Review of The Apostle (1997) by Matt A — 10 May 2012
What I thought was going to evolve into a game of "Bash the Hypocritical Christian" turned out to be much more. This man, "The Apostle," turned out to be a complex guy, both good and bad. The first scene shows the early influences of what probably shaped him into the man he is. He's not a willfully ignorant bigot like many directors out there would be tempted to make him out to be. He's a human being who laughs, loves, and angers. A kind portrayal to say the least. Lots of things to think about in this movie. What's up with the Billy Bob Thornton scene?? Thought that was very interesting. Deep down I thought he was going to bulldoze the church. And the young man who "accepts Christ" at the very end and cries a bunch. What an actor! His awkwardness could not have been played any better.
A few minutes after watching this I grabbed the book that contains John Henry Newman's sermons and opened up where the bookmark was already placed. The sermon was titled "Religious Emotion." I cannot stress enough what perfect timing the reading of that sermon was, not only in the context of watching the movie, but also for my life. Ever since junior year of high school I've struggled with finding that peace of mind that comes with calmly following Christ's commands. I've been confused and downtrodden, unable to discover the role that emotions play in the outwork of my character. The truth is, if I may put it concisely, I've felt like movies and music have not had as profound an effect on me the last couple of months, and I think this has something to do with the fact that I try too hard to focus on the emotion that I want to receive from it. I'm elevating emotion. John Henry Newman's sermon helped so much to see my issue. Still have growing to do, but thank God for this revelation. Cool, this review turned into a diary entry.
Watched on Friday May 11, 2012 around 7 or 8 P.M. on the upstairs T.V. on Netflix. Bryce comes home tomorrow from Notre Dame. Demarcus comes home too, from good ole Ouchita Baptist.
This review of The Apostle (1997) was written by Matt A on 10 May 2012.
The Apostle has generally received positive reviews.
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