Billy The Early Years Click Here to Visit Website
Overall Score

Video/DVD
by Solex Productions, American Trademark Pictures & 821 Entertainment Group
Starring Armie Hammer, Martin Landau, Lindsay Wagner, Stefanie Butler, Jennifer O'Neill

Story (from website):
Most of us know Billy Graham as the self-assured and charismatic preacher who became one of the most important figures of 20th Century Christianity. Now, with the release of Billy: The Early Years, we meet Billy as the earnest and promising young man at the crossroads of faith and doubt, ultimately facing the moment of decision that launched one of history’s most powerful evangelistic careers.

Most compellingly, Billy: The Early Years paints its portrait of Graham against the backdrop of his relationship with Charles Templeton, another gifted young preacher who’s faith could not withstand the onslaught of scientific skepticism. He and Graham parted ways and in the film, Templeton comes to personify the rising tide of disbelief into which Graham launched his crusades.

Filmed in Tennessee, Billy: The Early Years captures the feel of the Depression-era tent revival where Graham heeded the altar call, and follows him through the doubt and resolution of the next decade. The film was directed by the versatile actor/director Robby Benson – the voice of The Beast in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The movie’s power lays in its honest portrayal of Billy’s struggle with the ideas represented in Templeton’s eventual unbelief and shows how Billy’s faith, so dramatically portrayed in the film, goes on to change the face of modern evangelism.

Technical Info:
Graphic images of holocaust shown. Offensive language: one instance of d*mn.

Angela's Take:
While this film was better and more entertaining than expected, there were a few things about it that were concerning. The first one was the graphic images of the holocaust, these images could be very disturbing to sensitive and young viewers and while I understand that these images are shown particularly to portray the horrors of the event, I wonder if less graphic images could have been shown in order to keep the film a bit more "family friendly." The second issue was the use of the word d*mn, which some may not consider to be a curse word, and possibly it was used because it may have actually been what the real Charles Templeton said, however I again believe a substitution would have better suited the film. The final issue I had personally bothered me more than the first two, and that was the demonization of Bob Jones of Bob Jones University. My experience with this University, as a Christian film enthusiast, is their Department of Film and Video/Unusual Films. While some of the productions may be laughable to some, when you take into consideration the production year and budgets, they are not bad, and my favorite Unusual Film, The Printing, along with another great, Sheffey, are quite excellent in quality and hold up well to secular movies made during the same time. And beyond that, I give much credit to those who who seek to pursue this medium for Christ. So while there may or may not be truth to the portrayal of the man behind the University, I was offended by the portrayal not only for this reason, but also because I do not believe Christians should be attacking each other in the public arena in this way for the particular reasons the film implies. I also cannot believe that Billy Graham would have wished to attack a fellow Christian either.
Aside from these issues however, the rest of the film was quite enjoyable and entertaining. Along with the serious scenes, there were comedic moments and interesting insight into this great man, Billy Graham and the tragic end of Charles Templeton's life. My favorite part of the film had to be the end, a beautiful performance by Armie Hammer, with a clear message of salvation. I believe this sermon can be seen on the movie's official website. (See link above.)

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