Electric Jesus

I'm glad those who actually know and follow Christian music enjoy this film. I really don't recommend it for the secular viewer though.

First of all, you have to actually like hard rock. I can only take so much and really can't judge if the Christian version was an especially good take on it. The songs sung by "Sarah" are actually very nice, but blips in the overall soundtrack. In terms of story, there isn't much of one. It's basically a road film with one or two surprises along the way, but a lot of talking about goals and ambitions without a great deal of progress towards them. The moments of sexual/romantic tension are so wishy-washy you're left wondering what the point is. Above all, no character, except arguably Sarah, really grows through the film. Basically, if you don't have a fondness for the underlying genre, this film probably won't do much for you.

Great soundtrack and story that was executed well by the cast but there were way too many plot holes in the storyline. It seemed like there were deleted scenes that would've helped the story along. A more fully developed and tighter script with deeper characters in the band would've made the movie better. Nonetheless it was a very original idea and a fun movie.

This one was a little genre-defying at first but you quickly realize it is a SERIOUS film that takes it's subject matter and characters seriously, but it is also a comedy with some genuine laugh-out loud moments populated by some refreshingly relatable and genuine characters surrounded by a rather good soundtrack.

DO NOT dismiss this as a low-tier "faith based" film, even though almost all the characters are Christian. The scenes know just when to cut away so it is not preachy but instead both showcasing what the life of a Christian is like while allowing audiences to get a good hint at the message the scene is showcasing, even though the message is not being pounded over your head.

It is neither mocking of religious folk nor caving to portraying them the way most faith-based movies do.

These multi-dimensional characters are VERY HUMAN, with their own flaws. That get put into realistic situations. You understand why the characters are the way they are and the choices they make without exposition-heavy scene after scene to explain it.

The plot is not predictable so you will be entertained by the character's surprising choices (and both surprising & sometimes not surprising consequences) that develop throughout the story which culminates into an extended epilogue that is heart-warmingly emotional without being sappy.

And yes, Brian Baumgartner ("Kevin" from the office) does have a substantial role... think Tom Hanks role in "That Thing You Do" except we get to know this multi-dimensional character here a lot more. However, the performances from his fellow actors are equally top-notch so you will very quickly be invested in all these characters instead of remembering Baumgartner is one of the only recognizable stars (which is a testament to all the actors ability). To me, it's much better to get drawn into a story & characters than to stop & think to yourself "these are great actors" (which ye can do after the movie is long over).

While there is no traditional big stadium with huge audience scene, the filmmakers stretched the million dollar budget to make it seem like a film with a much bigger budget but the story & characters are so enthralling, you probably won't care what the budget is as the production values service this story very well.

It's not the greatest movie ever made, but it is not a bad movie at all. It has all the ingredients that make a good film.

Films that mention Jesus tend to fall into two categories. Some reek of a religious agenda and are idolized among the faithful while being dismissed as propaganda by everyone else. Others are satisfied with criticizing the behavior of religious people: often fairly, but sometimes to the point of ridicule.

Electric Jesus does neither, which makes it a simply wonderful film.

Set in the summer of 1986, Electric Jesus invites the audience into a piece of American culture that many have experienced, even if in isolated bursts that we never really learn how to talk about. We are invited to the intersection of adolescence and Christianity through a world of Bible camps, church youth group skating parties, and an aspiring hair metal band who are heaven-bent on making Jesus famous.

The story portrays the earnestness and innocence of teenagers surrounded by religion as they discover who they are in this world. The evangelical subculture that the story emerges from is neither mocked nor glorified; instead we are invited into witness the characters as they come of age. There are moments of giddiness, of youthful idealism, of stupidity, of awkwardness, and everything that comes with adolescent friendships that are as intense as they are short-lived because life has other plans. There are also moments that simply take my breath away because they are so very human that they seem to come out of nowhere in a comedy.

Electric Jesus allows teenage characters to carry the story with the same dignity that John Hughes perfected during the same decade that the story is set in. It is also a deeply satisfying film about music, telling the story of a fictional band that never makes it. The original music captures both the rollicking humor of the film while demanding to be taken seriously. Additionally, the Christian youth subculture of 1986--the music, the clothing, and the people--is captured with a meticulous eye for detail that provides pure delight to anyone who lived through it and an accurate glimpse for those who never found themselves being asked to commit their life to Jesus while sitting on the floor of a roller skating rink during a heavy metal altar call.

John Hughes would be proud of this coming-of-age film set smack dab in the '80s. What makes it unusual, unique and universal for so many is its rich, laughable yet authentic and endearing setting. Electric Jesus centers around a Christian heavy metal band that tours the Southeast in the summer of 1986. This odd mix of testimony, testosterone and teenage life really happened for many in the Western world and this movie accurately portrays this in the background as six underage rockers do their best to make Jesus famous while playing skating rinks, youth group rooms and church sanctuaries with eyeliner, spandex, hair and falsetto vocals.

This movie is like a love letter written to Christian heavy metal - an entire subculture and sub-genre that existed and exploded side-by-side with everything else that made that decade so fun.

The soundtrack is brilliantly written - both musically and lyrically to be believable and memorable. You'll be embarrassed for liking it, but you'll find yourself singing, "Comman-do for Christ - let's all go Commando!" The lyrical wit and intentional irony won't be lost on you as you laugh your way through the film.

Comedy, comradery and nostalgia all fit very nicely inside this film. I dare you to watch it and say you hated it. I've seen it four times now and I can't wait to see it again.