Father Stu (El milagro del padre Stu) Official Trailer (HD)
Director: Rosalind Ross (her directorial debut)
Writer: Rosalind Ross
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, Jacki Weaver, Teresa Ruiz
Release date: Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes
Color: Color
: United States
Father Stu Movie Website, Sony Pictures
English
Produced by: Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Jordon Foss
Executive Producers: Miky Lee, Colleen Camp, Patrick Peach, Tony Grazia, Rosalind Ross
CJ Entertainment, Palm Drive Productions
Taglines: God Wanted a Fighter…And He Found One
Genres: Biography, Drama
Synopsis: Uplifting drama based on the true story about the life of Father Stuart Long, a boxer-turned-priest who inspired countless people during his journey from self-destruction to redemption. With Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, and Teresa Ruiz. Mark Wahlberg ended up funding the project himself after being turned down by several studios.
Based on a true story, Father Stu (Father Stuart Long), a boxer-turned-Catholic priest, an unflinchingly honest, funny and ultimately uplifting drama about a lost soul who finds his purpose in a most unexpected place. When an injury ends his amateur boxing career, Stuart Long (Mark Wahlberg) moves to L.A. dreaming of stardom. While scraping by as a supermarket clerk, he meets Carmen (Teresa Ruiz), a Catholic Sunday school teacher who seems immune to his bad-boy charm. Determined to win her over, the longtime agnostic starts going to church to impress her. But surviving a terrible motorcycle accident leaves him wondering if he can use his second chance to help others find their way, leading to the surprising realization that he is meant to be a Catholic priest. Despite a devastating health crisis and the skepticism of Church officials and his estranged parents (Mel Gibson and Jacki Weaver), Stu pursues his vocation with courage and compassion, inspiring not only those closest to him but countless others along the way.
Written for the screen and directed by Rosalind Ross and starring Academy Award Nominee® Mark Wahlberg (Best Supporting Actor, The Departed, 2006) as Father Stu, along with Academy Award Winner® Mel Gibson (Best Director, Braveheart, 1995), Academy Award Nominee® Jacki Weaver (Best Supporting Actor, Silver Linings Playbook, 2012) and Teresa Ruiz (Narcos). The film is produced by Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson and Jordon Foss and executive produced by Miky Lee, Colleen Camp, Patrick Peach, Tony Grazia and Rosalind Ross.
Father Stu was filmed in Los Angeles, California in 30 days in May 2021. In late September 2021, some scenes were shot in and around Helena, Montana, as well as Anaconda, Montana, Butte, Montana & Phillipsburg, Montana. Wahlberg intentionally gained 30 pounds (14 kg) in six weeks to portray Long, consuming up to 7,000 calories a day.
The film contains unusually strong language for a faith-based film, and Wahlberg said he was initially prevented from shooting a scene in a church because it contained vulgar language. However, Wahlberg defended the use of language as a way of emphasizing the contrast between his pre- and post-conversion lifestyles, and the film was commended by many Catholic leaders, including Bishop George Leo Thomas, who ordained Father Stu, Bishop Austin Vetter, the contemporary bishop of Helena, and Bishop Robert Barron.
