The film Billy: The Early Years (2008) is a biographical drama chronicling the early life of the famous American Protestant evangelist Billy Graham, who, among other things, served as an advisor to several U.S. presidents. The story is told from the perspective of his friend and later opponent Charles Templeton, whom a reporter visits on his deathbed.

The story begins during the Great Depression on a farm in North Carolina, where Billy grows up with his family. Billy is initially indifferent to religion, but after attending an evangelistic meeting, everything changes.

While in college, he meets his wife, Ruth; he then begins serving as a pastor in a small congregation and joins Templeton in evangelistic campaigns. At first, he is not a very successful preacher, but after the elders of the congregation pray for him, he gains greater confidence and develops his own distinctive preaching style.

Meanwhile, Templeton begins to doubt his faith due to questions about evil and suffering in the world. He loses his faith and tries to convince Billy to renounce his faith as well. After a deep personal prayer, Billy decides to remain faithful to Christ and continue following Him.

Drama

USA, 2008, 88 min

Cast: Robby Benson;

Crew: Armie Hammer, Jennifer O’Neill, Martin Landau, Zephyr Benson, Stefanie Butler, Abbi Butler, Darius Willis, Jerry Foster, Cliff Bemis, Kevin Quigley;

Parents’ Guide:

1 scene of a couple kissing in a bar. A few scenes of smoking and drinking alcohol. Templeton loses his faith in Christ because of the existence of suffering in the world, even though Christ never based his message on ridding the earthly world of suffering, but rather on the meaningfulness of suffering when one understands it correctly.

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