- Content: Mike Rowe Patriotic New Movie Should Make Americans ‘Proud’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Mike Rowe wants his upcoming movie, SOMETHING TO STAND FOR, to make people “genuinely feel proud” of America’s history.
“I think patriotism, by definition, is passionate,” Rowe told Movieguide®. “I think the bigger issue today is — we hear a lot about the divide between left and right…I really think that there are still some things that people on both sides of the aisle can stand for and celebrate and feel grateful for and be proud of.”
He added, “Our country doesn’t know what to stand for anymore. We’re confused — not just about the difference between left and right but between American and anti-American.”
It’s a gap Rowe hopes to bridge with SOMETHING TO STAND FOR, a movie based on stories told on his podcast.
“This cinematic tour de force will take viewers to the frontlines of the American Revolution, World War II, the Civil Rights movement, and more,” a description of the movie reads. “Part mystery, part history — each harrowing tale tells a story you’ve never heard, about the patriots who built our country.”
Rowe said that, when it came time to bring his podcast’s stories to the big screen, he “picked the nine that I thought were most impactful and put them in an order that I thought made sense and stitched them together.”
The DIRTY JOBS host also shared the question he kept on his mind while making the movie: “How can I capture a sense of curiosity and remind people that, even though our country is still a work in progress, and even though we were built and put together by imperfect men, how can we still find a way to genuinely feel proud of who we are and grateful for what’s been done on our behalf?”
Rowe emphasized that SOMETHING TO STAND FOR is not meant to instruct or feel like a lecture.
“It’s a movie, and if it’s entertaining, awesome,” Rowe said. “If there’s a message underneath it, better still.”
He elaborated on his hopes for the movie’s message in an interview with Fox News.
“The movie doesn’t attempt to wrap itself in the flag and say, ‘Hey, we did it. Go us. We’re perfect,’” Rowe said. “[But it is] an unapologetically patriotic movie that gives me, I think, permission to say that in spite of the imperfections of our Founders and in spite of the world we find ourselves in today, we still have a lot to be proud of, we still have a lot to be grateful for — and we still have a lot to celebrate.”
Movieguide® previously reported on SOMETHING TO STAND FOR:
Mike Rowe calls his upcoming movie SOMETHING TO STAND FOR “a message from the heart.”
“It’s not like any other film I’ve seen,” the DIRTY JOB host told Fox News. “Frankly, I’m not sure what to call it. It’s not a documentary, although there’s a lot of historical information in it, and it’s not a classic narrative. There are probably 300 actors in it, but they don’t really talk to each other. They’re all there to help bring nine individual stories to life.”
The nine stories that make up SOMETHING TO STAND FOR were pulled from Rowe’s podcast “The Way I Heard It.”
“It all comes together in a way that is — and I don’t want to overstate it — but you know, it’s pretty good. Positively delightful, I’ve been told,” Rowe laughed.
He added, “I didn’t want to shoot in L.A. or New York. This is not a Hollywood production. This is a message from the heart, and we shot it in the heartland. I’m really proud of that.”
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