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The Apostle (1997)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:42
Fresh:38
Rotten:4
Average Rating:8/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 14 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: After being squeezed out of his church by his ex-wife, a Texas fundamentalist preacher's alcohol-fueled rage sends him off the deep end. After beating her new beau into a coma, he flees to... After being squeezed out of his church by his ex-wife, a Texas fundamentalist preacher's alcohol-fueled rage sends him off the deep end. After beating her new beau into a coma, he flees to Louisiana and seizes the chance to reinvent himself as a devout "Apostle," founding a new church and captivating the citizenry while keeping his sins buried. Duvall, who also wrote and produced, is riveting in the title role. Academy Award Nominations: 1--Best Actor (Duvall). [More]
Starring: Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, Miranda Richardson, Todd Allen
Starring: Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, Miranda Richardson, Todd Allen, John Beasley, June Carter Cash, Walton Goggins, Billy Joe Shaver, Billy Bob Thornton, Rick Dial, Mary Lynette Braxton, William Atlas Cole, Paul Bagget, Lenore Banks, Brett Brock, Christian Canady, Christopher Canady, Elizabeth Chisolm, Frank Collins, Carl D. Cook, Naomi Craig, Wayne Dehart, Jan Fawcett, James Gammon, James Gleason, Chili Graham, Bobby Green, Stuart Greer, John E. Hawkins, Hunter Hayes, Daniel Hickman, Emery Hopkins, Brenda B. Jackson, Sister Jewell Jernigan, Julie Johnson, Vera Kemp, Joseph Lindsey, Sharon London, Zelma Loyd, Fernie E. McMillan, Jimmie J. Meaux, L. Christian Mixon, Richard Nance, Douglas Perry, Harold Potier, Pat Ratliff, Jay Robicheaux, Terrence Rosemore, Joyce Jolivet Starks
Director: Robert Duvall
Director: Robert Duvall
Producer: Rob Carliner
Screenwriter: Robert Duvall
Composer: David Mansfield
Reviews for The Apostle
I cannot recall a movie so dominated by the performance of one actor (Robert Duvall) as this one.
Some kind of acting miracle ... One doesn't have to be a churchgoer, or even a Christian, to be moved by the power of Duvall's great performance.
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.
... may be the most unapologetic, intimate portrayal of a religious man in the history of American cinema.
As the charismatic Sonny, Duvall brilliantly shouts the praises of Jesus.
There are scattered inspired moments throughout this two-and-a-half hour epic but, like many actor-directors, Duvall is so in love with his material -- and his star -- that he just can't say 'cut.'
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.
Robert Duvall, writer, director, producer, and star of The Apostle, absolutely seethes with the character of Sonny Dewey (alias Apostle E.F.) in this, perhaps the best performance of his career.
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