What’s It About
Unsung Hero is the inspirational true story of the Smallbone family. You might know them from the GRAMMY-winning Christian music artists Rebecca St. James, and Joel and Luke Smallbone of For KING + COUNTRY. The film details their family’s move from Australia to the United States after their father, David (played by Joel Smallbone), a concert promoter in Australia loses a significant amount of money on a tour. Out of work and out of options, he moves his family of 7 (with one baby on the way) across the world for another job, only to lose that job upon arrival and be left again with nothing.
Throughout the film, we see the family’s struggles with loss, discouragement, building a life in a new country, and fighting to cling tight to each other and to pursue their dreams. We also see their faith in God, the power of prayer, and the kindness of the Church at work. It’s a powerful story of faith and family, struggle and triumph, hope and resilience, and it’s an intriguing backstory to some well-known Christian artists whose music has impacted so many lives.
How It Impacted Me
Three things stood out to me as I watched Unsung Hero.
The power of prayer. Once the family moves to America, faced once again with the reality that they have nothing–not even furniture to furnish their home or a car–they begin praying to God for everything they need. They make a prayer wall, writing things they need and things they’re grateful for on index cards and taping them to the wall. Some of my favorite moments of the film are when a card under the needs section of the wall gets moved over to the “thank you” section of the wall. It’s a beautiful picture of how God truly meets our needs and answers our prayers, even for the most tangible and practical things, and it inspired me to trust God for some things in my own life.
The value of generosity and hospitality. Generosity and hospitality are attitudes and practices the Bible calls us to as followers of Jesus (2 Corinthians 8-9, 1 Timothy 6:18-19, 1 Peter 4:9, Romans 12:13). This film shows what that looks like in action. The Smallbones find a church and meet a couple who welcomes them into friendship and generously meets some of their practical needs, and it’s a moving picture of how God uses His people to be His answer to the prayers of others. As I was watching the film, I said to God “I want to be able to be generous to others like that.” And the reality is, whether we have much or little, God can use you and me to be a blessing to others.
The need for resilience. The Smallbones faced so many disappointments and trials, but they never stopped trusting God and never quit even when people tried to convince them otherwise. Whether it was well-intentioned family members trying to convince them to come back home or music industry people who wouldn’t give them the break they needed to pursue their dreams, they kept going after what God had called them to do as a family.
We see this in Helen Smallbone’s commitment to her husband’s dream, and Rebecca’s faithfulness to keeping singing and pointing people to God, and even in David Smallbone himself. There’s a point when his character says, “The music industry is what I know. It’s what I’m meant to do.” It reminded me of all the ways God has graciously helped me endure despite trials in my own life and calling, and encouraged me that He can continue to help me endure through trials I’m facing now.
Why You Should See It
Unsung Hero is one of the best movies and most moving stories I’ve come across. Kingdom Story Company (the studio behind the film) has done an incredible job making faith-based films that are artistically excellent, relatable to all kinds of audiences, and impactful to the heart with other films like I Can Only Imagine and I Still Believe. And I’m so glad Joel and Luke of For KING + COUNTRY and everyone involved in bringing Unsung Hero to life were able to team up with them to create yet another incredible film.
This movie carries a message we all need. If you find yourself needing inspiration, hope, a good laugh or a good cry, and a reminder that God is at work in your life even when things get tough, go see Unsung Hero.
Learn more about Unsung Hero and find it a theater near you HERE. Listen to the soundtrack HERE. Read my friend Bradden Ford’s review of Unsung Hero for NewReleaseToday HERE.
Let’s Talk: Have you seen Unsung Hero? How did the film impact you? Discuss this post in the comments below.
***I enjoy listening to people talk about a piece of art as much as I enjoy taking in the art itself, so here is a playlist of some of my favorite interviews For KING + COUNTRY, Rebecca St. James, and Helen Smallbone have done telling their story and promoting the film. Enjoy!
