While the upcoming movie based on the life of Billy Graham has been rallying supporters months ahead of its October 10 release, it has also garnered some critics - the most prominent of which is the renowned evangelist's son.
"The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has not collaborated with nor does it endorse the movie, 'Billy: The Early Years'," Franklin Graham said in a written response as the organisation's CEO last week.
"While the move covers many aspects of my father's early years, it depicts events that never happened or are greatly embellished," he added.
According to The Guardian, the film's producers had been trying to get the blessings of Billy Graham and his family, including son Franklin, who reportedly was not thrilled about not having been shown a script before the movie was made.
Producer Larry Mortorff told the newspaper that copies of the finished film were delivered to Franklin Graham and the family.
"We hope what we've done is pleasing to him (Franklin)," said Mortorff. "It's a homage to his dad."
But according to Franklin's statement, the ministry leader is not pleased.
Though he said he has "always appreciated those who painstakingly sought to tell his (Billy Graham's) story accurately", Franklin said the content of 'Billy: The Early Years' "lacks my father's greatest passion: to preach the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to the world and point men, women, and children to His saving power".
Franklin's spokesman, Mark DeMoss, further explained how he "felt there was not sufficient treatment of his father preaching".
"... when he was preaching, it was watered-down," DeMoss told The Charlotte Observer.
The upcoming film, which starts with Graham's teenage years in Charlotte, North Carolina, tells the story of Graham and his life before international prominence - from the legendary series of revival meetings in Charlotte that ultimately led to Graham's conversion in 1934 to the early stages of his relationship with Ruth Bell, the woman Graham would eventually marry.
Starring 21-year-old actor Armie Hammer as the young Billy Graham, the movie attempts to capture the essence of Graham's journey from a young man at the crossroads of faith and doubt to ultimately facing the moment of decision that gave way to one of history's most influential evangelists.
Since June, the trailer for the movie has been posted on a number of Christian websites, including the increasingly popular GodTube.com website, which tallied nearly 30,000 viewers of the Graham movie trailer after about a month of exposure.
