BASED ON A TRUE MOVEMENT.

It gets off to a promising start, this film about the movement that became known for its ”Jesus freaks”, with a portrait of a pastor who in the late 1960s brings new vitality to his sleepy Southern California church by opening his arms to Christian hippies.

Unusually well made for a faith-based film, with a warm, sunny look that fits its setting, and a good performance by Kelsey Grammer.

The story is weaker though and simplifies too much, including its portrait of the controversial preacher Lonnie Frisbee.

2023-U.S. 120 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Jon Erwin, Brent McCorkle. Book: Greg Laurie, Ellen Santilli Vaughn. Cast: Kelsey Grammer (Chuck Smith), Joel Courtney (Greg Laurie), Anna Grace Barlow (Cathe), Jonathan Roumie, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Nic Bishop.

Trivia: Jim Gaffigan was first hired as Chuck, but bowed out.