I love it when actors find a passion project because it’s those kinds of films that turn out to be better than most of what we see in the theater today. They’re better than the action movies that are devoid of any real plot or horror movies that are more bloody than suspenseful. The latest passion project by actor Mark Wahlberg is a movie titled Father Stu, about a former actor with a criminal past who ends up finding his calling we need to decide to become a priest. I know what you’re thinking, that can’t possibly be a real story, but as it turns out it is based on the life of Stuart Long. He was a former boxer from Montana who went to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career, got into a few scrapes with the law, and after a tragic motorcycle accident, actually becomes a priest. This movie is a heartwarming tale about a man who finds faith despite the tragic circumstances that happen to him; Stuart Long would die at the age of 50 from a degenerative muscle disorder.    I wouldn’t even characterize it as a Christian movie because it certainly isn’t preachy like something you would find on “Pureflix.” It’s just an inspiring story about an everyday man with dreams who has them cut short but finds faith in the end, maybe not so much a Christian faith, but faith in humanity and that no matter what tragedy befalls us, we can all still make a difference. And, I admit, I really did enjoy this movie. I didn’t think I would, but it’s one of those films that pleasantly surprised me and probably because this in a lot of ways was a perfect role for Mark Wahlberg.

I’ve always enjoyed Mark Wahlberg movies, whether they’re stupid comedies like The Other Guys or action movies like Lone Survivor or Four Brothers. He was great in The Departed. But his best movies have always been about men who in a lot of ways fell short of their potential only to rise up and become better than what they were. My favorite movie with him is always going to be The Fighter in this movie does make a few references to The Fighter. What makes this movie worth watching is Mark Wahlberg’s performance! It’s almost as if this was the perfect story for him to tell and in a lot of ways mirrors his own life. He was once a young, cocky actor who had a few scrapes with the law, but found his own faith which is very evident in the life that he lives now, especially with his family. In a lot of ways, there are mirror images of him and Stuart Long. In my interview with Mark Wahlberg, one of the things that I mentioned is I saw this character a lot like the Apostle Paul, someone who was reckless and not a very good person until he had an epiphany from God, thus giving him a calling. This movie works well in the fact that you get to see all the early parts of Father Stu’s life. Plus, the performances by Jackie Weaver and Mel Gibson, who play his parents are outstanding. They definitely deserve awards. The movie has a lot of heart and a lot of comedy, to the backdrop of Americana especially with the soundtrack. The music is a mixture of classic rock and outlaw country, which perfectly exemplifies the beauty of the film. And the movie beautifully displays how flawed all these characters really are and their own journey to find faith. I don’t necessarily characterize it as Christianity because, again, it’s not being preachy. The characters in the film are trying to be better human beings and that kind of faith goes beyond believing in God, but more importantly believing in each other and how we can all change For the better I think that’s the overall message of this film.

It’s not a perfect film, certainly not a perfect 10. There are better films about how people can change. One of the films that I compare Father Stu to is The Razor’s Edge, and I’ve always liked Bill Murray’s the best. If I had to be overly critical, I almost feel like they spent too much time telling his backstory and not focusing so much on him becoming a priest. Maybe it’s because Stuart Long wasn’t a priest all that long and compared to his life as a boxer or an actor. But I would have liked to have seen equal amounts of time telling these stories. There’s a lot of great stories of Stuart Long as a priest, especially when he went back to Montana and was essentially in a wheelchair going to prisons and community centers, becoming one of the most popular priests in that area. He was an inspiration and there should have more stories about that told in the film. There are also a few characters that we don’t get to tell their story as much as we should. I wish we had more of Teresa’s story, the love interest of Father Stu before he became a priest. I just don’t think the movie was as balanced as it could have been in telling all these great stories, especially that of Stuart’s father played by Mel Gibson.  In a lot of ways, maybe the story would have been better if it was a limited series of four to six episodes on a streaming channel. The film does leave you wanting to know more about Stuart Long and everybody involved.  That is certainly one of its weaknesses, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch it.  It’s a good story told in two hours.

Overall, Father Stu is a heartwarming and funny movie that can give you a renewed sense of faith in people. It’s hard not to feel inspired after watching this movie and perhaps it is the perfect movie to watch during Easter weekend. It is certainly one of Mark Wahlbergs’ top-five performances. Jackie Weaver and Mel Gibson deserve plenty of accolades for their brilliant performances. I thought this was one of Mel Gibson’s best movies. Maybe in some ways, it’s a sense of redemption for him for some of the crazy things he’s done in real life. Even if you are not a Christian or a person of faith, this is just a good story with great performances. You can still be inspired by somebody like Stuart Long, a man who found a calling and made a difference despite the tragic circumstances surrounding his life. Yes, it feels like a Reader’s Digest story, but we all need those from time to time. This is one of the best movies Mark Wahlberg could have done and we should be thankful that he brought the life of Stuart long to the big screen. I highly recommend this film even if you only watch it once, but I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t because it’s the kind of movie that’s worth watching more than once; if nothing else for the performances of its three stars. I also think it’s a great movie to see in the theater, especially if you need a feel-good movie and we all need those from time to time.