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There is a scene in the film where Stu, studying but not yet ordained, visits a prison as a part of his training, along with a fellow seminarian who is in the movie solely for contrast. While Stu is impetuous, confident, and blunt, but open-hearted, the other seminarian is studious, sober, and, when it comes to Stu, condescending. It is not a surprise that Stu is able to connect to the men in prison more easily than the student who is literally holier-than-thou. Unfortunately, this first scene that shows us how Father Stu connected to others in sharing his faith takes so long to arrive and is over quickly. His interactions with the crusty and skeptical Monsignor Kelly, the seminary’s rector (Malcolm McDowell) are also unsatisfying because we never see how their relationship changes after Stu convinces him to let him enroll.
How Father Stu is a priest is more important than how he got there. But the getting there is how the movie spends most of its time. And even Wahlberg’s movie star charisma and irresistible smile cannot make that part of the film work. The challenge in telling a life story in a two-hour movie is to select those moments that are most consequential and eliminating those that distract from the theme. The real-life Stu faced many complications and challenges, but the script seems to be designed around what would be fun for Gibson and Wahlberg to act. There is also a pre-occupation with mortification of the flesh rather than what would move the story forward by illuminating Stu’s spiritual development.
Other scenes clutter the story’s progress and are not as favorable a portrayal of Stu’s values as the movie thinks they are. He is never accountable for hurting Carmen after she thinks they are going to get married. Another seminarian confesses to Father Stu that he doesn’t really feel called to the priesthood but the conversation is presented more as some sort of win for Stu than as a way for Stu to provide some guidance to the person asking him for help. We also get welcome glimpses of the real Stu over the credits and a less welcome extra scene with Wahlberg to remind us of Stu’s goofy adventures before getting the call.
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