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 have seen in a while. In fact, it fails in comparison to many. It is not that the life of Stuart Long (or Stu played by Mark Wahlberg) is not an exceptional one, it is that the movie fails to compel that exceptionality of the character in question. It made me wonder if they over played the idea of feeling sorry for the character. I could not underline if I am to be sad because of this rare disease or maybe feel sorry for him because in the process of turning his life around he lost it.

Finding God on the time when you are 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 to turn 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 paining of Stuart’s life as a child growing up to be a man is what makes this movie worth my time. The movie takes liberty to change a lot of Stuarts career path to becoming a priest and his experiences were also changed to make the path more dramatic for the movie watchers. The background laid before we watch is that Stuart grew up with his mother. The 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 all through his life, caring for him even in his now adult age. He was told he could no longer box because his body can no longer take a fight without it ending in him getting killed. Stuart decided to take the next path that comes to his mind, which is 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 with at first sight.

He follows her to her church and starts his wooing. Which ended up with him getting baptized and wining her as his girl. Soon his life takes a turn after a dreadful accident and Stu finds God and decided to frsake everything to become a catholic priest.

He was later discovered 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 ok ride, but hard to pass on to someone as a good movie to see.