Rebecca St. James Says UNSUNG HERO’s Success Means More ‘God-Honoring’ Movies
By Movieguide® Contributor
Rebecca St. James, whose family’s story inspired UNSUNG HERO, is sharing how the movie will encourage more faith-based content from Hollywood.
St. James posted a throwback photo of her in the studio “in the late 90’s.”
“UNSUNG HERO era! Thank you SO much to all of you who have supported the film this last week by watching it in the theater,” she wrote. “Your huge support means there will be many more films made with God-honoring content like this. Thank you!!!”
Movieguide® previously reported that the movie took the No. 2 spot at the box office during its opening weekend.
St. James hopes the movie inspires and encourages people to see how God is at work in their lives.
“God redeems our story, no matter how hard it gets,” she told Crosswalk Headlines. “And I think a lot of people are discouraged in our world today. They’re discouraged about marriage, they’re discouraged about family life, they’re discouraged about faith. A lot of people, I think, need hope and need to be reminded that God is the great redeemer of our story and of our life. I think that’s why people are responding to the film the way that they are.”
UNSUNG HERO does not focus on her family’s success but rather on the trials and tribulations they endured.
Part of Movieguide®’s review reads:
UNSUNG HERO is a true story about a Christian family from Australia’s struggles to survive and thrive in the rough and tumble music business while trying to serve God. When the father, David Smallbone, loses big on promoting an unsuccessful tour, he thinks relocating the family to Nashville may be their best route forward. Odd jobs and a local church keep the family afloat while David seeks work in the music industry. David’s father, wife Helen and others tell him he should focus on the musical talent living under his own roof. The family’s prospects rise when he takes that advice to heart. Can focusing on God and family lead them to the new life they seek?
UNSUNG HERO is a powerful, compelling story of faith and family, told with lots of sincerity and heart. The acting and writing is very good and convincing. UNSUNG HERO has a strong Christian, biblical worldview. The family’s Christian faith is not only clear from their repeated prayers to Jesus to guide and provide for them, but also from their infectious enthusiasm and spiritually uplifting song lyrics.
St. James hopes viewers realize that true satisfaction can only be found in relationship with God and others.
“We in the Western world live such frantic, busy, achievement-oriented lives,” the singer explained. “And I think that we can almost start to think, ‘My family, maybe they’re keeping me from this thing that I want in career or the certain thing that I want to achieve financially’ or whatever. And I think the film really kind of undoes that mentality that joy is not found in stuff or in achievement or career.”
“It truly is found in relationship—God gives us relationship with Him, and then relationship with each other,” she added. “And the family, the health of the family, really is what the health of a nation is built on.”
Movieguide® previously reported on UNSUNG HERO’s focus on family:
For KING & COUNTRY’s Luke and Joel Smallbone recently discussed how they’re spotlighting the importance of family in their upcoming movie UNSUNG HERO.
“There’s a quote that Mother Theresa said many years ago that I find to be kind of the thesis statement of this film, and that is this: ‘If you want to change the world, go home and love your family,’” Luke said. “Our family is like any other family. We are not a perfect family, and if you see the movie, you’re going to see that pretty quickly. Not a perfect family but a family that does believe in each other.
He continued, “I think the power of family is more important now than ever in the history of the world, and we need to see those stories about family up on the silver screen.”
“We’ve always been part of a large family, and we’ve always worked and done life together, and so this film was really just a great extension of what music has been,” Joel added. “We sort of all banded together to create what is for KING & COUNTRY, and so when we stepped into UNSUNG HERO, it felt like this natural extension of the family.”
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