Why NO ADDRESS Cast and Crew Are So Passionate About Helping the Homeless
By Movieguide® Contributor
While on the red carpet for their new movie, the cast and crew of NO ADDRESS shared why they were so eager to be a part of a project that shines a light on homelessness.
“Just the fact that someone was taking on homelessness and doing a movie about it, like, no one’s really done that in the sense that all the characters, all the actors were playing real homeless people,” TV star Ty Pennington told Movieguide®. “I think that’s what really drew me in…most of us look away [from the homeless], nobody really wants to look at homelessness because it’s awkward, it’s scary. No one knows what to do. But this is a film that you really have to look at it and the topic. It’s about them finally being seen.”
“[The rewarding part of the project] is really the subject matter of the film, which is homelessness, mental health, addiction, the fentanyl crisis,” added actor William Baldwin. “The homelessness issue in America has been a major problem for decades, and it’s gotten considerably [worse]. You know, it spiked during COVID and the fentanyl crisis, so we’re doing everything we could do to raise awareness and to affect change in the form of compassion and empathy.”
The cast and crew went all in on spreading awareness about the homelessness crisis as, along with NO ADDRESS, which is a movie based on real events, they also released a documentary exploring the issue, along with a book, study guide and album.
More than a million homeless people in the United States lack basic needs, self-worth, medical care, and a sense of community. Each person has inherent dignity, because every person is created in God’s image. The government may have failed, but private citizens have rallied to answer the call. AMERICANS WITH NO ADDRESS stands apart because it lays out the need, while also highlighting some solutions. However, the movie has plenty of disturbing content about crime, poverty, substance abuse, and mental illness. Strong caution is advised for pre-teenage children.
READ MORE: AMERICANS WITH NO ADDRESS REVIEW
“The most rewarding thing is obvious on a certain level: to tell a story that has meaning and has hopefully had an impact on lessening the suffering of others,” said actor Xander Berkeley. “There’s so many people out there on the streets that shouldn’t be. We’re the richest society in the world, and it’s criminal that we haven’t been able to get our act together to figure out how to create a safety net to lift those that are down trodden up. If this movie can help in any way, I’m humbled and honored to have been a part of it.”
Part of the initiative started by this group is to provide those helping the homeless with more resources. While working on the project, the filmmakers formed connections with groups aiding the homeless across the country and identified a few who are finding extreme success, with one having a 70% success rate at getting people back on track in their lives. To continue to make an impact on this problem long beyond the life of the movie, 50% of the movie’s profits are going towards funding these nonprofits.
“We really found that so much of this American crisis is actually about these nonprofits that are out in our country actually making the difference. They are the solution,” explained producer Jennifer Stolo. “When we found that our, we decided, you know, 50% of the net profits from everything that we do, this movie, other productions that we’re doing around this movement need to go back to these organizations. And we’re just so proud to do that because this is so near and dear to our hearts. We need to meet people where they are, not where we think they should be.”
NO ADDRESS will release to theaters starting February 22.
READ MORE: UPCOMING MOVIE COMBATS HOMELESSNESS ONE TICKET AT A TIME
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