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IMDbPro

The Apostle

  • 19971997
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 14m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
14K
YOUR RATING
Robert Duvall in The Apostle (1997)
Home Video Trailer from Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Play trailer2:16
1 Video
99+ Photos
Drama
After his happy life spins out of control, a preacher from Texas changes his name, goes to Louisiana and starts preaching on the radio.After his happy life spins out of control, a preacher from Texas changes his name, goes to Louisiana and starts preaching on the radio.After his happy life spins out of control, a preacher from Texas changes his name, goes to Louisiana and starts preaching on the radio.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
14K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Robert Duvall
  • Writer
    • Robert Duvall
  • Stars
    • Robert Duvall
    • Todd Allen
    • Paul Bagget
  • Director
    • Robert Duvall
  • Writer
    • Robert Duvall
  • Stars
    • Robert Duvall
    • Todd Allen
    • Paul Bagget
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 168User reviews
    • 82Critic reviews
    • 83Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 13 wins & 8 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Apostle
    Trailer 2:16
    Watch The Apostle

    Photos109

    1 sheet movie poster
    Robert Duvall and Farrah Fawcett in The Apostle (1997)
    Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Bob Thornton in The Apostle (1997)
    Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Bob Thornton in The Apostle (1997)
    Robert Duvall in The Apostle (1997)
    Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Bob Thornton in The Apostle (1997)
    Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Bob Thornton in The Apostle (1997)
    Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Bob Thornton in The Apostle (1997)
    Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Bob Thornton in The Apostle (1997)
    Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Bob Thornton in The Apostle (1997)
    Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, and Billy Bob Thornton in The Apostle (1997)
    Robert Duvall, Farrah Fawcett, Billy Bob Thornton, and Steve White in The Apostle (1997)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robert Duvall
    Robert Duvall
    • The Apostle E.F.
    Todd Allen
    Todd Allen
    • Horace
    Paul Bagget
    • Tag Team Preacher #3
    • (as Brother Paul Bagget)
    Lenore Banks
    Lenore Banks
    • Female Sonny Supporter
    John Beasley
    John Beasley
    • Brother Blackwell
    Mary Lynette Braxton
    • Mother Blackwell
    Brett Brock
    Brett Brock
    • Helper
    Christopher Canady
    • Sister Johnson's Twin
    Christian Canady
    • Sister Johnson's Twin
    June Carter Cash
    June Carter Cash
    • Mrs. Dewey Sr.
    Elizabeth Chisolm
    • Singer
    William Atlas Cole
    • Bayou Man
    • (as Brother William Atlas Cole)
    Frank Collins Jr.
    • Soloist #4
    • (as Reverend Frank Collins Jr.)
    Carl D. Cook
    • Civic Auditorium Preacher
    • (as Prophet Carl D. Cook)
    Naomi Craig
    • Scripture Reader
    Wayne Dehart
    Wayne Dehart
    • Liquor Store Preacher
    Rick Dial
    • Elmo
    Farrah Fawcett
    Farrah Fawcett
    • Jessie Dewey
    • Director
      • Robert Duvall
    • Writer
      • Robert Duvall
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      After seeing the film, Marlon Brando wrote Robert Duvall a heartfelt letter congratulating him on making such a moving film.
    • Goofs
      When the car takes off to go into the river, the tires squeal on a dirt road.
    • Quotes

      Sonny: I quit school because I didn't like recess.

    • Crazy credits
      During the end credits there is a scene showing Sonny (Robert Duvall) preaching to the prisoners during out-of-prison work.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Amistad/Titanic/Good Will Hunting/The Apostle (1997)
    • Soundtracks
      What Passes For Love
      Written by David Grissom

      Performed by Storyville

      Courtesy of Atlantic Recording Corp.

      By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

    User reviews168

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    A story of spiritual struggle
    In order to fully appreciate "The Apostle" it might help to have some experience with southern Pentecostal culture. I do, and was completely taken in by the film. My wife, on the other hand, doesn't have that experience and understands neither the film nor my fondness for it. But I think that, if one is not distracted or confused or simply put off by the loud, emotional, sometimes corny religiosity portrayed here, one can see a strong, compelling story of a seriously, ultimately fatally flawed man whose faith in God and in God's mission for him reaches to his very core.

    On the surface, one can view Sonny Dewey as just another example of a certain type of religious fraud: the backslapping, perpetually-grinning, wisecracking good old boy who uses religion and exploits his flock for his own selfish ends. He looks like someone who doesn't practice what he preaches. He womanizes, he's not above taking a snort from this pocket flask, he has a troubled marriage and we get the hint that he is the source of more than his share of the trouble, even to the extent of driving his wife into the arms of another man. He seems to be just another Elmer Gantry or, to pick from the real world, he's just like one of the fallen televangelists of recent years. But just when you're comfortable with that judgment of him, Sonny proves you wrong. He admits to his faults, some more freely than others. But he makes no excuses for them and, in the end, he knows that he is going to pay for them.

    What really draws me into the film, and what really makes Sonny interesting for me, is the way Duvall has made him such a complex character. He's a bad guy and a good guy. He is darkness and he is light. He is sometimes endearing and other times someone you really don't feel comfortable trusting. But by creating this ambiguity, Duvall does a service not only to the way religious leaders are characterized in film, he also pays homage to core religious issues. By diving into the murky waters of Sonny's soul, Duvall goes into territory known to any seriously religious person. As much as you might want things to be black and white, a good portion of the time you're being pulled back into the shadows: there are good intentions and evil deeds; there are selfless aspirations and appetites to be fed. Sometimes you swing wildly from one side to the other. Sometimes you are on an even keel. Sometimes you're not sure.

    Faith and work determine how such a struggle will turn out. Sonny is energized by both. He believes in what he is doing. He believes that God has given him a mission and he is determined to accomplish it, even in spite of himself. While it might be tempting to make a stark contrast between the message Sonny preaches and the actions he has done that are contrary to it, one must always remember that a good preacher always preaches to himself as well as his congregation. But some of the more revealing moments of the film are not when Sonny is in front of a congregation, or even with other people generally, but when he is alone with God: ranting at God in anger; dedicating himself to God in the moment that he becomes the Apostle; the soul-searching moments when he forgives his wife and resigns himself to his fate.

    The no-punches-pulled realness of Sonny's struggle is a refreshing departure from the usual film portrayals of religious figures: plaster saint, con-man, one-dimensional milquetoast. But it also brings to the forefront the question of whether Sonny, or any of us, can be used for divine purpose.

    "The Apostle" is beautifully filmed and captures well a portion of the rural South: you can almost feel the humidity and smell the swampwater. And while the well-known actors in the film (Farrah Fawcett, Billy Bob Thornton, Miranda Richardson) all turn in fine performances, it is the unknowns --the church members and townfolk -- that really give the film an added authenticity.
    helpful•101
    3
    • lwkloth
    • Dec 27, 2001

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 20, 1998 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • El apóstol
    • Filming locations
      • Collin County, Texas, USA
    • Production company
      • Butcher's Run Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $19,868,354
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $29,396
      • Dec 21, 1997
    • Gross worldwide
      • $19,868,354
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 14 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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