My Review of "Father Stu"

Father Stu is a little known movie that came out in 2022. Some might not have seen the movie because it deals with Catholicism. I like these types of movies because they're usually pretty inspiring. This movie was no different. I myself am not incredibly religious but I understand the concepts that they try to portray in this movie. They are pretty good lessons and I am definitely here to watch.

The movie starts off with our main protagonist Stuart Long. He's a little kid and he's dancing around like Elvis while his dad is watching Elvis on TV. Stuart wants to be just like Elvis but his dad Bill shoots him down with insults. That basically lays the foundation for their relationship for the years to come.

There is a bit of a montage to show that Stuart had great aspirations for himself despite his father's disapproval. He soon becomes a very good boxer. Though we know the career of a boxer is only limited due we learn that Stuart is reaching the pinnacle of his career. We also see that there are a lot of family demons that run in Stuart's family.

Realizing that he can no longer box Stuart heads off to Hollywood to become a famous actor. High hopes and ambition soon wane when he realizes Hollywood isn't what it's cracked up to be. As a struggling actor he works an odd job and meets a girl that converts him into Catholicism.

Their family is adamantly atheist and start to worry about him despite their own messed up situations. It isn't until a terrible incident where everything becomes clear to Stuart. He realizes that he wants to become a priest. This is probably the polar opposite of what everyone expects him to be as he's quite rude and brash.

Still his conviction to become a priest is definitely his calling despite going through endless obstacles to get there. To see the amount of things that happen to this guy is pretty tragic. I don't know how anyone in real life would ever have the will power to push himself the way that Stuart does. In that regard this movie is pretty inspirational.

There are a lot of interesting lessons in forgiveness throughout this movie. We see a lot of characters continuously grow both in major characters and minor characters alike. We see how a lot of the characters in this movie are angered and this anger is motivated by their own egos. Stuart is the one character that teaches them all to forgive themselves and each other to let go of all the pain and suffering that they've been through.

The acting is a little lopsided. There are times where you really get engrossed in the character because of the cast members but there are one or two scenes that feel a little phoned in. I was actually surprised to see Mark Wahlberg transform himself. He did a surprisingly good job in this movie. usually when I see him in movies he feels like the same character. This is one movie where I can say that he extended his range in acting abilities.

Overall, I had a good time with this movie. The pacing of this movie is done quite well without diverging into too many side stories. It's packed really well into an entertaining package. If you're looking for a movie that will pick you up emotionally and give you some sense of encouragement it's this movie. You don't even have to be religious to enjoy the concepts of this movie. Sure some people may feel it's a bit preachy but yeah I guess they are. I have to give this movie a 7 out of 10. I think a lot of people can benefit from watching this one.