The Apostle (1997)

Synopsis
Robert Duvall wrote, directed and earned an Academy Award nomination for his lead performance in The Apostle, a tale of a deeply troubled Southern Pentecostal preacher. As the movie opens, Duvall's character, Sonny Dewey, is based in Texas, where he lives with his wife Jessie (Farrah Fawcett) and their two children, leading a fairly large, interracial congregation. Upon learning that Jessie has begun an affair with another, younger preacher (Todd Allen), Sonny attacks his rival with a baseball bat, leaving him comatose; fleeing the law, Sonny re-baptizes himself under the name the Apostle E.F. and ultimately lands in Louisiana, where he works tirelessly to build a new congregation. At both his best and his worst, Sonny/E.F. remains a morally ambiguous presence. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide