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Father Stu | 2022 | R | – 5.5.8
Why is “Father Stu” rated R? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “language throughout.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes an implied sex scene, a scene of attempted sexual coercion, a kissing scene, a near fatal motorcycle accident with bloody injuries, several fight scenes (in a boxing ring and in a bar) with bloody wounds, we see the effects of a degenerative muscle disorder, many arguments, and nearly 40 F-words and other strong language. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.
Based on a true story about a man (Mark Wahlberg) whose search for a new path after leaving a mostly unsuccessful amateur boxing career, results in a future he could never have imagined, as a Catholic priest. Also with Mel Gibson, Jacki Weaver, Teresa Ruiz, Cody Fern, Aaron Moten and Malcolm McDowell. Directed by Rosalind Ross. [Running Time: 2:04]
Father Stu SEX/NUDITY 5
– A man lies on a bed and a woman sits next to him, she kisses him and straddles him as the scene ends (sex is implied). During an interview a man asks another man, “How bad do you want it,” as he leans back in his chair and puts his hand on his belt, implying oral sex (please see the Violence/Gore category for more details).
► A man hugs a woman and kisses her on the cheek. A woman in a bar flirts with a man. A person wearing a dress throws a kiss to a man as he walks past. A man and a woman sing karaoke together and the man touches the woman’s arm tenderly. A man and a woman hug and the man grabs her clothed buttock (jokingly). An estranged husband and his wife hug and dance and he kisses her on the forehead.
► A doctor tells a man that a muscle disorder will affect many of his functions except erectile function. A woman tells a man that she is Catholic and that she will not have sex before marriage; the man asks her, “Isn’t that what confession is for?” A woman asks her son if he is “doing a porno.” A woman cries and tells a man, “I disgraced myself before God” (implying that the two had sex). A man tells another man that he expects him to be devoted to his daughter. A young boy in a Sunday school class says that his father is giving up porn for Lent and another man talks about sex briefly, before they are interrupted by the teacher. People discuss vows of celibacy. A man says, “I’m not gay.”
► A man sits on a toilet and stands up pulling up his boxers, but collapses to the floor (we see his bare chest, abdomen and legs). A man wears a protective belt while shadowboxing in a locker room (we see his bare chest, abdomen, back and legs to the hips). A woman wears a low-cut dress that reveals cleavage in several scenes, and a woman wears a low-cut dress that reveals cleavage. A man removes his shirt preparing for baptism and we see his bare chest, abdomen and back.
Father Stu VIOLENCE/GORE 5
– A man swerves on a motorcycle to avoid hitting a car, runs through a red light and crashes into a car in the intersection; the rider is thrown and struck by two other cars (we see the man on the road with a lot of blood on his face and head). A man throws another man off a barstool and kicks him in the head after the man made derogatory remarks about a woman; another man pins the attacker to the bar. Several boxing sequences show punches land and boxers with bloody facial wounds; one boxer spits blood into a bucket in one scene. During an interview a man asks another man, “How bad do you want it,” as he leans back in his chair and puts his hand on his belt; the first man moves around the man’s desk and grabs him out of his chair, slamming him against a wall; he then kicks a camera off a tripod before leaving the office. A man imagines throwing another man to the ground and punching him leaving him with a bloody face.
► A man collapses on a basketball court and cannot get back up; several men help him off the court. A man is pulled over by police and told to get out of his vehicle; he talks back to the officer and when he reaches across his car seat, the officer hits him in the head with a flashlight and pulls him out of the car (we see a bruise and bloody cut on his cheek). A man throws his canes on the floor and drags himself to an altar. A man shadow boxes before a match. A man punches a statue of Jesus in a cemetery and we see his bloody knuckles. A man is arrested in a cemetery after punching a statue. A man in a church stomps on another man’s foot when he makes disparaging remarks. A man kicks a vending machine and yells at it in a hospital corridor.
► A man holds a gun out toward his adult son and tells him to use it on him (no gunfire happens). A man opens a glove compartment in another man’s car and we see a handgun inside.
► A woman cries and tells a man, “I disgraced myself before God.” A woman tells a man, “You are spiritually blackmailing me.” A man watches his pre-teen son dance and disparages him. A man yells in a church and asks, “Why?” A man is told that the church will not endorse him for ordination because of his infirmity. We hear that a man died at the age of 50. A man makes fun of another man’s name, which is Ham. A woman yells at her adult son for being careless with his life. A man is told that he has a rare degenerative muscle disorder similar to Lou Gehrig’s disease and that there is no cure. A man is told that he is suffering from an infection in an injured jaw and inflammation and the complications could be life threatening. A woman grieves over her wounded son and says, “I already lost one kid.” We understand that a young boy died; we are not told how. A man says that he refuses to work a blue-collar job. A pre-teen boy complains to his brother about the brother being good and making him look bad. A woman accuses a man of stalking her. A woman becomes concerned about a man’s attention and asks if he is poking around in her immigration status.
► A man is awakened by pounding on the door and we see that he fell asleep on the floor after drinking a lot of whiskey and he has a cigarette in his mouth. A man in a hospital bed is shown on monitors and we hear that he is in a coma and is not expected to survive after a motorcycle accident. A man’s muscle control deteriorates over time and he has trouble feeding himself and walking. X-rays of a skull and spine are seen in a couple of scenes. A man spits and we see goo.
Father Stu LANGUAGE 8
– About 39 F-words and its derivatives, 5 sexual references, 51 scatological terms, 22 anatomical terms, 16 mild obscenities, name-calling (past your prime, careless, fuss, chip off the old block, delusional, insane, disappointing, dirt bag, disappointment, punk, fascist, rat, retards, hippies, dumb, glutton for punishment, screw up, gangster, fraud, fool, mother hugger, out of context, halfwit), exclamations (heck, shut-up), 7 religious profanities (GD), 18 religious exclamations (e.g. oh God, God bless, God is no gangster, God no, God saved me, God bless you, God, with God’s help, God doesn’t make mistakes, Jesus, God is the ultimate programmer, God’s Grace). | profanity glossary |
Father Stu SUBSTANCE USE
– A man drinks alcohol from a bottle, people drink in a bar, a man drinks a beer in a car, a man drinks from a flask in a hospital, a man drinks to excess in a few scenes, a man drinks a beer and smokes a cigarette, and people drink alcohol in a bar scene. Men smoke cigarettes in several scenes.
Father Stu DISCUSSION TOPICS
– Life choices, grief, death of a loved one, alcoholism, risk taking, Catholicism, envy, pity, pride, humiliation, hope, conformity, devotion, penance, repentance, contrition, fear of Hell, humility, dignity, parenting, defying the odds, fear, DUI.
Father Stu MESSAGE
– The toughest fights are the only ones worth walking into.
CAVEATS
Be aware that while we do our best to avoid spoilers it is impossible to disguise all details and some may reveal crucial plot elements.
We've gone through several editorial changes since we started covering films in 1992 and older reviews are not as complete & accurate as recent ones; we plan to revisit and correct older reviews as resources and time permits.
Our ratings and reviews are based on the theatrically-released versions of films; on video there are often Unrated, Special, Director's Cut or Extended versions, (usually accurately labelled but sometimes mislabeled) released that contain additional content, which we did not review.
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