Released 1997
Stars Robert Duvall, Miranda Richardson, Farrah Fawcett, John Beasley, Walter Goggins, Rick Dial, Billy Joe Shaver, Billy Bob Thornton
Directed by Robert Duvall

A relatively simple tale about a far-from-simple character, The Apostle never falters in its portrayal of Euliss "Sonny" Dewey (Duvall) as a real, flesh-and-blood human being. Unlike many movies that deal with religion and religious figures, The Apostle does not set out to uncover corruption and hypocrisy or to attack deeply-held beliefs. It does not patronize or satirize. It is respectful without being reverential. The Apostle is a character study, and, like all motion pictures of this sort, its ultimate success depends upon how compelling the protagonist is. As essayed by Duvall, Sonny is the kind of complex individual we could watch for hours on end without ever losing interest.

The film opens with a brief prologue in 1939 Texas that shows Sonny, as a boy, at a Pentecostal church service. The Apostle then fast-forwards nearly six decades. Now, Sonny is an aging preacher who spends most of his time on the road, leading revivals all across the deep South. His long-suffering wife, Jessie (Farrah Fawcett), grows tired of his never being home, and wants a divorce. The already-uncomfortable situation is further exacerbated when Jessie and her lover, a young minister named Horace (Todd Allen), use church by-laws to steal Sonny's congregation away from him. In a moment of jealous rage, Sonny attacks Horace, and the result of that confrontation forces him to flee his home state and change his identity. Like many flawed heroes, Sonny is a good man who is haunted by one tragic mistake. His entire life becomes devoted to redemption and atonement.

Summary by James Berardinelli