Rating: 
Summary: I was extremely dissapointed with this film.
Review: The portrayal of this Evangelist and of his flaws was not exactly uplifting! If he was supposed to be putting his life "back together" it sure was a strange way of doing it. First he comes on way too strong with the secretary at the radio station and then he goes on to have an all out brawl with a fellow right in the middle of a church service. As he quotes from the Bible after the fight "we are supposed to turn the other cheek" not beat the crap out of him! For all of those non-Christians out there I don't believe this would be the best movie to base your beliefs on. It was very mis-leading. I gave it a 2 because Robert Duvall is, after all, a very talented actor. But, I would suggest for him to stick to being an actor and not the writer.
Rating: 
Summary: An Excellent Character Study
Review: Thank you, Mr. Duvall, for such a well-crafted movie that attempts to accurately portray human nature. While I believe E.R., the main character, is a devout Christian, he has his good and bad points just like any of the rest of us. As I watched the movie I thought of my life and how many times I have been thankful for the grace of God. E.R. is not supposed to be perfect, he is not supposed to be holier-than-thou, he is a human who loves the Lord and I appreciate Mr. Duvall's attempt to put this on film.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and well acted.
Review: I was very impressed that Robert Duvall could make a movie about a segment of society that few of us understand and make it genuine and believable.The characters and all their flaws were so believable I doubt few could not find bits of themselves in them. The nerve and dedication Mr. Duvall shows in writing, directing and acting in this film is as much a testimony of his artistic integrity as Hollywood's lack of it
Rating:
Summary: "Get out of the way, Jupiter and Mars!"
Review: "The Apostle," starring Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, Miranda Richardson, and John Beasley, is an outstanding film... beautifully written and acted, breathtaking in its simplicity and yet imbued with complex and deeply etched characters, a stunning and realistic portrayal of life inside a southern Pentecostal Christian community, and an eloquent chronicle of one man's search for redemption. The movie's premise is simple and effective. Euliss "Sonny" Dewey (played by Robert Duvall) is a Pentecostal preacher who has everything: a loving wife Jessie (Farrah Fawcett) and two adoring children; a doting mother (June Carter-Cash); and a thriving ministry. He is respected and loved by his church community. But Sonny is also a womanizer, and a man who suspects his wife being involved in an adulterous relationship of her own. Jessie is indeed having an affair with Horace, the youth minister in their church. When Sonny discovers the truth about his wife, his life unravels. He is ousted as pastor of his church. One day, Sonny momentarily loses control, and in a drunken rage, smashes Horace's skull with a baseball bat. Sonny flees from justice. Styling himself an itinerant preacher, he travels through rural southeastern Texas and into the bayou country of Louisiana. While he is traveling, he hears the voice of his conscience peck away at his vanity and worldly ways. The majority of this beautiful film takes place in a small town in Louisiana's bayou country. Sonny, now self-baptized as "The Apostle E.F.," sets about resurrecting a small Pentecostal church which had fallen into disuse after the retirement of its pastor. With an infectious smile, eternally effervescent personality, and obvious love for the Lord, the "Apostle E.F." soon sets this bayou community on its ear. The Apostle, however, is constantly aware of his past, as his conscience reminds him of the enormity of his crime. How he deals with the issue of balancing God's love with God's justice is perhaps the central theme of this marvelous film. It took Robert Duvall fourteen years to see this project through to fruition, and his commitment shows throughout the film. His performance as "The Apostle E.F." has tremendous depth and credibility. In this veteran actor's hands, the character of Sonny Dewey illuminates the screen. Other performances of note are those of John Beasley as the compassionate yet strong-willed Reverend Blackwell; and in an excellent cameo appearance, June Carter-Cash as Sonny's mother. Only the performance of Farrah Fawcett seems to suffer in this film. Her portrayal of Jessie Dewey seemed to lack power; the character she played seemed too unemotional and detached in every scene in which she appeared. "The Apostle" is a well crafted film which explores many issues confronting humanity: good versus evil; justice versus mercy; and virtue versus vice. This movie provides sensitive answers to pressing questions, and does so without ever becoming moralistic or "preachy." With a top-shelf screenplay and first-rate performances by an excellent cast, The Apostle is wonderful entertainment, as well as a movie with an important message.
Rating:
Summary: Duvall made me believe!!!
Review: Quickly becomming my favorite film of all time. Never has anyone captured the beauty and sincerity of story in film! This movie takes an intimate look at a personal situation in at an akward angle. Without preaching a message, a true look of an estranged minister who wanders into backwoods Louisiana and wins the hearts of the locals and gives them something to believe in again. It doesn't take long to realize that every line, every shot, every character was carefully placed evolving seemlessly as if it were documented as a class project. I personally grew up in deep south Louisiana and Duvall could have been any one of my grandfathers or peers with the magnatude of perfection his character was portrayed. All the beauty and aura of the deep south paints a rich canvas for an addicting portrayal of characters. Don't be fooled by the religeous theme, it's a beatifully written story of one mans struggles with his past and ambitions to re-establish himself finding comfort and support ministering. Truely a masterpiece from the multitalented mind of a modern day Shakespeare. I hope there are many more to come from Robert Duvall
Rating:
Summary: "We made news in Heaven today, Momma"
Review: This is one of my favorite Robert Duvall movies & is also one of the most inspiring movies I've ever seen. It's really a testament to the amazing talent of one of the greatest actors of all time. I can't believe Duvall didn't win an oscar, but it IS a religious movie & those are not too welcome in Hollywood. Anyway, the dvd has some great bonus features: commentary with Robert Duvall, a documentary on the making of the Apostle, the trailer, & cast biographies. If you haven't seen this & think it might be cheesy, trust me it's not. I felt the same way before I saw it but I quickly realized that this is a movie everyone should see. This movie helped me more than a dozen sermons would've. The performances are heartfelt & very believable, the pacing just right, the scenery is beautiful. This is a powerful movie that stays with you long after you've seen it.
Rating: 
Summary: Duvall you try it all
Review: Robert Duvall has made himself a real unique film here, as he takes the lead role of a preacher. Aptly named Sonny, maybe a throwback to Godfather, the preacher leads a fervently religious life. Yet, there is a history of sin. After a passionate fit of anger Sonny takes his bible elsewhere, to find his religion all over again.
Duvall does a very good job at playing the disheveled husband, and does equally well in playing Sonny's almost bi-polar self, the reverent preacher. The problem with this film is not in the characters, but the time it takes to flesh out the plot. After the first hour, I was surprised that the movie had not finished yet. Now maybe this movie just does not relate to me, because Sonny preaches in a unique fashion. Then again, maybe the movie is just slow.
With the theme redemption all around, this movie redeems itself of three stars. Not superb just decent the movie does deserve a watch or two. Anyway, this is the most riled up I have seen Duvall since Apocalypse Now.
Rating:
Summary: Duvall made me believe!!!
Review: Quickly becomming my favorite film of all time. Never has anyone captured the beauty and sincerity of story in film! This movie takes an intimate look at a personal situation in at an akward angle. Without preaching a message, a true look of an estranged minister who wanders into backwoods Louisiana and wins the hearts of the locals and gives them something to believe in again. It doesn't take long to realize that every line, every shot, every character was carefully placed evolving seemlessly as if it were documented as a class project. I personally grew up in deep south Louisiana and Duvall could have been any one of my grandfathers or peers with the magnatude of perfection his character was portrayed. All the beauty and aura of the deep south paints a rich canvas for an addicting portrayal of characters. Don't be fooled by the religeous theme, it's a beatifully written story of one mans struggles with his past and ambitions to re-establish himself finding comfort and support ministering. Truely a masterpiece from the multitalented mind of a modern day Shakespeare. I hope there are many more to come from Robert Duvall
Rating:
Summary: Faith & Reality
Review: The Apostle (1997) Robert Duvall, well known for his charismatic character Gus in Lonesome Dove, both stars in and directs this film. He plays the charismatic character of a minister named Sonny, who later renames himself through the sacrament of baptism: The Apostle E.F. The baptism through a rite of the church which should be attended by others is self-administered with only nature attending the event. The baptism does not change all of Sonny's ways and neither does his name change. It does however allow him to follow and live out his calling to evangelize for a time as an apostle; one called by God to do a specific vocation in the church, or in this case outside the established church. Like others in our society who have deluded themselves into the belief that by changing their name and geographical location they can escape justice for acts committed against the law and society. But eventually when the past catches up with them, as it does with E.F., then justice prevails. A question that comes to mind is who pays or who is to blame? Is society to blame? Or are the constructs within society the culprit? There are usually two sides, if not more to every action. What Duvall accurately portrays in this film is that the double standard of the patriarchal system is still very much alive. His charismatic style which attracts others to worship at church is also used in another way in his home. His wife Jessie Dewey (Farrah Fawcett) knows his style of manipulation quite well as she refuses to pray with him when he asks, begs, and then orders her to. She resists thus asserting her independence from him. She is no longer a victim to and of his charm and charismatic ways. Thus the stage is set for his later behavior; drunkenness and jealous action. He tries to take by violence what he believes is his, by right of marriage; his wife and children. The act that he commits causes him to go into hiding, by running and covering up his identity. Yet his conscious gets to him, as he calls a friend several times to check on conditions at home. During this time of self-imposed exile he has no contact with his former life except through calls he makes to a friend. This friend informs him of two deaths; that of his former youth pastor and his (Sonny's) mother. The self-imposed exile cut Sonny off from his mother, to whom he was deeply devoted. What caught my voyeur's eye is that Duvall successfully brought belief and faith to the film. Faith and belief in something outside of one's self will sustain and nourish a person; whether it be a relationship with a friend or God. People need the construct of community to live up to their full potential. Sonny proved this as his alter ego E.F. brought a caring sense of community to a depressed people, which helped them to restore and renew their own sense of worth, and relationship to God. In this way he lived up to the call of God within him, without the vanity of his former life as Sonny the Evangelist.
This film is a must have for those who would like to really see the reality of Christianity and faith lived out.
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