In 2006 Father Sergio Gutiérrez, the pro-wrestler monk who inspired the movie ‘Nacho Libre’ told The Guardian:

I didn’t wrestle “for the glory. I wanted money. Thanks to God and to lucha libre my orphanage has produced three doctors, two accountants, 20 computer technicians, seven lawyers, one priest and 16 teachers” [i]

This reformed ‘rebel without a cause’[ii] is a hero for the people. Ordained in 1973, he joined the lucha libre (free fight/wrestling) in 1978.

Part of Gutiérrez’s story, with the help of Jack Black’s performance in ‘Nacho Libre,’ became the stuff of pop culture legend.

However, reviews still appear mixed. That’s because Hollywood missed an opportunity, if not the point. Black does his classic, signature moves and lifts the storyline. He makes the scriptwriter one-liners memorable, but given the strength of its potential, this movie aimed too low.

With the 10 year anniversary of its release next year, Nacho Libre is worth revisiting.

Not so much the film, but Father Sergio Gutiérrez, the orphanage, and the contextual mission that inspired the story.

Perhaps Gutiérrez’s testimony is strong enough for us to be able to piece together the movie and celebrate it.

Source:

[i] Jo Tuckman, 2006 ‘I didn’t do it for glory. I wanted money’ Article sourced from The Guardian online

[ii] ibid

Movie: Nacho Libre, Paramount Pictures, 2006