Watching the beginnings of this spiritual awakening took me back to the beginnings of my own faith journey. Deep emotions were awakened in me as I was reminded of how simple and pure those times seem to be. I was also reminded of how religion and institutional faith seemed to overwhelm and overcome that simplicity. I related to the story and the struggles on a very personal and somewhat uncomfortable level.
I loved the telling of how Calvary Chapel got started. I remember most of the major players. Except Lonnie Frisbee - I had not heard of him or the major role that he played. Watching him and seeing how he wanted the movement to stay free and messy brought back a few memories. In reality, back then I was more like Chuck Smith - I wanted order and structure. I wonder how it would have gone if they listened to Lonnie?
I thought that Jonathan Roumie did a great job in playing Lonnie Frisbee. I also loved Kelsey Grammar's interpretation of Chuck Smith. I thought that the first half of the movie was better than the last - the second seemed to drag a bit. Even so, the baptism scenes at Pirate's Cove really moved me - watching lives change for Jesus moved me deeply. I think that the movie was authentic and realistic.
I really liked the movie and, on a scale of ten, give it ★★★★★★★★☆☆.
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