dual personalities

Tag: Robert Duvall

March 11, 2026

This and that

by chuckofish

When we were driving back from the prairie, we were really struck by how everything is greening up in our neck of the woods. It has warmed up into the seventies…but storms, not surprisingly, are on the way.

Yesterday I did laundry, caught up on ‘desk work’ and ran a few errands. I feel like I accomplished a lot. Meanwhile I am working on editing a piece for the Kirkwood Historical Review which was sent in by a man whose parents grew up in Kirkwood. He was going through old boxes (as we are all wont to do) and found photos and letters etc and decided to write something up about them and his grandfather who was a state senator. This man, by the way, went off into the wide world from our flyover state and became a well known artist and illustrator with several New Yorker covers to his credit. As usual, I am surprised by what a small world it is.

Last week I watched the movie The Apostle (1997) which was written and directed by Robert Duvall, who also stars in it as Euliss F. “Sonny” Dewey, a charismatic Pentecostal preacher. He was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar.

I saw it when it came out and I have the DVD, but had not seen it in ages. It is a very interesting movie about a denomination I know little about. The soundtrack won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Southern, Country, or Bluegrass Gospel Album. I remember that too–we listened to it a lot back in the day.

It also occurred to daughter #1and me that Euliss Dewey would be a great name for another Westie, with “Sonny” as his nickname. Weeeelllll (as Ida frequently starts a sentence), if you are looking for something good to watch, you might try The Apostle.

This is a good article about Three Reminders for Christian Parents. I was struck by her description of a child drawing pictures in church and that “love for the church is often absorbed more than it is instructed. Children learn to cherish the people of God not only through teaching but through presence.” It really reminded me of the twins who draw in their special church notebooks, seemingly not paying attention, but absorbing what they hear.

And I enjoyed this article about Tim Challies. I start every day with his blog and have for many years.

Have a good Wednesday!

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February 17, 2026

Entertaining a brotherly affection

by chuckofish

Well, the George Washington’s birthday wreath-laying event went off without a hitch. It was a beautiful sunny day and Lafayette Park looked very nice. If you recall, last year it was freeeezing cold and I even wore my fur coat, so 57 degrees felt balmy!

Daughter #1 looked very glam in her red coat.

The SAR color guard remembered their flags.

My reading of Washington’s prayer was a hit with the speaker who also quoted from it.

Almighty God: We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government, and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

This is our chapter’s big event of the year so huzzah to daughter #1–you can relax (a little bit) now.

In other news I was sad to hear that Robert Duvall had died, but he was 95. I watched the first episode of Lonesome Dove in his honor.

He is so great in it. When I think of Robert Duvall, I always think of my old friend Art, who went to the Principia with him here in St. Louis and then to college with him at Principia College across the river. They were both Christian Scientists and their fathers, I believe, were both Rear Admirals. Both fine men.

Well, as Augustus would say, “Here’s to the sunny slopes of long ago.”

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August 14, 2015

Soul on fire

by chuckofish

Okay, I admit it. Sometimes I listen to Christian radio in the morning. Yesterday they played one of my favorites, “Soul on Fire” by Third Day, as I was driving into work.

Did you listen? Not a bad way to rev your engine for the day ahead.

Anyway, this song put me in mind of the great movie The Apostle (1997) starring Robert Duvall in the role for which he should have won the Academy Award.

apostle_ver3He also wrote the screenplay, directed the movie and financed it with 5 million dollars of his own money. It is pretty awesome as I recall. I saw it at the movies back when it was released and then when it came out on DVD, but not since.

The Apostle is an unflattering but realistic portrayal of Pentecostal minister Euless “Sonny” Dewey who is searching for redemption amidst personal torment and anger issues. I was impressed with Duvall and indeed everyone in the film–Farrah Fawsett, Billy Bob Thornton, June Carter Cash et al. I was impressed that he made this film with its Christian theme and that it was actually reviewed favorably by the mainstream media. Duvall’s minister is not perfect but he is not a fake. He is the real deal.

theapostle

So it is my Friday movie pick. “I’m a genuine, Holy Ghost, Jesus-filled preachin’ machine this mornin’!”

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February 5, 2013

“Here’s to the sunny slopes of long ago.”

by chuckofish

It snowed in our flyover town over the weekend!

SNOW2

As an antidote to the cold winter weather (and because I had no real interest in the Super Bowl), I watched Lonesome Dove (1989) on Netflix Watch Instantly on Sunday and Monday nights. I had not seen it in a very long time. I read the book about two retired Texas Rangers who decide to take a herd of cattle on a 3,000-mile trek north to Montana in 1876 when it came out in paperback back in 1988 and loved it. The book won the Pulitzer Prize in 1985. (Various sequels and prequels by Larry McMurtry are, in my humble opinion, unequal to the original, due to their being way over the top in grossness and violence. But the original LD got it just right.)

The miniseries I associate with the year after my mother died when solace in any form was welcome and hard-to-come-by.

lonesomedove

Gus McCrae and Captain Call were a balm to me–at least for the four days in February 1989  the series aired. Gus was even a bit of a philosopher, handing out good advice right and left, such as this:

Lorie darlin’, life in San Francisco, you see, is still just life. If you want any one thing too badly, it’s likely to turn out to be a disappointment. The only healthy way to live life is to learn to like all the little everyday things, like a sip of good whiskey in the evening, a soft bed, a glass of buttermilk, or a feisty gentleman like myself.

Thank you, Gus and Woodrow. And thank you, Pea and Dish and Deets and Newt and July and Roscoe and Lorena and all the rest. It was nice to see you again.

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