Father Stu
Father Stu

Father Stu

2022Movie124 minEnglish

The true-life story of boxer-turned-priest. When an injury ends his amateur boxing career, Stuart Long moves to Los Angeles to find money and fame. While scraping by as a supermarket clerk, he meets Carmen, a Sunday school teacher who seems immune to his bad-boy charm. Determined to win her over, the longtime agnostic starts going to church to impress her. However, a motorcycle accident leaves him wondering if he can use his second chance to help others, leading to the surprising realization that he's meant to be a Catholic priest.

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Insights

IMDb6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes42%
Metacritic50/100
Google Users84%
Director: Rosalind RossGenres: Drama, Biography, Sport

Plot Summary

Based on a true story, the film follows boxer Stuart Long who, after a fighting career-ending injury, finds a new purpose in life by becoming a Catholic priest. Despite facing numerous challenges, including health issues and skepticism from those around him, Stu embarks on a spiritual journey that inspires his community. The movie explores themes of faith, redemption, and the power of perseverance.

Critical Reception

Father Stu received mixed reviews from critics, with many praising Mark Wahlberg's dedicated performance and the film's earnest portrayal of faith and resilience. However, some critics found the narrative to be overly sentimental and predictable, while others debated the accuracy of its portrayal of Catholic life. Audiences, particularly those with a strong connection to faith, generally responded more positively, appreciating its inspirational message.

What Reviewers Say

  • Mark Wahlberg delivers a committed performance in this faith-based drama.
  • The film is earnest and aims for an inspirational message about faith and redemption.
  • Some critics found the narrative to be predictable and overly sentimental.

Google audience: Google users generally appreciate the film's inspirational story of faith, perseverance, and redemption, with many highlighting Mark Wahlberg's powerful performance. The movie is often described as moving and faith-affirming, resonating with audiences seeking spiritual content.

Fun Fact

Mark Wahlberg, who produced and starred in the film, spent seven years developing the project and underwent a significant physical transformation for the role, gaining considerable weight.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

Mark Wahlberg is competent here as the eponymous boxer who takes a shine to the young church-going Carmen (Teresa Ruiz). He can't get near her, so he somewhat opportunistically decides to join her church and see if that helps. Thing is, pre...
Spencer

Spencer

Let me start off by saying that I completely understand all of the hate this film is getting, and that's because for the first half of the film I hated it too. For too much of this film, a lot of the characters are just unlikable slobs . . ...