The greatest movie Mark Wahlberg has ever made, according to Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg is a truly unique figure. He’s more of a concept than a man; a bizarre thought experiment concerning what would happen if you took a genuinely talented actor and let him make whatever rubbish he wanted to for several decades.
The sheer number of absolutely god-awful films Marky Mark has starred in is truly staggering, impressive almost, and yet, we must never give up hope. The moment we take our eyes off him, he’s going to do something great again, and we’ll all be devastated that we missed it.
How does one calculate the very best Wahlberg flick, I hear you ask? There are numerous possible methods. He’s been nominated for just one acting Oscar for his role in The Departed, which is also his highest-rated film on Letterboxd. Then again, if you ask Rotten Tomatoes, his best film is Three Kings. What about his highest-grossing movies? Are we really going to call his two ‘Transformers’ efforts his career pinnacle? I certainly hope not.
Everyone has their opinion on Wahlberg’s best work – you can read ours right here – but has anybody ever asked the man himself? Well, Yes. Radio DJ Big Boy posed this version question to our Mark on his radio show. The actor rattled off several of the films we’ve already listed, as well as the likes of The Perfect Storm, The Fighter, and Lone Survivor, but admitted there was only room for one at the very top of his list.
“I always gravitate towards the true stories,” Wahlberg said. “But the best movie I have ever done is Father Stu, a movie I produced myself, financed myself.”
Released in 2022, Father Stu is based on the real-life story of boxer-turned-priest Stuart Long. After leaving the ring behind to follow his true calling, Long was diagnosed with a rare muscular conduction called inclusion body myositis. The film chronicled his life, diagnosis, and eventual death at the age of just 50.
Wahlberg not only stars in the lead role, for which he followed an absolutely insane diet, but also served as a producer. He was originally going to make the film with David O Russell, but his withdrawal led to scriptwriter Rosalind Ross taking over. The actor allegedly put millions of dollars into the project. Was it worth it? Umm…
Despite Wahlberg’s lofty claims, Father Stu is not great. On paper, he is the perfect vehicle for a foul-mouthed fighter who finds salvation in the words of the Lord, but the final product shows that he doesn’t have the ability to pull off a fully sympathetic transformation. To make matters worse, Long’s father, Bill, complained that Mel Gibson’s portrayal of him wasn’t accurate, although he still supported the movie overall. It was never intended to be a box office smash, but a relatively low take given the names involved was surely the rotten icing on this very lacklustre cake.
You’ve got to give Wahlberg some credit for sticking by a film he clearly threw himself into, even if everyone else absolutely rinsed it. Still, if you’re after a proper Wahlberg watch, just do yourself a favour and chuck on Boogie Nights instead.
