Posted on 04/12/2022 5:23:32 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The genre of faith-based films has grown stronger over the last ten years, but Father Stu pushes the envelope in one significant sense. Will the built-in audience for such films stand for an R-rated biopic? And will the warts-and-all depiction of the late Father Stuart Long bring in the crossover audiences that Mark Wahlberg commands?
Hopefully, the answer to both questions will be yes, as Father Stu offers a moving and sometimes challenging look at faith, redemption, and family. No one gets spared from a harsh, critical look at Long’s life — not his family, his friends, his lifestyle, or even one fellow seminarian. If Father Stu wraps all that up a bit neatly and abruptly in the last act, the journey is still worth the effort.
In the first half especially, Father Stu feels more like a slice-of-life film about working-class Americans in tough times, recalling 1970s cinema more than the 1980s in which a good part of the film is set. Stu (Wahlberg) comes from a broken home, a very broken and dysfunctional home in which the death of his younger brother at an early age haunts everyone in the family. His father (Mel Gibson) was emotionally absent even for the short period in which he was physically present in Stu’s life. His mother (Jackie Weaver) is loving but somewhat ineffective as a parent, and Stu runs wild.
Between bar fights, arrests, a decent amateur boxing career cut short by injury, and a surprising-but-true brief flirtation with Hollywood, Stu looks nothing but lost. A chance encounter with an attractive girl brings him to a Catholic church. Stu is much more interested in a physical relationship than with his spiritual life, having only shown up to chase the girl — until he gets baptized and confirmed.
At this point, some of the grittiness dissipates and the film shifts more into familiar faith-based territory. The struggle shifts initially focuses on Stu’s difficulties in fitting into the seminary and then on his debilitating disease, a struggle which Wahlberg does an excellent job in portraying. This gives the final third a bit more of a predictable tone and somewhat more archetypal faith-cinema tensions as opposed to the more chaotic opening, but that doesn’t mean it’s not effective.
Since this is based on a true story (and apparently does a decent job of sticking to the history, for a Hollywood biopic), it’s tough to give “spoilers” in the usual sense. I’ll refrain from describing the events more fully, but suffice it to say that the story of Father Stu’s redemption is inspiring, and that’s even more true of his father. Wahlberg delivers a solid performance, but Mel Gibson reminds us just how powerful he can be as an actor. Gibson’s own struggles with scandal and redemption provide an intriguing context to his performance as Stu’s father Bill, and Gibson very nearly steals the show. The film is worth watching for Gibson alone.
But of course, Father Stu has a lot more to offer than just the performances, as good as they are. Stuart Long’s road to redemption from an R-rated life is the kind of story that faith-based cinema might have passed on early in their revival. It’s not a perfect film, but in a sense that’s part of the point of Father Stu. As he remarks in the film, sometimes you need a rough sinner to tell the story of redemption and the Gospels, and to speak to those who can’t yet see the hope that Christ brings. None of us are perfect, but we all have value — and Father Stu delivers that message well.
On the Hot Air scale, Father Stu gets a qualified 5:
I put this as a “qualified” five because some people who would normally go to faith-genre films may be very put off by the language. I wasn’t, in part because it’s authentic to the characters, but some may. There isn’t any nudity but there is some discussion of non-marital sex, nothing that teens couldn’t handle, but the language and content may be too much for younger viewers. There are violent scenes as well, mainly from the boxing ring but also in a very realistic motorcycle accident.
Viewers who want more about the grittier side of redemption should also watch Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo. You can read my review of that documentary here. In short … it’s fantastic.
Some new Dr. Strange movie. Others just evil looking action went by so fast. Some preview show called noovie. Com nothing memorable or familiar.
Suffering opens your eyes when you may have been blind to things you did no see before. It also will give you more hope than you ever thought you could have. And it does change the course of your life for better or worse. It is always your choice.
I have always liked Mark and I could like him even better if this film is true to his talents.
He seems like someone with whom I would like to share a drink.
Heard this rationalization of appeal to the crass before. Defecating is also authentic to characters and humans, but which does not justify including it any more than is does profanity, vulgarity and sensuality. And the former add nothing more to the conversation than passing gas does.
Which is in addition to conversion to Catholicism usually meaning ending up in Hell due to belief in a false gospel and lack of actual regeneration.
Rather, God does indeed send suffering, either in judgment upon the impenitent (ask ol Pharaoh of Moses time) or to teach obedience or turn souls to repentance, often by using the devil to do so.
But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. (Exodus 7:4)
So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me. (1 Chronicles 21:11-12)
Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword: (Psalms 17:13)
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. (Revelation 2:22)
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. (Hebrews 12:6-8)
But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:32)
A powerful movie with a raw quality quite faithfully based upon a true story.
I was going to mention the Hebrews 12 passage. And the KJV pulls no punches; their translation of 12:8 is true to the Greek.
Young people use the F word more in one sentence than I have in my entire life, they'll be O.K.
which movie?
He has come up from some ‘gritty’ circumstances as well.
THAT’s the title I was searching for!
6 years ago I posted a thread on it, describing it with images, but the web site that I hosted them on is now changed.
"You should mark this day on your calendar. You and I agree on something! I was going to mention the Hebrews 12 passage. And the KJV pulls no punches; their translation of 12:8 is true to the Greek."
Yes, and thus it is the absence of such correction, which takes place in this life, is what is of concern.
"But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." (1 Corinthians 11:32)
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