Billy: The Early Years
Encyclopedia
Billy: The Early Years is a 2008 American biographical film
, directed
by Robby Benson
. The film recounts the story of the world renown evangelist, Billy Graham
, played by Armie Hammer
, creating a portrayal of Billy’s life from the mid 1930s to the late 1940s when Billy Graham finds himself speaking in his famous Los Angeles
crusade. World Wide Pictures
, the film distribution and production company that was created by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
(BGEA), did not in any way help with the production of this film. After almost a year and a half of a delayed dvd release, Billy: The Early Years was released on DVD
on March 16, 2010.
) interviewing Charles Templeton
on his deathbed. Told in the eyes of Charles Templeton, the film proceeds in showing Billy Graham’s life as a teenager during the great depression
living at the family dairy farm in Charlotte
, North Carolina
. During this time, Graham is seen becoming a Christian
at a tent revival
meeting. Later, Graham is seen going to Bob Jones College, which is now Bob Jones University
, but Graham goes to Florida Bible Institute after being identified as a failure by Bob Jones, Sr
. Following his time at Florida Bible Institute, Billy Graham goes to Wheaton College where he falls in love with his Wheaton classmate Ruth Bell to whom he ultimately gets married. In the 1940s, Charles Templeton, becomes a really close acquaintance of Billy Graham; however, Charles Templeton, who is a young, gifted preacher, leaves his faith when he is challenged by scientific skepticism
, leading Graham and Templeton to part. Billy continues to evangelize in his crusades and believe that the word of God is infallible. The film finishes with Graham inviting his listeners to accept Christ as their personal savior in his Los Angeles crusade of 1949.
to play the part of Mordecai Ham
in the film; however, director Robby Benson
replaced him with another actor. Recent to the filming of Billy: The Early Years, John Hagee had endorsed the 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain
.
In order find the actor who would take the role of Billy Graham
, the film's producers held a national talent search in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.
Armie Hammer convinced the film's producers to give him the role with his audition, after another actor, who had originally been given the part, left the project due to a conflict in their schedule.
, but were persuaded by Perry Gibson, the executive director of the State of Tennessee's Film, Entertainment and Music Commission, to change the location to Tennessee. The film was shot in Nashville, Tennessee
and Watertown, Tennessee
with a 90 percent Tennessee crew and a production budget of $3.6 million dollars.
, in states such as Georgia
, Alabama
, North Carolina
, Missouri
, Tennessee
, Florida
, Kentucky
, Virginia
and Arkansas
. Thomas Nelson
published a novelization
, Billy: The Untold Story of a Young Billy Graham and the Test of Faith that Almost Changed Everything, written by William Paul McKay and Ken Abraham.
, which had released around the same time as Billy: The Early Years, might have unintentionally hurt the film, stating that "maybe the Christian world can only take one Christian film at a time, and Fireproof may have taken that spot." Mortorff also said that his team was planning a "second wave" of theatrical releases and looking forward to recover its losses through future DVD sales and TV deals.
Franklin Graham
, son of Billy Graham and the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
(BGEA), stated that the film "has not collaborated with nor does it endorse the movie, Billy: The Early Years. Gigi, eldest daughter of Billy Graham, upheld the film, saying that the film has the "Gospel of Jesus in there" and "[is] positive toward [her] parents and their ministry."
Overlooking the film's "few minor flaws", a CBN
review has described the film as "[having] a simple and unassuming charm about it, much like the man it honors."
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
, directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Robby Benson
Robby Benson
Robby Benson is an American film and television actor, television director, educator and singer.-Early life:Benson was born Robin David Segal in Dallas, Texas, the son of Freda Ann , a singer, actress, and business promotions manager, and Jerry Segal, a writer...
. The film recounts the story of the world renown evangelist, Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
, played by Armie Hammer
Armie Hammer
Armand Douglas "Armie" Hammer is an American actor. After appearing on television and playing the title role in 2008's Billy: The Early Years, he became known for his portrayal of the Winklevoss twins in the 2010 film The Social Network, and Clyde Tolson in J. Edgar...
, creating a portrayal of Billy’s life from the mid 1930s to the late 1940s when Billy Graham finds himself speaking in his famous Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
crusade. World Wide Pictures
World Wide Pictures
World Wide Pictures is a film distributor and production company established as a subsidiary of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in 1951...
, the film distribution and production company that was created by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is an organization started by Billy Graham in 1950. The main focus of the BGEA is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible...
(BGEA), did not in any way help with the production of this film. After almost a year and a half of a delayed dvd release, Billy: The Early Years was released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on March 16, 2010.
Plot
The story begins with a reporter (Jennifer O'NeillJennifer O'Neill
-Early life:O'Neill was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the daughter of a famous Spanish-Irish dental supply import/export businessman, Oscar D' O'Neill and his English wife. As a teenager, O'Neill worked as a fashion model and appeared in television commercials and on magazine covers before moving...
) interviewing Charles Templeton
Charles Templeton
Charles Bradley Templeton was a Canadian cartoonist, evangelist, agnostic, politician, newspaper editor, inventor, broadcaster and author. He was born and died in the same city, Toronto, Canada...
on his deathbed. Told in the eyes of Charles Templeton, the film proceeds in showing Billy Graham’s life as a teenager during the great depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
living at the family dairy farm in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. During this time, Graham is seen becoming a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
at a tent revival
Tent revival
A tent revival is a gathering of Christian worshipers in a tent erected specifically for revival meetings, healing crusades, and church rallies. Tent revivals have had both local and national ministries....
meeting. Later, Graham is seen going to Bob Jones College, which is now Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University
Bob Jones University is a private, for-profit, non-denominational Protestant university in Greenville, South Carolina.The university was founded in 1927 by Bob Jones, Sr. , an evangelist and contemporary of Billy Sunday...
, but Graham goes to Florida Bible Institute after being identified as a failure by Bob Jones, Sr
Bob Jones, Sr.
Robert Reynolds Jones, Sr. was an American evangelist, pioneer religious broadcaster and the founder and first president of Bob Jones University.-Early years:...
. Following his time at Florida Bible Institute, Billy Graham goes to Wheaton College where he falls in love with his Wheaton classmate Ruth Bell to whom he ultimately gets married. In the 1940s, Charles Templeton, becomes a really close acquaintance of Billy Graham; however, Charles Templeton, who is a young, gifted preacher, leaves his faith when he is challenged by scientific skepticism
Scientific skepticism
Scientific skepticism is the practice of questioning the veracity of claims lacking empirical evidence or reproducibility, as part of a methodological norm pursuing "the extension of certified knowledge". For example, Robert K...
, leading Graham and Templeton to part. Billy continues to evangelize in his crusades and believe that the word of God is infallible. The film finishes with Graham inviting his listeners to accept Christ as their personal savior in his Los Angeles crusade of 1949.
Cast
- Armie HammerArmie HammerArmand Douglas "Armie" Hammer is an American actor. After appearing on television and playing the title role in 2008's Billy: The Early Years, he became known for his portrayal of the Winklevoss twins in the 2010 film The Social Network, and Clyde Tolson in J. Edgar...
as Billy GrahamBilly GrahamWilliam Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for... - Stefanie Butler as Ruth Bell Graham
- Kristoffer PolahaKristoffer PolahaKristoffer Caleb "Kris" Polaha is an American film and television actor who starred on the Fox TV series North Shore. He recently played Nathaniel "Baze" Bazile on the CW series Life Unexpected....
as Charles TempletonCharles TempletonCharles Bradley Templeton was a Canadian cartoonist, evangelist, agnostic, politician, newspaper editor, inventor, broadcaster and author. He was born and died in the same city, Toronto, Canada...
(younger) - Lindsay WagnerLindsay WagnerLindsay Jean Wagner is an American actress. She is probably best known for her portrayal of Jaime Sommers in the 1970s television series The Bionic Woman , though she has maintained a lengthy career in a variety of other film and television productions since.-Early life:Wagner was born in Los...
as Morrow Graham - Martin LandauMartin LandauMartin Landau is an American film and television actor. Landau began his career in the 1950s. His early films include a supporting role in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest . He played continuing roles in the television series Mission: Impossible and Space:1999...
as Charles TempletonCharles TempletonCharles Bradley Templeton was a Canadian cartoonist, evangelist, agnostic, politician, newspaper editor, inventor, broadcaster and author. He was born and died in the same city, Toronto, Canada...
(older) - Josh TurnerJosh TurnerJoshua Otis "Josh" Turner is a country music singer and actor signed to MCA Nashville Records in 2003, Turner has released four studio albums for the label. The first of these was 2003's Long Black Train, whose title track was his breakthrough single release...
as George Beverly SheaGeorge Beverly SheaGeorge Beverly "Bev" Shea is a Grammy Award-winning Canadian-born American gospel singer and hymn composer. Shea has often been described as "America's beloved Gospel singer" and is considered "the first international singing 'star' of the gospel world," as a consequence of his solos at Billy... - Jennifer O'NeillJennifer O'Neill-Early life:O'Neill was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the daughter of a famous Spanish-Irish dental supply import/export businessman, Oscar D' O'Neill and his English wife. As a teenager, O'Neill worked as a fashion model and appeared in television commercials and on magazine covers before moving...
as Reporter - Rivkah Edelman as Connie Templeton
- Cliff Bemis as Dr. Mordecai HamMordecai HamMordecai Fowler Ham, Jr. , was an American Independent Baptist evangelist and temperance movement leader. He entered the ministry in 1901 and in 1936 began a radio broadcast reaching into seven southern states...
- Burton Collins as Torrey JohnsonTorrey JohnsonTorrey Maynard Johnson was a Chicago Protestant evangelist who is best remembered as the founder of Chicagoland Youth for Christ and Youth for Christ International in 1944...
- Josh DeVries as T.W. Wilson
Casting
Screenwriter-producer McKay, and producer Larry Mortoff, had originally wanted Texas Televangelist and Preacher John HageeJohn Hagee
John Charles Hagee is an American founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, a non-denominational charismatic megachurch with more than 19,000 active members...
to play the part of Mordecai Ham
Mordecai Ham
Mordecai Fowler Ham, Jr. , was an American Independent Baptist evangelist and temperance movement leader. He entered the ministry in 1901 and in 1936 began a radio broadcast reaching into seven southern states...
in the film; however, director Robby Benson
Robby Benson
Robby Benson is an American film and television actor, television director, educator and singer.-Early life:Benson was born Robin David Segal in Dallas, Texas, the son of Freda Ann , a singer, actress, and business promotions manager, and Jerry Segal, a writer...
replaced him with another actor. Recent to the filming of Billy: The Early Years, John Hagee had endorsed the 2008 Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
.
In order find the actor who would take the role of Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
, the film's producers held a national talent search in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.
Armie Hammer convinced the film's producers to give him the role with his audition, after another actor, who had originally been given the part, left the project due to a conflict in their schedule.
Filming
The filmmakers considered filming Billy: The Early Years in Billy Graham's home state of North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, but were persuaded by Perry Gibson, the executive director of the State of Tennessee's Film, Entertainment and Music Commission, to change the location to Tennessee. The film was shot in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
and Watertown, Tennessee
Watertown, Tennessee
Watertown is a town located in Wilson County, Tennessee, United States. The population during the 2000 census was 1,358 people.-History:Prior to the town's establishment, the land was an American Revolutionary War grant given to Colonel Archibald Lytle and his brother William Lytle.Around 1790, the...
with a 90 percent Tennessee crew and a production budget of $3.6 million dollars.
Marketing
In the months pre-dating Billy: Early Years’ release in October 2008, a film trailer of the film was posted in numerous Christian websites, including GodTube.com, which tallied nearly 30,000 viewers after about a month of exposure. Advanced screenings of the Billy: The Early Years were held on sites throughout the Bible BeltBible Belt
Bible Belt is an informal term for a region in the southeastern and south-central United States in which socially conservative evangelical Protestantism is a significant part of the culture and Christian church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's average.The...
, in states such as Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. Thomas Nelson
Thomas Nelson (publisher)
Thomas Nelson is a publishing firm that began in Scotland in 1798 as the namesake of its founder. Its former US division is currently the sixth largest American trade publisher and the world's largest Christian publisher. It is owned by the private equity firm Kohlberg & Company...
published a novelization
Novelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
, Billy: The Untold Story of a Young Billy Graham and the Test of Faith that Almost Changed Everything, written by William Paul McKay and Ken Abraham.
Reaction
Billy: The Early Years opened on October 10, 2008, less than a month before Billy Graham's 90th birthday, grossing $192,042 in 282 theaters during its opening weekend. The film would eventually gross a total of $347,328, earning far less than the film's production budget. In response to the film's reception at the box office, Larry Mortorff, the film's producer, said that FireproofFireproof (film)
Fireproof is a 2008 American Christian drama film released by Samuel Goldwyn Films and Affirm Films , directed by Alex Kendrick, who co-wrote and co-produced it with Stephen Kendrick...
, which had released around the same time as Billy: The Early Years, might have unintentionally hurt the film, stating that "maybe the Christian world can only take one Christian film at a time, and Fireproof may have taken that spot." Mortorff also said that his team was planning a "second wave" of theatrical releases and looking forward to recover its losses through future DVD sales and TV deals.
Franklin Graham
Franklin Graham
William Franklin Graham III , known publicly as Franklin Graham, is an American Christian evangelist and missionary. He is the president and CEO of both the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse.He currently lives in Boone,...
, son of Billy Graham and the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is an organization started by Billy Graham in 1950. The main focus of the BGEA is to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible...
(BGEA), stated that the film "has not collaborated with nor does it endorse the movie, Billy: The Early Years. Gigi, eldest daughter of Billy Graham, upheld the film, saying that the film has the "Gospel of Jesus in there" and "[is] positive toward [her] parents and their ministry."
Overlooking the film's "few minor flaws", a CBN
Christian Broadcasting Network
The Christian Broadcasting Network, or CBN, is a fundamentalist Christian television broadcasting network in the United States. Its headquarters and main studios are in Virginia Beach, Virginia.-Background:...
review has described the film as "[having] a simple and unassuming charm about it, much like the man it honors."
Award nominations
The film received one "Faith and Values Award" nomination in the Grace Award category, which is awarded for the Most Inspiring Performance in Movie or Television, for actor Armie Hammer.See also
- List of American films of 2008
- Billy: The Early Years soundtrackBilly: The Early Years (soundtrack)Billy: The Early Years is the official movie soundtrack for the film of the same name. It was released October 7, 2008, and charted at No. 70 on the U.S. Top Country Albums chart. The album has produced two chart singles; "Low" by Sara Evans and "Over the Next Hill" by Brooks & Dunn...
External links
- Official website
- Billy: The Early Years at Allmovie
- Billy: The Early Years at Box Office MojoBox Office MojoBox Office Mojo is a website that tracks box office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. Brandon Gray started the site in 1999. In 2002, Gray partnered with Sean Saulsbury and they grew the site to nearly two million readers when, in July 2008, the company was purchased by Amazon.com through...
- Billy: The Early Years at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- Billy: The Early Years at Yahoo Movies