Streaming now: Father Stu

‘Marky Mark’ as a Catholic priest seems an unlikely casting choice, but factor in actor Mark Wahlberg’s devout Catholicism and you have an intriguing combination of pop culture, missionary zeal and Hollywood storytelling.

Father Stu, originally released in 2022, is currently streaming on Netflix in Australia. It is the unlikely true story of Stuart Long, a streetwise ne’er-do-well from a broken home still grappling with the demons of childhood tragedy. When we meet him, he is far more at home in a boxing ring than in a prayer circle.

Stu sets off for Hollywood on a quest to become an actor, picking the unlikely locale of a grocery store as the perfect place to get his big break—after all, even Hollywood types have to eat. But apart from landing a starring role in a dodgy ad for a mop, his endeavours to make it in Hollywood are an abysmal failure.

Rather than catching the eye of a producer, it is an attractive Mexican woman, Carmen, who catches his eye. When he learns that she teaches Sunday school at a local parish, he turns up at Mass in an attempt to impress her.

Veteran Australian actors Mel Gibson and Jackie Weaver appear in the roles of Stu’s flawed but endearing parents, neither of whom appear to have graced the inside of a church. Gibson is convincing in the role of Stu’s psychologically abusive, alcoholic father, and Weaver shines as his troubled mum, still coming to terms with her grief over the loss of her younger son. When Stu declares his intention to be baptised, neither of his parents are impressed.

But this is a love story with a twist. No spoilers as to how it comes about, but rather than merely falling for the girl, Stu falls for God.

The agonising tension between Stu’s competing desires as he wrestles with the call to the priesthood is portrayed with sensitivity and depth by Wahlberg.

Ultimately the call of God wins, but Stu’s path to ordination is far from smooth. Just as he faced rejection as an actor, he initially faces rejection from the seminary, and only after much persistence is he accepted.

Throughout Stu’s journey, we discover his flaws and failings, his demons and his hurts. And towards the end, a cruel twist almost robs him of his ability to give himself to the service of God.

But ultimately, this is a story of both redemption and love. Stu’s love of Carmen finds a new form as he discovers his love of God. Stu’s parents’ love for him is sometimes shown in questionable ways, but it is undeniably there. And the love of his seminarian friends and parish community ultimately helps Stu achieve his dream of becoming a priest, even while grappling with one of the greatest challenges he has yet faced.

Wahlberg gives a powerful performance as Stu, ably complemented by a stellar supporting cast. This is no Father Brown. Its themes are raw and at times ugly, but it also conveys a beautiful message of mercy and redemption—a message that speaks powerfully into an increasingly polarised culture and the temptation to reduce complex lives and situations to simple categories of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, ‘good’ and ‘bad’.

What we learn in this film is that our flaws and struggles can help us to understand who we really are. We give in to temptation. We are weak. But God still loves us, even when we fail spectacularly. Ultimately, Father Stu tells us, the best word to describe who we are is neither ‘good’ nor ‘bad’ but ‘loved’.