Father Stu Review: Wahlberg Leads Interesting But Insincere Faith-Based Film
Written and directed by Rosalind Ross, Father Stu sees an agnostic become a priest. The faith-based film comes just in time for Easter, but unlike many other films in the genre, Father Stu has put some effort into crafting its story. The film — produced by and starring Mark Wahlberg in the title role — is not the best out there, nor is it the most touching, well-paced, deep or thoughtfully executed story, but it does have its moments.
Father Stu is based on the true story of Stuart Long (Wahlberg), a boxer who is forced to quit after suffering injuries his body could no longer tolerate. Stu’s got a lot of anger issues and struggles with being emotionally vulnerable, mostly due to the death of his brother at a young age and the divorce of his now-estranged parents (Mel Gibson and Jacki Weaver), both of whom didn’t raise him to be religious. Lost, Stu moves to Los Angeles in an attempt to become an actor. He becomes infatuated with Carmen (Teresa Ruiz), a Catholic school teacher, and begins attending church. At first, it’s only to please her because it’s an important part of her life. But after a near-fatal motorcycle accident, Stu decides he wants to become a priest, to the shock of everyone.
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To be sure, Father Stu is an above average faith-based story. It has all the elements that would make it engaging and uplifting — a seemingly lost man who is rough around the edges looking inward and to God to find himself and his purpose. He faces quite a few obstacles along the way, things that are meant to make him stronger and to solidify his beliefs. To a certain extent, the film succeeds in its efforts because it puts in the work. Father Stu is a
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