The Apostle (1998)

Written, directed, and personally financed by Robert Duvall, The Apostle was the culmination of a 14-year effort on the part of its creator, who also stars as the dynamic, God-fearing Texas preacher Euliss "Sonny" Dewey. Vibrantly authentic with its use of real gospel preachers and extras carefully selected from parishes of the deep South, the film treats its complicated characters with the kind of compassion and moral complexity mainstream Hollywood wouldn't dare muster. This is especially true in the case of Sonny, who responds to his wife's infidelity with a crime of passion that sends him on a new and uncharted quest for redemption. Under the assumed identity of "The Apostle E.F.," he settles in a tiny Louisiana town to revive an old church, where he undergoes a transformation of spirit and purpose that enlivens his community. But will the law catch up to him? Does he deserve to be punished? Fueled by Duvall's powerhouse performance, The Apostle refuses to praise or condemn its fascinating central character, leaving the proper degree of forgiveness up to the viewer. Further graced with superb performances by Farrah Fawcett, Miranda Richardson, and Billy Bob Thornton, the film is clearly Duvall's labor of love. The Collector's Edition DVD features a full-length commentary by Duvall and The Journey of the Apostle, a documentary featurette about the making of the film. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

Interesting but NOT great

It really is too bad that it took so long for Robert Duvall to make this movie as I thought he was a too old for his part. At the beginning, I honestly thought those were his GRANDCHILDREN and June Carter Cash was his wife. (Alot of Southern men call their wives "Momma": annoying but true). Duvall plays a VERY VERY flawed haracter. Several reviewers would have you believe that he is somehow "redeemed" at the end. Really? Because he so-called saves Billy Bob Thorntons character and that other young man? Give me a break! Speaking of BBT, he gives an extremely wooden performance, even worse than the too low-key Farrah. The preaching throughout this movie can be spellbinding but the last sermon Duvalls character gives is way too long and how come no one in the congregation notices or seems to care that the cops are there?
While it's not a total waste of time, it's not one I'd watch again. August 22, 2008

What Exactly is he Trying to Say?

I am not really sure what to think about this movie. As a Pentecostal myself, I found it to be a good (although slightly exaggerated) portrayal of classic Pentecostalism. However, I am disturbed by Sonny's portrayal. How were we supposed to view him? A hypocrite? A sincere but flawed character? I notice from several reviews that this film is interpreted many different ways, and I can only give it three stars. Great acting, great depiction of Pentecostals, but very ambiguous message. August 7, 2008

The Apostle

Robert Duvall is without exception one of the best actors in this period, in my opinion. The Apostle is a movie about a man who, as a young boy, experiences highly charged evangelistic preaching, and in turn, becomes an evangelist. His Mother is his biggest supporter in his ventures. Even though he truly believes in Jesus and is a Christian, he commits unforgiveable sins, and is fully knowledgeable about what he has done, so he escapes from the place where the crime was committed, and, with very little money, strikes out to begin a new life. He only gives people his initials, and calls himself the Apostle. He manages to obtain a small church, and many willing workers to help him renovate it. He eventually draws a large crowd of followers, mostly African Americans. You almost hope he can go through life preaching to this simple group, but his past overtakes him and he soon has to pay the price for his crimes. this is a mesmerizing story, thanks to Duvall, and you will be totally captured by his phenomenal portrayal of the Apostle. June 24, 2008

The Apostle

I saw this movie years ago and I wanted to watch it again. Robert Duvall does a fantastic job as a preacher. The movie was wonderful June 19, 2008

What a fantastic movie!

Wow! You never want to think that someone would react the way Apostle did when in the same situation, but you hear about it all the time on the evening news. What incredible story-telling! Robert was just fantastic as the Bible-thumping, pew-jumping preacher! What a story of redemption! April 29, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...