Is Father Stu Based On A True Story? Father Stu Ending Explained
by Aishwarya R
Updated Feb 22, 2023
![Is Father Stu Based On A True Story? Father Stu Ending Explained Is Father Stu Based On A True Story? Father Stu Ending Explained](https://img20.fresherslive.com/latestnews/2023/02/is-father-stu-based-on-a-true-story-father-stu-ending-explained-63f5e0c2a451827954537-900.webp)
Father Stu
The 2022 biographical drama film "Father Stu" tells the story of Stuart Long, a former boxer who becomes a Catholic priest and lives with a progressive muscle disorder. The film stars Mark Wahlberg and is written and directed by Rosalind Ross, marking her directorial debut. Produced with a budget of $4 million, the movie received mixed reviews from critics and has grossed $21.8 million worldwide.
The film had its world premiere at the Cinemark Theater in Helena, Montana, on April 5, 2022, and was released in theaters in the United States on April 13, 2022, during the Christian Holy Week. Originally set to be released on April 15, 2022, the film was later re-released on December 9, 2022, as "Father Stu: Reborn" in a re-cut version intended for wider audiences.
Wahlberg attended an advance screening of the film at Carroll College in Helena, where Father Stu graduated and later served as a campus minister. The film was added to Netflix in the United States on September 16, 2022, as part of Sony's Pay-1 window exclusivity deal.
Wahlberg revealed in 2016 that he and screenwriter David O. Russell were working on a Long biopic. Wahlberg first learned of Long's story while out to dinner with two priests. Wahlberg invested "millions and millions of dollars" of his own money in the project, primarily due to the shoot going over schedule and the rights to music. Ross wrote the script, and she then signed on as director in her directorial debut.
Is Father Stu Based On A True Story?
Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson, both devout Catholics, had a passion for making the film "Father Stu," which is based on the true story of a boxer's unlikely journey to become a priest. Additionally, there are times when a passion project presents a challenge due to the fact that the message it intends to convey may differ from the part of the story it intends to tell.
The real-life Father Stu was born Stu Long, the son of an abusive and mostly absent father (portrayed by Mel Gibson as Bill) and a well-intentioned but ineffective mother (played by Jackie Weaver as Kathleen). We see Stu briefly as a child, imitating Elvis Presley in an effort to win over his father. Then, we skip ahead to Stu, who is now played by Wahlberg and is a boxer whose career has produced more injuries than awards and more awards than money. Stu is very determined, but when it becomes clear that he can no longer fight, he turns his unwavering commitment toward a goal that is even more unlikely: moving to Hollywood to become a movie star. There, he meets Carmen (Teresa Ruiz), a pretty girl who is very involved in the Catholic Church. He pretends to be interested in getting close to her at first, but after a very serious motorcycle accident, he eventually realizes that the priesthood is for him.
Father Stu Ending Explained
During this time, one morning, Stu's parents dress him up in formal attire. Bill also dresses well, which is very different from his usual behavior, which makes Stu wonder where they might be going. The son is even more perplexed when his father's truck breaks down midway through the trip, forcing him to walk the remainder of the way in a wheelchair. The son has no idea what is about to happen. Kathleen and Carmen greet them when they finally arrive at the church where Stu had been attending seminary. Stu sees a large group of people gathered inside the church to attend mass, in addition to his rector and other priests, who are waiting for him. At first, Stu wonders why they would want to get married to him when he only had a very short time left to live. Now, Carmen informs him that their church's parishioners had submitted a special petition to the Diocese of Helena to ordain Stu as a priest, and the bishop had granted their request. Stu is ordained, and at his first mass, he talks about his own life and circumstances, drawing parallels to Jesus Christ's sufferings and explaining how he now sees them as the ultimate gift from God. Even though his physical condition deteriorates and he is placed in a special care facility, he continues to preach and quickly establishes a loving relationship with the religious people of Montana. Jacob pays him a visit for one of his confessions as people line up outside to hear him speak. He also holds confessions there. The young man admits that his parents had always forced him to become a priest, despite the fact that he had never been interested in it. Father Stu tells him that trying to find other ways to serve God is not true devotion and is not worth the pain, so he should try to find other ways.
The actual boxer-turned-priest who continued to serve his religion until he passed away at the age of fifty is featured in a few audio and video clips near the end of "Father Stu." The man's self-realization, as shown in the movie, helps not only his own life but also the lives of his parents, who are shown at the end of their lives at peace and accepting of their own mortality. Bill also joins a support group to deal with his alcoholism. There, he learns that the only way to be at peace is to spend the rest of his life loving and supporting his wife, even though he and his wife have lost both of their sons. The once-violent man who had transformed into a priest had helped a few hundred people, if not thousands, in this way.
Father Stu Review
The movie includes a scene in which Stu, a seminarian who is studying but has not yet been ordained, and a fellow seminarian who is only present for contrast go to prison as part of their training. The other seminarian is serious, sober, and condescending toward Stu, whereas Stu is impetuous, confident, blunt, but open-hearted. It should not come as a surprise that the student who is literally holier-than-thou is able to connect with the men in prison more easily than Stu. Sadly, this first scene, which demonstrates Father Stu's connection to others through sharing his faith, takes a long time to appear and ends quickly. We never see how their relationship evolves after Stu persuades Monsignor Kelly, the seminary's rector (Malcolm McDowell), to allow him to enroll. His interactions with Kelly are also unsatisfying.
It matters more how Father Stu became a priest than how he got there. However, the majority of the movie is spent getting there. And, surprisingly, Wahlberg's celebrity magnetism and overwhelming grin can't make that piece of the film work. The difficulty of telling a life story in a two-hour film is choosing the most important moments and removing those that detract from the theme. The real-life Stu encountered numerous difficulties, but the script appears to have been written with Gibson and Wahlberg's enjoyment in mind. Also, flesh mutilation is more important than what would help the story move forward by showing how Stu develops spiritually.
Where To Watch Father Stu Movie?
Father Stu, starring Mark Wahlberg, is getting a lot of attention. After a life-altering motorcycle accident, the man in the film undergoes a radical transformation from an agnostic boxer to a priest. The recent convert to Christianity uses his second chance at life to help others for the rest of his life, even though he is sick.
In April of 2022, Sony Pictures exclusively released Father Stu in theaters. It has not yet made its free debut on streaming services like Hulu or Netflix. On the other hand, you can rent it or buy it in stores or online. You can lease the film on YouTube, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play for $5.99. It is also available for around $20 on Blu-ray from Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. Sony Pictures accomplices essentially with Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu, so the film will probably be accessible on one of these three real-time features from here on out.
Is Father Stu Based On A True Story - FAQs
Father Stu is a biographical drama film.
Yes, Father Stu is based on a true story.
Mark Wahlberg played Father Stu in Father Stu movie.
Rosalind Ross is the director of Father Stu.
Rosalind Ross is the writer of Father Stu.