When actor Robert Duvall died last Tuesday at the age of ninety-five, the entertainment media responded with widespread accolades. And deserved ones: dubbed the “American Olivier” by one film critic, Duvall’s power and range shined through in some of American cinema’s most celebrated films, including The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, as well as highly-regarded minor masterpieces like Tender Mercies and The Great Santini. (And, if you’re a nerd, THX-1138.)

One of those secondary entries in Duvall’s filmography that deserves top mention but is often overlooked is 1997’s The Apostle. Duvall wrote, directed, and starred in this story of a Protestant pastor who is forced to leave his Texas congregation and re-invent himself as…