(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) Jesus Revolution, a movie about a Protestant church that begins catering to hippies in the 1970s, shocked the totally secularized Hollywood box office gurus by turning in a solid performance in its first two weekends.
The movie, which features Kelsey Grammer as a pastor in southern California, grossed $15.5 million in its first weekend after being projected to only earn $7 million, the Washington Examiner reported.
In its opening weekend, the film took third place at the box offices, behind only big-box movies Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and Cocaine Bear. It continued strong into its second weekend, grossing a cumulative $30 million through Sunday.
Producer Kevin Downes commented on his surprising hit, noting that he was glad to see that it reached millions.
“While the runaway hit is exciting, it translates to over 1 million people who have watched and been inspired by the movie,” Downes wrote. “That’s why we made it, and what we’re thrilled to see.”
The film features a story of a pastor at a church inviting hippies into a languishing church in order to convert them and bring the church new life. It sneers at the judgmental, older middle-class churchgoers who refuse to acquiesce to the young radical leftists, and praises those who show more tolerance.
The church is eventually revived, and the story ends with an uneasy union between far-left hippies and middle class geriatrics.
Despite its Left-leaning story line, critics have slammed the movie as “narrow”, with it scoring a fairly low 61% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Though there are reasons to be concerned about the movie and its message, its box office success does indicate clearly one important message: Americans still have an appetite for Christianity and Christian stories.
