Movie Review: "Father Stu" (2022)
Father Stu Movie Review
Written by Stuart D. Monroe
Released by Sony Pictures Entertainment
Written and Directed by Rosalind Ross
2022, 124 minutes, Rated R
Released in theaters on April 15th, 2022
Starring:
Mark Wahlberg as Stuart Long aka Father Stu
Teresa Ruiz as Carmen
Mel Gibson as Bill Long
Jackie Weaver as Kathleen Long
Winter Ave Zoli as Allison
Niko Nicotera as Barfly
Carlos Leal as Father Garcia
Faith Jefferies as Timekeeper
Review:
A movie that rings true to the faithful and the faithless alike- that is a damn hard trick to pull off. For the record, I am the faithless. My “+1” at this screening was most certainly the faithful (and something of a spirit guide to me, if you will). On the trailer alone, I saw yet another faith-based film that would follow the same formula they all do, but…but…the lead roles are populated with actors who have the rangiest of range. And I’ll be damned if the vibe didn’t feel more raw than your normal “Christian movie”.
Left Behind this is not, folks.
Father Stu tells the inspiring true story of Father Stuart Long (Mark Wahlberg; Boogie Nights), a tortured and aimless boxer turned Catholic priest who suffered with IBM (Inclusion Body Myositis), a progressive muscle disease with no effective treatment that weakens the finger flexors, knee extensors, and core muscles. Before becoming the beloved and revered Father Stu, Stuart Long went from boxing to Hollywood and finally to the bar. He falls head over heels for a beautiful Catholic woman named Carmen (Teresa Ruiz; Narcos: Mexico) and begins regularly attending Catholic services. A catastrophic (and drunken) motorcycle accident changes his perspective and a grim diagnosis changes what’s in his heart. Forsaking the relationship that started him down that road, Stuart Long enters the priesthood. His journey to becoming Father Stu is one that only God could arrange, the story of lives forever altered by one man and all his flaws.
It ain’t supposed to be a pretty story.
You’re right. We’ve heard this one before, just with different particulars and players. Faith-based films tend to be more formulaic than most, but where the good ones stand out is in the quality of the cast and the authenticity of the story. Father Stu has that in spades. Mark Wahlberg puts his whole heart and his full range into the role of Father Stuart Long in one of his two or three best performances. Mel Gibson (Lethal Weapon, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome) plays the heavy, so to speak, as Stu’s father, Bill Long. His passion for the project (God forgive me for that pun) is evident in the intensity, ugliness, and tenderness he doles out in equal measure. And those two inspired performances are enough to make Father Stu stand out with its full head and shoulders visible…then there’s the scene-stealing Jacki Weaver (Silver Linings Playbook) doing her thing as Stu’s mother. She often reminds me of my mother in this role; I don’t think that’s entirely a great thing considering Father Stu’s trials and tribulations, but I digress…
Mel Gibson does the heavy lifting on the R-rating, and it is absolutely necessary to the story. Another victory for Father Stu is that it doesn’t whitewash the story by giving it the PG-rated Hallmark treatment. You can’t polish a turd, as the old expression goes, and there are plenty of turds to go around in the truth of this great man’s life. Life is messy, and Father Stu is at times very messy. Complaints about the language were overheard multiple times as we left the theater. My faithful friend understood that the heavy language and adult subject matter were not only essential to this story but also that it’s what’s often missing from other faith-based films that fail to hit with audiences.
Rest assured that Father Stu will hit with audiences. Humanity speaks a truth that crosses religious boundaries while defining them, and Father Stu handles its business in inspired fashion. Even the faithless can appreciate this one.
And you can take it from me- after all, my damn name is Stu.
Grade:
4.5 out of 5.0 stars
