not say that he died of AIDS and that he had become a practicing homosexual. I found an article that talks about why the movie left that out. See here. The article says that the movie hinted that Lonnie had been bisexual before he became part of the Jesus Movement. I missed that. It says that he and his wife divorced soon after they arrived in Florida (not mentioned in the film) and that Lonnie “returned to homosexuality.”

Much of the evangelistic confusion we see today can be traced in part to the Jesus Movement. I came to faith in September 1972. The movie says the Jesus Revolution ended in 1972. I don’t believe that is true. I think it went on for several more years. I was a Jesus Freak and part of the Jesus People. I had big sideburns like the characters in the movie.

When I came to faith in Christ for everlasting life, I was a college student at a school just a few miles from Calvary Chapel. On Saturday nights I went to a huge tent there where thousands of teens and young adults heard Love Song and lots of Maranatha music. (The heavy emphasis on contemporary Christian music is seen in the movie as well.) We also heard Chuck Smith preach.

Back then, everyone in the Jesus Movement knew that Jesus was the only way. But what someone specifically had to do to be saved was unknown to most.

I recommend this movie for well-grounded believers. It could even be a good evangelistic tool if you could point out that the movie gets the saving message wrong and then compare it to John’s Gospel.