(Updated 11/11/2022)
Cinema is filled with a long line of notable fathers. If you want a funny father, you can watch FATHER OF THE BRIDE. If you want a super serious father, you can watch IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER. If you want a father who is a highly dangerous martial artist, you can check out MY FATHER IS A HERO.
FATHER STU is not about any of these kinds of fathers. In fact, it’s not about a dad at all but rather a priest, which is a different type of “Father” altogether. Mark Wahlberg stars in the movie as Stuart Long, a troubled man who made a radical change in his life — and then shared the benefit with thousands of people.
After being released in April this year, Wahlberg's character is making the return trip to theatres, in a slightly different form. FATHER STU: REBORN, originally rated R, has been recut to gain a PG-13 rating, making its story more approachable to family audiences.
Father Stu: Reborn Comes Out Before Christmas
FATHER STU: REBORN will be released exclusively in movie theatres on December 9.
Watch The Father Stu Reborn Trailer
This is a short trailer that does exactly what it needs to do: It tells us that Father Stu is coming back! (There's a little Johnny Cash tune in there, "The Man Comes Around," just to make the point even more clear.
If you didn't see the movie the first time around, you can get a bit more context for the characters and story in the original trailer, just above.
What Is Father Stu About?
FATHER STU is all about a guy named Stu who simply cannot get his act together. Stu starts out as a hapless boxer, determined to scam his way into Hollywood. Instead, he finds trouble with the law and can't get anywhere beyond a minimum-wage job at a grocery store.
But then he falls in love with a Catholic woman who refuses to marry a man who is not Catholic. In his scheming way, Stu is baptized simply to appease his girlfriend but gets it in his head that maybe he can also become a priest.
While most of Stu’s schemes blow up in his face, this one sinks in deep and takes hold of him. Around the same time, he develops a life-altering illness, which will require great strength and perseverance to overcome.
Through his struggles to share his newfound faith while also dealing with his failing health, Father Stu becomes a beacon of hope. His life proves that you should never give up on people because there are always second chances for those willing to change.
What Has Changed In Father Stu: Reborn?
That's the big question! We know this is now a PG-13 movie rather than an R-rated one, so the changes are likely to be aimed only at foul language. Reportedly, there are no new or reshot scenes in the REBORN version.
Who Is In Father Stu?
Father Stu himself is played by everyone’s favorite hamburger tycoon Mark Wahlberg, here showing off the full range of his charm as both a rascal and a figure of rehabilitation. While Wahlberg has been deep in action and comedy movies lately, it’s nice to see him take on a role with more human dimensions.
The cast also features Mel Gibson as Father Stu’s father, a crotchety old man who believes in his son, even if he sometimes makes that difficult. The film also stars Jacki Weaver and Malcolm McDowell.
Who Made Father Stu?
FATHER STU: REBORN was written and directed by first-timer Rosalind Ross. Since this is Ross’s feature filmmaking debut, it will be interesting to see what personal quirks and flourishes she brings to the screen, as this will likely be just the first of many films in her filmography.
FATHER STU: REBORN opens on December 9.
All images courtesy of Sony Pictures.