If you prefer Mel Gibson playing Mark Wahlberg’s dad in a drama involving religion and inflammatory muscle diseases and not comedy sequels like Daddy’s Home 2, then Father Stu might be your jam. The biopic is out today and the faith-based experience (a rare one that’s rated R) hopes to cash in during Easter weekend.
A passion project for its star, the role for Wahlberg seems like the type of material meant to garner awards chatter. Yet an underwhelming 44% on Rotten Tomatoes tells a different tale. The artist formerly known as Marky has one Oscar nomination to his credit in Supporting Actor for 2006’s The Departed. Even though three of his cast members were up for The Fighter in 2010 (with Christian Bale and Melissa Leo winning), he failed to punch in.
Bottom line: Father Stu would need divine intervention to score a nod for Wahlberg or anything else. My Oscar Prediction posts will continue…
All My Life... I Wanted To Be A Blogster 
Mark Wahlberg and Mel Gibson should DEFINITELY be in the Oscar race….great performances
This is a really great movie with Oscar worth performances by Mark and Mell.A must see.
i think mark wahlberg did a good job. he had purity of intention and his heart was in it and that shined through every element of the film. his enthusiasm was inspiring and uplifting.
i think he deserves an oscar for his performance– the extent he went to portray his character– for example, the weight gain. it was a beautiful portrayal.
the question is, will a role that illuminates, shines Light in the darkness, be considered for an oscar on the brighter side of hell? my opinion is the rewards will be in Heaven, but it is yet to be seen.
and who couldnt relate to mel gibson’s character? family problems, divorce, devasting losses, mortal wounds, children that don’t respect us for our embarrassing mistakes while we still hold them in our hearts, sedating ourselves with legal substances, dry humor and sarcasm to keep going in the laid out rat race that we all, great and small, have to endure.
i think this film is a treasure, the performances of both men, the rare gems.
mother teresa said, “you were born for Greater Things–to love and to be loved.” i think in the end, this film was a shining example of this golden standard and deserves to be rewarded.
Mark Wahlberg definitely deserves an Oscar nomination for his role in Fr.Stu. Mel Gibson also had a great performance. We should see both as Oscar nominations.
The movie was inspirational and should be nominated also.
After all the horrible films about Catholicism (especially “Agnes of God”) that have made it to the silver screen, Wahlberg’s production is a breath of fresh air. It’s about redemption, something many souls need today. Wahlberg definitely should get an Oscar nod. He put on 30 lbs. for this role and portrayed Father Stu, particularly his declining body giving into disease, in an excellent and inspiring manner.