Father Stu (2022)

Father Stu (2022)

5/10

 

Starring

Mark Wahlberg

Mel Gibson

Jacki Weaver

Teresa Ruiz

 

Directed by Rosalind Ross

 

Father Stu does not jump out as one of the best biographical movies I’ve seen in a while. In fact, it pales in comparison to many others. It’s not that the life of Stuart Long (or Stu, played by Mark Wahlberg) isn’t exceptional; it’s that the movie fails to highlight the exceptionality of the character. It made me wonder if they overplayed the idea of feeling sorry for him. I couldn’t decide if I should be sad because of his rare disease or feel sorry for him because, in the process of turning his life around, he lost it.

Finding God when you’re about to die is common. In Stu’s case, it was one of those things that was prevalent in his life at the time, as he was in a relationship with a woman who wanted nothing to do with him unless he was baptized and in the faith. So, a near-death experience leading to a calling to become a priest could be seen as something already in the works. That, for me, kind of ruined the call. But in the real life of Stuart Long, that incident led to the call, so the movie had to follow that path.

The movie’s dark portrayal of Stuart’s life as a child growing up to be a man is what made it worth my time. The movie takes liberties with a lot of Stu’s career path to becoming a priest, and his experiences were also changed to make the journey more dramatic for moviegoers. The background laid before we watch is that Stuart grew up with his mother. His father left after Stuart’s brother died at a young age. Stuart is now a grown man who should have retired from boxing a long time ago but continues to box. His mother has been by his side throughout his life, caring for him even in his adult years. He was told he could no longer box because his body could no longer take a fight without it ending in him getting killed. Stuart decided to take the next path that came to mind: to be an actor. He goes to California, where his father is, and tries to be an actor while working at a grocery store. He meets a woman with whom he falls madly in love at first sight.

He follows her to her church and starts his wooing, which ended up with him getting baptized and winning her as his girl. Soon, his life takes a turn after a dreadful accident, and Stu finds God and decides to forsake everything to become a Catholic priest. He later discovers that he has a rare disease, which could make it impossible for him to be a priest, and his time on earth is now numbered.

In the end, the movie was an okay ride, but it’s hard to recommend it as a must-see.