Stuart Long was the kind of man you had to make a movie about and who better to play him than the great Mark Wahlberg. I'll be honest I was blown away with the weight gain Wahlberg went through for this movie as well as the raw emotions shown within it. Mel Gibson is also a great actor that needed the right redemption to truly remind us why we call these men actors, I was very intrigued within the story, I do like a good true story film and this one was remarkable. This movie did a great job highlighting the disease inclusion body myositis, a degenerative muscle disease that renders him disabled but that does not stop his awakening to his great spiritual journey.

I really enjoyed everything about this film, they did a phenomenal job at everything, the plot, the abilities, the awareness, the fact the man was a boxer turned priest is mindblowing but this indeed was a perfect film with a perfect cast and crew. Stuart Long would have loved seeing this film may he rest in peace, it really is a masterpiece, I'd highly recommend checking this one out!

IN A NUTSHELL: After surviving a motorcycle accident, a former boxer and longtime agnostic starts to wonder if he can use his second chance to help others, leading to the surprising realization that he's meant to be a Catholic priest.

The film was written and directed by first-time filmmaker Rosalind Ross, Mel Gibson's girlfriend.

THINGS I LIKED: I love Oscar Nominee Mark Wahlberg in everything he does. He's equally convincing in dramas and comedies. In this movie, he even sings! He funded this film himself after being turned down by several movie studios. He gained about 30 pounds for this role, eating up to 11,000 calories a day to prepare before filming the scenes in Act 3! It's quite a transformation. He and Mel Gibson are said to both be devout Catholics.

Academy Award winner Mel Gibson is fantastic in this. He's in a relationship with the writer/director, and his daughter-in-law, Annet Mahendru, also appears in the movie as the Virgin Mary in a vision.

Another cast member who is an Oscar nominee is Jacki Weaver.

Other cast members include Teresa Ruiz and Niko Nicotera.

We get to see the real Father Stu during the closing credits! We see pictures, as well as video clips of his life. We also see a picture of his parents.

About midway through the rolling credits at the end, there's a funny clip of Stuart giving advice to a child actress when he was trying to become a star in Hollywood.

I loved the meaningful soundtrack.

There are so many inspirational quotes and wisdom.

Lots of humor and moving insights. You WILL laugh and you WILL cry. The movie is incredibly inspiring, but even more so because it's based on a true story.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: I can't really think of anything I didn't like. I really enjoyed this film, and I'm not even Catholic. I am Christian, however, and admire the faith and determination Father Stu demonstrated in his life.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Tons of profanity, including many F-bombs Violence Weapons You see Stuart in his terrible motorcycle accident.

You can see the full review on the Movie Review Mom YouTube channel.

It is based on a true story over in a boxer forced to retire over in his injuries and brain damage and he wants to seek fame and fortune and is so arrogant about it.

But he is likable and he hides that act over due to his alcoholic estranged father and worried mother. He also tries to win a young lady who teaches at a Catholic Sunday School as the long term atheist takes it lightly. He gets in trouble with the law and has fights.

Only until a near fatal motorcycle accident makes him put his priorities straight and needs to stop living in the fast lane before it kills him as he is a cat with nine lives wasting eight of them.

He wants to be a priest and that others laugh at him and that other supporting student priests do not take him seriously, He breaks his girlfriend's heart as she was expecting marriage.

But as he develops ALS aka Lou Gehrig's Disease. He may not have that chance due to developing that and a lot has to do with his lifestyle. And he also tries to reconcile with his alcoholic estranged father as someone says a chip off the old block.

Mark Wahlberg is great in the lead role and is growing more and more as an actor. Mel Gibson that Hollywood has seen to really forgiven as he is gruff but has low self esteem as the man's estranged father and Jacki Weaver does a great job as his worried mom, his only supporter and even friend.

Based on a true story.