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).
Review 1:
"...Duvall is a blazing wonder in a film that ranks with the year's best..."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.61-2 01/22/1998
Review 2:
"...Fascinating, eccentric....[Duvall is] righteous, charismatic....Enough to renew your faith -- in movies, at the very least..." -- Rating: A-
Source: Entertainment Weekly
pp.129-30 08/21/1998
Review 3:
"...A sweetly believable tone....A rare display of spiritual light on screen..."
Source: New York Times
p.E10 12/17/1997
Review 4:
"...Duvall is a heaven-inspired acting machine..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.38-9 06/01/1998
Review 5:
"...A lyrical tale of redemption....Duvall delivers a bravura, Oscar-quality performance....THE APOSTLE is a profoundly humane movie that crackles with the joy and sorrow of an old blues record..."
Source: Premiere
p.21 02/01/1998
Review 6:
"...THE APOSTLE is a good little movie dominated by a great central performance that's likely to endure..."
Source: USA Today
p.2D 01/30/1998
Review 7:
"...THE APOSTLE sees its characters in an unusually perceptive light; they have the complexity and spontaneity of people in a documentary..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.36 01/30/1998