Kimberly Williams-Paisley plays Charlene Laurie in the upcoming film “Jesus Revolution.” The film is inspired by the true movement that was labeled the Jesus Revolution. I got to chat with Kimberly about what attracted her to the role, how much she knew about the original story, and what it was like playing the role.
Inspired by a true movement, JESUS REVOLUTION tells the story of a young Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) being raised by his struggling mother, Charlene (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) in the 1970s. Laurie and a sea of young people descend on sunny Southern California to redefine truth through all means of liberation. Inadvertently, Laurie meets Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic hippie-street-preacher, and Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), who have thrown open the doors of Smith’s languishing church to a stream of wandering youth. What unfolds becomes the greatest spiritual awakening in American history. Rock and roll, newfound love, and a twist of faith lead to a JESUS REVOLUTION that turns one counterculture movement into a revival that changes the world.
Directed by: Jon Erwin and Brent McCorkle
Written by: Jon Ewin and Jon Gunn
Produced by: Kevin Downes, Jon and Andrew Erwin, Josh Walsh, and Daryl Lefever
Cast: Joel Courtney, Jonathan Roumie, Anna Grace Barlow, DeVon Franklin, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and Kelsey Grammer
Review: Jesus Revolution has some of the similar beats that we have seen in other faith-based films from Jon Erwin, but this time I think the production really stood out. The story is inspirational that features Joel Courtney and Jonathan Roumie bringing these real characters to life in a way that was captivating. Outside of the great work by the costume and production design teams, my favorite part of the film was Kelsey Grammer’s performance as Chuck Smith. He carried such an incredible amount of weight within this role delivering one of the best performances we’ve seen from him in a film.
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