When I first saw this movie, I was not fond of it, but it stands the test of time and gets much better.  Duvall is a fundamentalist preacher who falls from grace and moves to a different state.  He builds a new world and becomes successful, but his success is again his downfall.

The film is great for the theme of redemption and forgiveness, and I guess that the Evangelicals evenually rallied around it.  At first they rejected it because of the sins committed by Duvall in the first part of the flick.

An excellent film. Some fundamentalist Christians found it offensive, but I don't understand why. Sure, it covered the dark side, but it also humanized them considerably.

A labor of love for Duvall, and an Oscar worthy one at that. Could not have been handled by a major Hollywood studio, due mainly to the fact that it gave Evangelical Christianity something that resembled a fair shake.