The Making of an Evangelist

Editor's note: Since this story was posted, the film has been given a release date of October 10, 2008.

Billy Graham's life story has been told a number of ways through various media, but filmmaker Bill McKay wanted to tell it a little differently: From the perspective of a non-believer.

So, for Billy: The Early Years—tentatively slated for release this fall—McKay tells the evangelist's story from the viewpoint of a dying Charles Templeton. As a young man, Templeton had been one of Graham's friends and colleagues in Youth for Christ, only to later turn his back on his faith, becoming an agnostic.

Thus, as Salieri told Amadeus' story, so does Templeton—played by Oscar winner Martin Landau—tell Graham's, reminiscing from his deathbed.

Martin Landau and producer Bill McKay

"I wanted to tell Billy's life through the prism and experience of an atheist," said McKay, the film's writer and producer. "I think we have a film that will make an impact."

McKay's mother, Marjorie Bostrom, was a roommate with Ruth Bell at Wheaton College in 1941. Bell went on to marry Billy Graham, another Wheaton student at the time, and McKay's family and Graham's family occasionally stayed in touch over the years.

The new movie was filmed during April and May in and around Nashville, Tennessee. Filmmakers are currently in post-production, hurriedly editing away. McKay has said that he wants to finish the movie quickly, so it can be released while the ailing Graham, who turns 90 this fall, is still with us.

Billy: The Early Years, starring up-and-coming actor Armie Hammer in the title role, covers Graham's life from his salvation experience at a 1934 tent revival in Charlotte, North Carolina, through moments of uncertainty concerning his calling, before coming full circle to become the great evangelist known throughout the world.

Catching a rising star

Veteran TV director Robby Benson—the voice of Beast in Disney's Beauty and the Beast—told CT Movies that he is quite impressed with Hammer's performance.

"I feel like I'm watching the beginning of a major movie star's career," Benson said. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like it in four decades of work. I've never seen anybody work as hard, I've never seen anyone absorb information as well, and to be honest, I've never seen the camera love someone as much as it does Mr. Armie Hammer. He's just absolutely brilliant."

Shooting the tent revival scene

Hammer, 21, was slated to play the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne in an upcoming Justice League movie, but that project has been put on hold indefinitely. Now he finds himself playing another "superhero" altogether—arguably the most influential evangelist in history.

To get ready for the role, Hammer studied tapes, read sermons, watched Graham preach, learned his body language—and prepared spiritually.

"To be Billy Graham," said Hammer, "you need to get your head in the right place, because everything Billy Graham said, he meant 100 percent. He had such faith. There has been a lot of studying my Bible again, knowing what it is Dr. Graham is talking about, getting my head in the right place spiritually to be able to play the part. We are doing everything above and beyond to maintain integrity for this film, and for Dr. Graham."

"We are absolutely faithful to Billy's story and the gospel message," added McKay. "We don't deviate at all."

Benson said he was undeterred by the film's relatively small budget of $5 million.

"Making good movies is not always about how much money you have," he said. "It's about how clever you can be, and about how much experience you and your crew have. You don't need to make a $100 million movie to make something look spectacular and touch your soul."

Going back in time

In addition to the challenges of telling an entire man's life story in two hours, recreating the time period is has been a challenging obstacle.

Shooting the tent revival scene

"We are being exceedingly meticulous to what that period was like," said McKay. "What clothes they wore, the mourner's bench, even the preaching styles of that time in contrast to 2008. Every element of this film is period."

Emily Netterville, who plays an extra in the tent revival scene, googled the time period before dressing for her role. Surrounded by old-time model cars on the set, the 20-something local walked around in her long, patterned skirt with rollers in her hair, taking in the experience.

"I'm very excited about it because Billy Graham is such a historical figure not only as a preacher, but also someone who affected millions of lives," said Netterville. "We see him nowadays and how old he is, but I didn't know he'd started preaching in the 1930s. It's really cool to see this spin on a younger guy; it's more relatable."

Making a movie that's "more relatable" to a younger audience was part of McKay's plan.

"We are trying to illustrate to young people with images, ideals and words, that your decisions matter," he said. "And sometimes, even the smallest decisions become the most important decisions."

After God's own heart

McKay also wanted to encourage younger viewers that God can use anyone, regardless of who they are or what skills they may or may not have.

"God saw in Billy like he saw in David, a man after God's own heart," said McKay. "Billy wasn't the orator; he couldn't hold an audience of 40,000 in the 1940s. But God chose Billy. I think what we do is show the great manifestation of God's power in taking the weakness of man and doing something great and significant."

McKay and co-producer Larry Mortorff want their film to show that journey.

"We know where he is now," said Mortorff. "He's a great orator, a speaker of the gospel, a friend of presidents, among the 'who's who' of the world. Someone who has spoken to more men and woman than any person in history. But we don't know how we got there."

How he got there includes conflict that every good story—and movie—must have. One might think Billy Graham's life was free of conflict, but the film depicts two powerful moments that would shape his life thereon.

Mordecai Ham (Cliff Bemis) gives the altar call

The first comes just before that 1934 tent revival. Billy's father warns him not to go, but Billy's best friend Albert bribes him by allowing him to drive his brand new truck. Without having a "born-again" experience, Graham is drawn to the preaching and music inside the tent. As the evangelist Mordecai Ham delivers the gospel message, a young Billy says "it was like he was talking to me about my sin." Graham then walks the sawdust aisle, making a decision that shaped Christian history.

The second bout with conflict involves Graham's good friend Templeton, a relationship that began while they traveled together for Youth for Christ. After seeing the devastation of World War II abroad, Templeton—played as a young man by Kristoffer Polaha—questions God and his faith. After attending Princeton Theological Seminary in the late 1940s, Templeton eventually lost his faith and declared himself an agnostic.

"Billy was shaken by this," said Mortorff. "He questioned whether he should go back and be a dairy farmer and follow in his father's footsteps, instead of his Father in heaven. He was right on the cusp of shrinking back on his calling. He was wrestling with God. But he came to an absolutely concrete understanding from God to take the Bible by faith."

A message of love and goodness

The film also stars Stefanie Butler (CSI:NY) as Billy's wife Ruth, while country singer Josh Turner makes his acting debut as George Beverly Shea. Sixteen-year-old bluegrass musician Sierra Hull plays Billy's sister Catherine—and even sings Graham's signature altar call song, "Just As I Am"—while two Liberty University students were cast as Billy's friends. Anastasia Brown (August Rush) leads the musical talent for the script; she is also president of 821 Entertainment Group that facilitated the Tennessee production incentives.

A young Billy Graham heeds the altar call

Daily, the three lead characters—Hammer, Butler, and Polaha—came to the set to pray for each other, the cast, crew and the film's ultimate effect on its viewers.

McKay hopes audiences will see Christ in the story.

"I wrote this script because I wanted to introduce Jesus again through the experiences of an atheist who betrayed the gospel and betrayed Billy, who in the end understood the only path to freedom and peace, is through Jesus," he said.

Hammer agreed, saying he wants moviegoers to "feel an overall sense of goodness and love. So much of that is in this story—Billy Graham's love for humanity, God's love for us. There is love throughout the script.

"Regardless of what they believe, if they walk out of the theater and see love and goodness, my job will be done. And if Billy Graham's message gets into people's minds and change people's lives that would be great as well."

Jewel Graham is a reporter and producer for The 700 Club in Nashville. She is not related to Billy Graham.

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