Father Stu

Mark Wahlberg touts Father Stu as a longtime passion project, and an opportunity to reinvent the concept of faith-based filmmaking with a harder edge and broader appeal.

Those ambitions are admirable, although outside of Wahlberg’s committed portrayal in the title role, this biopic of an eccentric Montana clergyman suffers from melodramatic contrivances that undermine its emotional impact.

After all, is there room for one more redemption story about an underdog boxer? In this case, injuries squelch bad-boy Stuart Long’s fledgling career in the ring, so he impulsively moves to Hollywood for a chance at fame and fortune.

He’s estranged from both his overbearing father (Mel Gibson) and his more supportive mother (Jacki Weaver) who’s still reeling from a past tragedy in the family.

Stu always seems to attract trouble with his brash behavior before hitting a low point that triggers his transformation. For starters, he meets Carmen (Teresa Ruiz), a devout Catholic Sunday school teacher who finds him alluring despite his hot-tempered demeanor and clumsy pick-up lines.

That brings him back to church, where he acts inappropriately during mass, curses up a storm in confession, then declares his intentions to enter the priesthood.

“I think God saw something in you worth saving,” explains a fellow aspiring man of the cloth (Aaron Moten) who becomes a confidant even as the parish monsignor (Malcolm McDowell) questions Stu’s motives and sincerity.

Once he proves himself, Stu finds his calling through his faith and spirituality, only to become afflicted with a rare and debilitating muscle disease that threatens his life.

Wahlberg’s physical transformation included gaining more than 30 pounds, and he’s convincing both in Stu’s early years as a buffed-up fighter and during his eventual deterioration. He also generates hard-earned sympathy for Stu by conveying a blue-collar grit and offbeat charm, and a strong supporting cast adds depth.

However, while it sidesteps some of the preachy pitfalls of a typical faith-based biopic, the disjointed narrative structure in the screenplay by rookie director Rosalind Ross tends to avoid digging deeper into its dramatic texture and moral complexity.

Perhaps that’s an added effort to steer clear of overt sermonizing while tweaking the church for being closed-minded or self-righteous. Yet as the final act tugs too aggressively at the heartstrings — accompanied by a vintage country soundtrack— it shows that Father Stu himself is edgier and more compelling than his movie.

Rated R, 124 minutes.