Movie Review “Billy: The Early Years”

This film chronicles the early life of evangelist Billy Graham through the eyes of a dying Charles Templeton. Charles Templeton co-founded Youth for Christ with Billy Graham. Templeton later renounced Christianity and actually published an agnostic apologetic.

This movie has an odd cast and director. Robby Benson directs. Martin Landau is an elderly Charles Templeton. Jennifer O’Neill (Summer of ’42) plays Templeton’s television interviewer. Lindsay Wagner (Bionic Woman) is Billy Graham’s mother. Armand Hammer’s grandson portrays Graham. Ice skating great, Scott Hamilton, makes a cameo appearance as a university professor.

The quality of the script and budget are better than an average “B” movie, but not quite up to “A” movie standards. Graham is portrayed in a fairly benevolent light. I’m not sure who the intended audience is. The message is not the usually overt evangelical dialogue of a low budget “Christian” movie (Facing the Giants), but not quite up to the standards of a mainstream Hollywood film.

Dixon Museum Review: The Road to Impressionism: Barbizon Paintings from the Walters Art Museum

This fine exhibition features mid nineteenth century paintings from the Barbizon school, named after the French village of Barizon near Foutainbleau Forest. Instead of using nature as a backdrop for their paintings, this group used nature as both subject and inspiration. The style of painting is generally considered the forerunner of late nineteenth century Impressionism.

Also at the Dixon is a wonderful companion show The Road to Claude Monet: Four Paintings and Three Others. The exhibit includes four Monet’s and works of Camille Corot, Alfred Sisley and Camille Passaro. Featured paintings are from both the Dixon’s permanent collection and a private art collector in San Francisco.