Mark Wahlberg, one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, made headlines after the biopic, Father Stu dropped on Netflix in September 2022. This comes after the release of his hit comedy on the same platform, Me Time, co-starring Kevin Hart.
The multi-millionaire did not only star in the film; he also produced and financed it himself. Unfortunately, it received bad reviews, including a 42% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as disapproval from Wahlberg's own kids. Here's what critics really think about the film.
Why Mark Wahlberg Decided To Do 'Father Stu'
The idea came from "two priests and a bottle of wine," said Wahlberg, per National Catholic Reporter. Apparently, a priest had to encourage him to turn the life of Rev. Stuart Long, a boxer-turned-actor-turned-priest, into a movie.
"I couldn't find any reason to not want to make it once I was actually smart enough to realize that this was an amazing opportunity not only to tell a story," he told the press at a hotel in Chicago, "but to do something that would be more focused on my faith and giving back."
Speaking to Roger Ebert Online, the actor also confessed that he was scared of disappointing Long's dad, Bill (played by Mel Gibson in the movie).
"What scared me the most? Disappointing Bill, disappointing Stu's other family, um … all of his colleagues, the archbishop," said The Departed star. "Some of his fellow priests, the people who he touched. Helena, people who got to know him from all over, who were lucky enough to get to know him. You carry a big responsibility, and the responsibility to all of them, to make sure you get it right and do them justice."
When asked how he got over those pressures, he said: "You know it's there, but you try to pretend it doesn't exist."
Is 'Father Stu' A Hit Or A Flop?
Initially released in over 2700 theaters in the U.S. on April 13, 2022, Father Stu made $1.5 million on its opening day; $5.7 million on the opening weekend at the domestic box office (including Canada); and about $21.59 million worldwide.
The film had a budget of $30-40 million. Though the sales lived up to the critics' expectations, it isn't enough to say that the movie did well at the box office. It's a flop — earning a 6.5/10 IMDb rating and 42/100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on its 121 reviews.
On September 18, 2022, two days after its release on Netflix, Father Stu made it to No. 3 on the U.S. charts. However, it had a slow weekend release. "Well-intentioned but ultimately mishandled," Time Out's Whelan Barzey said of the biopic. "It commits the cardinal sin of indecisiveness, middling out in a purgatory of daddy issues and Sunday service pamphlets."
Even Steven D. Greydanus of The Catholic World Report noticed some flaws in the portrayal of Long's "moving spiritual trajectory." He wrote in his review: "The film doesn't really reckon with Stuart's insensitivity to Carmen, who is expected to forgive but is never offered an apology," adding that Wahlberg "could have done without the priggish, prissy seminarian (a character type often described as queer-coded) who is antagonistic toward Stuart and is ultimately revealed not to have a true vocation."
Mark Wahlberg's Kids Were Also Not Impressed With 'Father Stu'
Back in April, Wahlberg told Today that Father Stu is the "most important film" he's "ever done" in his 30-plus years in Hollywood. However, he also admitted that his kids didn't feel the same way about his film.
"I remember I tried to show my kids, oh god," he recalled, laughing as he spoke. "We were on holiday and we had a COVID thing going on, so we were kind of stuck in this little hotel anyways. And so I showed them and (Grace) just looked at me and she goes, 'Dad, this has gotta be the most boring movie I've ever seen and that's ever made.'"
However, the Deepwater Horizon star clarified that at least a member of his family — his wife of 12 years — loved the film.
"But my wife was really moved emotionally," he shared, adding that he thinks his children are "secretly impressed" with his "work ethic." That's why he feels like he has "to be an example for them" and "show them that Dad's gonna get up and he's gonna do whatever he has to do. I'm more driven now and determined than I've ever been."
Speaking of his family, Wahlberg listed his Los Angeles mansion for $87.5 million this year to move to Las Vegas. He said it was to "make this Hollywood 2.0" and "to be able to give my kids a better life and follow and pursue their dreams — whether it be my daughter as an equestrian, my son as a basketball player, my younger son as a golfer — this made a lot more sense for us."
