In Jesus Name

At "Jesus Name" churches in Alabama and Georgia. Services started in a mild, restrained way but the tempo went way up, really quick. It all started with a newspaper report of an arrest of a snake handler at a church outside Newport, TN. Pastor Will Campbell drove over to Newport to talk with the sheriff and see if some sensible settlement could be reached. They succeeded and the little church in Newport was allowed to continue its services. Will Campbell's history of helping folks in trouble goes way back. He walked with the school children in the Little Rock insanity. He was fired from the University of Mississippi for playing ping pong with a black person who was doing one of the marches through Mississippi.

Directed by Al Clayton, In Jesus Name leans on a strong ensemble — Glenn Summerford, Darlene Summerford, Carl Porter — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1991.