Richard Boddington makes wishes come true. For those who put Jesus on the list of historical figures you would have dinner with, LA Jesus lets you know what might happen if Jesus came for dinner…or lived in a tent outside your home.
Dwayne Thomas (Bradley Stryker) is a well-to-do businessman who is lost in life. While walking along the beach and avoiding the homeless who live there, Dwayne is approached by a man who is dressed as Jesus (Terral Altom). Or that’s what Dwayne thinks. This man is not cosplaying, but he claims actually to be Jesus.
After a few acts of kindness, the long-time atheist, Dwayne, decides to humor “Jesus” and offers to buy him lunch. Dwayne starts by asking him about Noah’s Ark and why God had to kill everyone except Noah and his family. Out of kindness, Dwayne buys Jesus a sandwich. When Jesus leaves, Dwayne is chastised by a homeless advocate, Diana (Natasha Henstridge), who warns Dwayne not to feed the homeless.
With each encounter, Dwayne and Jesus’ friendship grows deeper. Dwayne takes the bold step to speak with and aid the homeless citizens around him. Soon, the discussion turns to why Dwayne became an atheist. Can Jesus handle the answer?
“a man who is dressed as Jesus… claims actually to be Jesus.”
LA Jesus is practically a play set to film—a conversation, if you will, between an atheist and God. In case you’re wondering, the story is pro-God, and as a Christian myself, I appreciated the simplicity of the conversations between Dwayne and Jesus. As Dwayne prods Christ with the tricky philosophical question about why bad things happen to good people, Jesus prompts Dwayne to step out of his comfort zone and help those in need with the abundance he has. I’ve always believed that being a Christian is not as complicated as theologians make it out to be.
It’s also a simple film, being fairly no-frills. Most of its production values are found in Terral Altom’s Jesus get-up. The star of the film is Richard Boddington’s script. I’ve seen my fair share of bad Christian movies. LA Jesus gives us the right amount of dialogue so it doesn’t feel like a sermon, actions that put faith into our feet, and shows how placing others above ourselves can be truly life-changing.
Playing Jesus is difficult. Terral Altom gives Jesus a personal touch—not holier-than-thou, but personable and approachable. Thanks to the script, a mental chess game is being played with Jesus: Is he crazy, or is he who he says he is? Thankfully, Altom pulls off what could have been an awkward performance.
In the end, LA Jesus is about asking questions. The big one is: Who is this Jesus person? The other is about a faith that wrestles with the very nature of God and for Christian to get off the a***s and meet the needy where they’re at.
"…Is he crazy, or is he who he says he is?"
Hello Alan,
As a Christian and an Independent Filmmaker, I am always uncomfortable with productions that show a character who is supposed to be The Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Even in my two favorite Christian films, the God-fearing “The Robe” (1953), and its sequel, “Demetrius and the Gladiators” (1954), I am not certain that a sin is not being committed by the showing of the filmmakers’ interpretation of Christ. In these two films– in what I understand to be the filmmakers’ respect for the subject-matter– “Christ” was photographed from a distance, so that his face was not clearly reproduced. Sometimes, a mannequin was used, instead of an actor. For medium-shots and for close-ups, the actor’s face was covered by an object or by another person. Despite the overall reverence that “The Robe” and “Demetrius and the Gladiators” exhibit for God, it is possible that these two films are in violation of the second commandment.
Overall, is “L.A. Jesus” as respectful of God/Christ/The Bible as the Biblical films of the 1950s are?
Sincerely,
Spencer