Mark Wahlberg sees himself in Father Stu

Mark Wahlberg has spent his entire life preparing to play Father Stuart Long, a bad boy boxer turned Catholic priest.

During Holy Week, Father Stu will be opening on a Wednesday. Holy Week is a special time for Christians, especially Roman Catholics. It is a time to renew one's faith and celebrate Christ's resurrection. Mark Walberg, a devout Catholic, made this film because it spoke to him. Walberg, 51, goes to mass every Sunday and has come a long way since his youth in Boston. The release of this film was timed to coincide with the week leading up to Easter.

On a six-city press tour, the actor recently stopped in Philadelphia. During his visit, Wahlberg mentioned that he had a friend whose daughter was a student at Temple University, which made this reporter very happy.

The biopic Father Stu also stars Jacki Weaver and Mel Gibson as Long's difficult parents. It is based on the true story of Father Stuart "Stu" Long's journey to become a priest. The plot revolves around Long's determination and how he used faith to discover his true calling in life.

We first meet Long in the mid-1980s, when he was a rising fighter. He is currently residing in Montana, where he is attempting to live up to his bad boy image. His boxing career requires him to take numerous blows, which are wreaking havoc on his health to the point where doctors advise him to retire. So, what does a washup boxer do? With a move to Los Angeles, he begins a new career as an actor.

During his time in Los Angeles, he falls in love with a devout Catholic woman and converts to Catholicism in order to win her heart. Long is also a survivor of a motorcycle accident. This mishap puts him on the path to becoming a priest. The seminary's rector initially refuses to admit him due to his role; however, Long argues his way into admission by citing critical historical figures who had a rocky start. St. Matthew, St. Augustine, and St. Francis are all examples of what can happen when people are given second chances.

Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with inclusion body myositis while in seminary. A rare autoimmune disease that causes bodily functions to shut down. Long is ordained later, but he tragically dies at the age of 50

Long's story was told to Wahlberg over dinner with two priests seven years ago. He invested money in the project and began working on it. Rosalind Ross, wrote and directed the screenplay. Wahlberg's transformation into the ailing Father Stu is seamless, and he delivers one of his best performances in a long time. Father Stu's story spoke to him because, like him, he began unbalanced and has grown tremendously since his troubled youth. Wahlberg exudes a calmness that was lacking in his earlier years.

During his visit to Philadelphia, he shared some of the motivations behind the film.

"I want to encourage people not to give up on people. It's about supporting them, encouraging them, and accepting them for who they are. If I can overcome the obstacles I faced, there isn't anything anyone can't overcome," were his thoughts.

It's easy to understand why this story spoke to Wahlberg and why he feels that this film is something that the public could use during these trying times.

Father Stu is available on 4/13/22 at a theater near you.