Product Details

• Actors: Todd Allen, Brother Paul Bagget, Lenore Banks, John Beasley, Mary Lynette Braxton
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Polygram USA Video
• VHS Release Date: November 2, 1999
• Run Time: 133 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (140 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00002JWZM
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #38,058 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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  Video > Special Interests > Religion & Spirituality > Christian Video > Feature Films

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

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

From The New Yorker

Produced, written, and directed by its star, Robert Duvall, this film addresses without condescension or glibness a subject-religious conviction-that Hollywood generally caricatures. Duvall plays Sonny, a charismatic Pentecostal preacher who dresses in white three-piece suits and has so antagonized his wife (Farrah Fawcett) with his philandering that she's taken up with a younger minister and wrested control of his church. After bashing his rival with a baseball bat, Sonny leaves Texas and shows up in Bayou Boutte, Louisiana, where he rebuilds a church and infuses his mostly black congregants with spiritual ardor before his past catches up with him. Duvall's performance is so passionate, so energized, that it's almost eerie: is Sonny acting him or is he acting Sonny? The supporting players include John Beasley, June Carter Cash, Miranda Richardson, and Billy Bob Thornton. -Daphne Merkin
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Get out of the way, Jupiter and Mars!", February 17, 2001

By	Mike Powers "mkp51" (Boothbay, ME United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

"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.

71 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most honost film I've seen in terms of dealing with....., February 14, 2003

By	Joel Munyon "Joel Munyon" (Joliet, Illinois - the poohole of America.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Apostle (DVD)

...Christianity. Many Christians I know despise this film. I think it's mainly because The Apostle shows the bitter truth behind the men and women who serve God. This film is not apologetic or remotely reverent; it is brutally honest and actually, when considered closely, quite refreshing.

Rovert Duvall, in a role that was destined for him, plays the part of a eccentric preacher who is running from his problems. His problems, and there are many, force him to leave his mega-church and flee from police. His actions - which I won't spoil - are shocking but somewhat justifiable.

When out of town, the Apostle begins a multi-racial church in the deep south, cutting cross dividing lines while vigorously regaining his passion for the Lord. In it is in these moments, when he confronts his own lusts and fears, that the character of the Apostle shines through in honest, heart-bursting segments. He is a broken man, but still a man of God, just as many of the men and women of the Bible are. Bruised, battered, yet still willing. That's what I loved about this film. It is a true depiction of people who follow Jesus. We have misgivings, tempers, pride and lusts, yet, when it's all said and done, we can still move on.

There is one segment, when a racist bigot - played handsomely by Billy Bob Thorton -threatens to tear down the mult-racial church. The scene ends with Thorton's exclusionary character on his knees in deep remorse and weeping for forgiveness. It's a beautiful thing to behold.

This film is ruggedly honest and will make the pious and self-righteous crowd cringe with prudent dissaproval. But hey, those of you who are in touch with reality will probably love this film. I'm a preacher's kid and I know an honest attempt when I see one. This is it. Enjoy!

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Film That Finally Gets Christianity Right!, February 17, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Las Cruces, New Mexico USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Apostle [VHS] (VHS Tape)

We've all heard and seen films that portray Christians (especially from the South) as villans, fools, bigots, and zealots. At last, from legendary actory Robert Duvall, comes a film that is so riveting and poignant and full of love that it is, quite simply, astonishing. Duvall's Apostle E.F. is no saintly, sinless caricature. He is a man who has heard God from an early age, but is subject to the same vices that plague the rest of us. His struggle with and utter dependence on the Lord will move you. His dedication to rebuilding an old church in Bayou country into a multi-racial love fest is sheer poetry. His fire in preaching the love and forgiveness of Christ, when we know he needs it every bit as much as we do, leaves an indelible mark on us. Even prison does not lift Apostle's need to preach. I've rarely seen a film that is so personal, so touching, and so real. A must-see for Christians and non-Christians. Forget Good Will Hunting and LA Confidential. The Apostle is a real movie, and uplifting experience. Enjoy!!