Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher

      2005 1 hr. 45 min. Documentary List
      Reviews 73% 100+ Ratings Audience Score Lonnie Frisbee is a young hippie and claims to have experienced an encounter with God while on an acid trip. He becomes a Christian evangelist and draws thousands of followers, and his charisma leads him to help found Calvary Chapel, which grows into a worldwide ministry. After the discovery that Lonnie was involved with the Laguna Beach gay scene, ministers in the church he helped found treated him with contempt and delete him from its history. Read More Read Less

      Where to Watch

      Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher

      Prime Video

      Rent Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher on Prime Video, or buy it on Prime Video.

      Audience Reviews

      View All (13) audience reviews
      tammy h Different time, same message. God uses broken people Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Good story with a twist I didnt expect. I especially loved the narrator. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Watching this low-budget but excellent documentary is like watching Samson's life disintegrate if you happened to live in Israel in the times of Judges. Considering that Frisbee was the spark behind the growth of two denominations including Vineyard, and the modern day signs & wonders movement, it seems remarkable how little we have heard of him. If you are a charismatic, Frisbee is bound to have affected your theology one way or other, if not directly then indirectly through John Wimber, or the multitude of ministers who were in turn affected by Wimber. It seems clear to me that Frisbee was indeed 'anointed by God' which makes the fact that his personal life was a mess theologically challenging. How do we fit Samson in our theology? What is clear though is that accompanying Frisbee's sexual failures was the abuse he experienced as a child, and a fundamental cry for acceptance that gradually turned to bitterness, and that prioritizing ministry success over marriage and personal spiritual growth nearly always seem to lead to some sort of personal disaster. Perhaps God gave Frisbee so much because so much had been taken away from him when he was a child; nevertheless Frisbee never confronted his personal traumas and probably never looked for professional help. It is a haunting story, as it documents the transformation of a naive young hippie who has been touched by God into a bitter man who never stops sowing the seeds of his own destruction. Thankfully, there is a bit of redemption in the end! The soundtrack is excellent and brings back the atmosphere of the era. All in all, this documentary is a major contribution to the study of the modern-day charismatic movement. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member A compelling account of the rise and fall of a preacher associated with the Jesus Movement. Di Sabatino's film raises a number of significant issues, from the typical charges of Christian hypocrisy to more contentious issues like the use of signs and wonders and the acceptance of homosexuals. The film admirably takes a measured approach to the variety of voices in its attempt to rehabilitate Frisbee's role in this movement. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member I found it very compelling how one individual got "written out" of contemporary American Christian history because of his sexual orientation. I think if the parties involved would share their struggles with Lonnie's homosexuality, it would give a lot of insight to the evangelical church in the US of how they should deal with the issue. Obviously, God is not a "respecter of persons" when it comes to spiritual gifts. Sad that those involved, in general, seemed to accept the gifts, and the fruit of the gifts, but not the vessel. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Good story and subject, but the technical aspects of the documentary are not very good. Seemed like a lot of filler too. Good soundtrack, though. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      More Like This

      View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
      Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

      Photos

      View All Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher photos

      Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher

      Frisbee: The Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher (2005) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (2) Critics Reviews
      Dennis Harvey 48 Hills This ingratiating movie exemplifies much of what’s attractive about Christianity, yet what it omits simultaneously underlines the kind of selective hypocrisy that continues to erode faith in its institutions. Mar 3, 2023 Full Review David Lamble Bay Area Reporter Frisbee will provide a fascinating window on the great divide between spirituality and sexuality still roiling our nation. May 7, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Lonnie Frisbee is a young hippie and claims to have experienced an encounter with God while on an acid trip. He becomes a Christian evangelist and draws thousands of followers, and his charisma leads him to help found Calvary Chapel, which grows into a worldwide ministry. After the discovery that Lonnie was involved with the Laguna Beach gay scene, ministers in the church he helped found treated him with contempt and delete him from its history.
      Director
      David Di Sabatino
      Executive Producer
      David Di Sabatino
      Screenwriter
      David Di Sabatino
      Genre
      Documentary
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 5, 2016
      Most Popular at Home Now