Are We Desperate Enough? | Jon Erwin on the Making of “Jesus Revolution”

Everyone Grigori here with John Irwin, the director of such films as Jurassic Park jaws not yet know to correct that Spielberg know you directed. I can only imagine.

I still believe American underdog and now this film that's coming out in February 2013, Jesus revolution, so were in a movie theater. Right now we just did a test screening and John this thing is testing off the charts yummy about what we we we test the movies when we when we make them in and we best companies that we we do the official test and it's actually on the highest S movie that we've ever made it higher than I can only imagine even with it just means that people really really love the water and and I think they resonate with the story. I think there's something magical about an idea that's found it's time and it's so interesting how it's the story then that really is the story now. It's such a relevant story and I did. I just think it's a movie that makes you laugh, it's a movie that makes you cry.

It's a movie that you see yourself in and it's a movie that you instantly want to be a part of like how can this happen again right now.

How can we have another Jesus revolution today. It is truly a movie you have to experience light, like in their it's there's nothing like what you're in a theater right now were just now showing it to people after all this all this time it's even in its unfinished state, because it doesn't come out in the spring. It's it's just a movie. The people deeply resonate with and it's it's a movie you have to see with an audience in and and it's an it just feels really, really special. I think people going to be really surprised John by the twists and turns. This film takes without conflict set resolution of the conflict's disappointment and things that happened to all of the sunlight, but showing such a powerful, beautiful way. How how Christ can heal and restore and put things back together but I think what sets this movie apart. I think it's a masterpiece of a film brilliant performances by Kelsey grammar.

This Pastor Chuck Smith, Joel Courtney is me playing my role and Grace Barlow as Kathy and I and Jonathan Rumi, best known for his role of Jesus and the chosen in the role of evangelist Lonnie Frisbee. What's unique about this film. John is the gospel is in the film, complete with the sinners prayer. Think of everything that I've never unseasoned and it happened.

Never had this happen and and and and a movie screening is the same were shooting the scenes. I screened it for group of up up for a film festival and and it was a it was there's a lot of families. There is no young people. There just to see how they respond to it and in the day was a Christian worldview from possible that a church in Georgia and the Sherwood church a wonderful church and and great friends, and they literally had to tear down the screen after the movie because it was like 16 kids will be baptized well when they saw it film Festival and it I've never had that happen and I just think that is going to be what can happen when people see this movie there to say I want this to happen in my life while you know is life imitating art. Yes, even when we are shooting the baptism scenes in the end, the Pirates Cove plays a key role in this movie beginning middle and end. But this little spot.

We actually did the baptisms back in the Jesus movement days for the film like there's just one character that's baptized in the film and right after he was baptized in character.

He came to me and said I want to accept Christ and be baptized for appeal yeah and then I baptized him over the side or you are still shooting. We were literally filming your baptism in dramatizing and nobody knew what was happening and you were baptizing characters on film. Not only that you you taught Jonathan you know how to you with you to the baptism school and your teaching him how to how to not throw your back out the Baptist that the sinners prayer in the in the movie, you know you you wrote and taught Jonathan and he was he was doing those performances and he came is wonderful actor is and and and sets are the method actor and he came out of the water came to me he's like that's what you know this is happening for real.

These extras that they're actually making decisions for Christ. I think I'm doing it the right way. I just want to check with Greg taking this very seriously and it was like seven or eight people and it just there was it was in the air. The power was in the air and to be at the same place that those events actually happened and feel that same power I just I think that it can happen again. So we have a bold vision for this film. I see this is more than the film.

I think this can become a movement.

Only God can make that happen, but working to do everything we can to make this film successful affect our vision and our goal is to make this the number one film in America when it opens on what is the exact date of his affection for its itself every 24 and Jesus being number one at the box office with you man, but I think it was always this revolution. I think it would also you know I believe that if we can launch the movie correctly and unifier voice together as believers. I think millions and millions of people that need to move you will see it.

That's the way movies work and and I think it would be really good if we could if we can unifier voice and and rally around this movie and this concept that God didn't want he can do it again and we can do it now and he can do it in my life and in my family and in my in my generation my time and and I and I think that watching the movie correctly is a huge part of that we want to be ready on the backend with follow-up to provide new believers Bibles which is a special edition of the New Testament that I wrote these notes for there's 10 million of them in print, but it has the gospel and it follow-up steps on how to grow as a Christian we want to provide every person that sees the number at the end of the screen that they can text we want to supply them with one of these Bibles and then follow up on them. So there's a QR code on the screen right now, you scan the QR code you can find out more about how to support the revolution.

The revolution is coming to Jesus revolution into film in our prayer as it will become even something more than the film guy.

Just think, my daughter just turned 13, you know, and my prayer is that what what God did in your generation will your teenager God can do as my daughters becoming a teenager, God can do it now. We need it ready for it. We need another Jesus revolution now and and and I think it can happen. I think if it doesn't happen in our country is in deep trouble because you know it's not a political revolution.

We needed some a moral revolution we need it to Jesus revolution. We need we need a spiritual awakening.

It may be America's only hope.

Well work before you. It's interesting is when we do the research and we talked I talked to you in some new people. This word desperation just coming up it's it's like it was a time we were all just desperate and I I've never felt more desperate in my lifetime in America like we just eat hopefully need help and we need God and and we need each other and so I think were reaching that same moment, and when it was really bleak and it was really dark but it's in the darkness of light shines and and and if if if revival broke out.

Then, in a very similar time. Why not now. Why can't this be the answer that many.

Yes, let's pray. To that end, I once asked chuckle close with this, but a number of years ago I was sitting with Chuck having lunch in a whisper trade this somebody else grammar and I said Pastor Chuck, you think we'll ever see another Jesus movement and he said you know Greg, I'm not sure I don't know for desperate enough, but actually think we become more desperate since that day I asked him that question that that's we need desperation call on the Lord Jesus. Now do great and mighty things. Let's pray that that in Jesus revolution coming in the spring of 2023 everybody thinks you're listening to this podcast to learn more about harvest ministries follow the show and consider supporting it. Just go to harvest.org and find out how to know God personally go to harvest.org and click on know God