The Apostle

PG-13

Released Feb 20, 1998

2 hr. 28 min.

Drama

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List

88%

51 Reviews

Tomatometer

79%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

After Sonny (Robert Duvall), an eccentric Pentecostal preacher, learns that his wife is having an affair, he beats her lover into a coma and flees the state of Texas. Now in a small Louisiana town, Sonny goes by the name of "Apostle E.F." and opens a new church with the help of a retired reverend (John Beasley). While battling personal demons and injecting new life into his congregation, Sonny dates a radio station worker (Miranda Richardson) and searches for peace in his new life.

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Critics Consensus

A nuanced sermon on the contradictions of faith as well as a blistering showcase for its director and star, The Apostle will leave audiences evangelizing the immensity of Robert Duvall's talent.

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Ryan F

A superbly well acted movie with an amazing cast. From recognizable actors to seasoned character actors with plenty of background actors as well, literally all of them seemed like you could bump into them at the grocery store or church; very authentic in that regard. The story is simple and concise, but also complicated and profound. It's not an easy thing to pull off, and I'd argue very few movies manage to do it. This, Slingblade, and The Straight Story are some examples that come to mind, but many movies fail to achieve this level of quality and humanity.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/06/24

Full Review

thomas s

I'm torn between 4.5 and 5 stars. The movie, for me, was phenomenal. Growing up around these pentecostal, NARM, preachers I gradually formed a kind of righteous indignation to them. I consider them either deceived or knowingly deceiving others. Wolves in sheep's clothing, so to speak. So, with just the title of this movie I thought I knew what it was going to be about. And I thought my suspicions were confirmed until about the 2nd half of the film. His zeal for God was extraordinary. Where I saw hypocrisy there was really just an illumination of human fallibility. And what I thought was willful deceit in his character, turned out to be an extraordinary zeal for God. I walked into this movie thinking..... at least I'm not like one of these hucksters. But as the credits rolled I couldn't help but think "is this guy a better Christian than me?" The only reason I give it 4 instead of 5 stars is because it seemed rushed. This is a story you could make a TV series about. 2 hours just wasn't enough.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/29/23

Full Review

karen n

Incredible acting such a grass root movie wonderful story. It's so good it would make an atheist become a Christian. Loved it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/13/23

Full Review

Robert B

exceptional. Very believable, poignant story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/14/22

Full Review

William L

Robert Duvall: *fleeing from a first-degree murder charge* Also Robert Duvall: *loudly hocking blessed, hand-painted scarves over the radio for $7.95* Many viewers claim that The Apostle is a unique film in its treatment of American Evangelicalism, affirming neither the fervent adherents or the most prominent detractors, but instead focusing on a greater character aspect as Duvall's 'Sonny' Dewey attempts to carve out a new life once his old one has fallen apart; his character is intended to convey an unyielding faith but a willingness to adapt that some Christians may not espouse. While an interesting concept, the execution here seems flawed, mostly in the film's inability to level real criticism at the character of Sonny. His life begins to fall apart due to no real fault of his own (rather it's the unfaithful wife he tries to goad into staying with him through appeals to faith), and even his most prominent sin (the half-intended murder of his wife's lover) feels like it would receive the full support of the Christian right in today's media landscape - a man whose only crime was a fit of passion in the defense of his traditional family unit. He never really expresses any sense of remorse for the killing as he goes about a grassroots campaign to fund a new church deep in the Lousiana bayou, and in fact the film resoundingly supports his more violent tendencies when they support what the film believes to be righteousness, particularly when confronting the racist overtones of Billy Bob Thornton's nameless 'troublemaker' (a character with the complexity of a thumbtack whose only purpose in the story is to serve up a laughably slow-pitch means of cleaning up Sonny's darker elements). While ambitious, there isn't nearly enough character depth here to make this plot work. That said, it is always fascinating to see the passion projects of established, well-respected actors; Duvall wrote, directed, and starred in the film and put enough of his chops on display to earn a Best Actor nom (though most of his resume for that is a series of repetitive, high-volume sermons). An interesting watch to glimpse inside what Duvall wanted to make himself, but I don't see any of what is written about this film when it comes to moral ambiguity. (2/5)

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/18/22

Full Review

Kay W

I really liked this. Strong performances and a great story.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/04/22

Full Review

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Robert Duvall

Director

Robert Duvall

Euliss 'Sonny' Dewey-The Apostle E.F.

Farrah Fawcett

Jessie Dewey

Miranda Richardson

Toosie

Todd Allen

Horace

John Beasley

Brother C. Charles Blackwell

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The Apostle: Official Clip - On My Way to Heaven

1:32

The Apostle: Official Clip - I'll Fly Away

2:11

The Apostle: Official Clip - On Fire for Jesus

1:05

The Apostle: Official Clip - One for the Road

2:40

The Apostle: Official Clip - Last Rites

2:49

The Apostle: Official Clip - Radio Waves

1:10

The Apostle: Official Clip - The Passing Troublemaker

2:32

The Apostle: Official Clip - The Keys to the Kingdom

1:51

The Apostle: Official Clip - Yelling at the Lord

2:06

The Apostle: Official Clip - Nobody Moves That Book

3:00

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The Apostle: Trailer 1

2:15

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Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: A-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

Variety

A labor of love coming to fruition after 13 years, this is Robert Duvall's third and best directorial effort, a sharply observed exploration of a preacher who embarks on a redemption odyssey after committing a crime.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 18, 2006

Full Review

Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films

Disturbing but thought-provoking depiction of genuine faith coexisting with sin and carnality… like the troubling fiction of Evelyn Waugh, Graham Greene, and Flannery O'Connor, a vindication of belief without being a vindication of every believer.

Rated: A-

Jul 19, 2003

Full Review

Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

Instead of reducing his minister to an Elmer Gantry hypocrite, Duvall gives us a flawed man who nevertheless has a deep, loving religious conviction. This is the finest movie ever made about a minister or priest.

Rated: A

Jan 19, 2023

Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

If you can stand to sit for two hours and listen to a sermon and really want to see Robert Duvall’s performance by all means go see it, but if you’re not as patient as I tried to be this is not the film for you.

Rated: 1.5/4

Jan 7, 2023

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Duvall's script is one of subtle grace and beauty.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 2, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

After Sonny (Robert Duvall), an eccentric Pentecostal preacher, learns that his wife is having an affair, he beats her lover into a coma and flees the state of Texas. Now in a small Louisiana town, Sonny goes by the name of "Apostle E.F." and opens a new church with the help of a retired reverend (John Beasley). While battling personal demons and injecting new life into his congregation, Sonny dates a radio station worker (Miranda Richardson) and searches for peace in his new life.

Director: Robert Duvall
Executive Producer: Robert Duvall
Screenwriter: Robert Duvall
Distributor: October Films
Production Co: Butcher's Run Films
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 20, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $20.8M
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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