PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW: Episode 1.1: “Saving Families in Crisis: Lenzy Phillips”

Name: PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW: Episode 1.1: “Saving Families in Crisis: Lenzy Phillips”
Item: PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW: Episode 1.1: “Saving Families in Crisis: Lenzy Phillips”
Author: Review

"Putting a Spotlight on Americans Helping Americans"

Family Content: -1 Caution advised for older children, including teenagers, and sensitive adults.

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

Credits →

What You Need To Know:

PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW is a documentary produced and hosted by blue collar advocate Mike Rowe on his YouTube channel. The series highlights individuals helping their communities. The first episode follows a former drug addict, Leny Phillips, who now spends her days helping those less fortunate through a non-profit outreach software, “CarePortal.” Mike Rowe documents Lenzy’s efforts giving necessities to needy families. Lenzy believes she’s in a documentary showcasing CarePortal but doesn’t realize Mike and his team are out to surprise her with a gift of her own.

Episode 1 of PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW focuses on showing viewers people how many helpful Americans are working to improve their communities. It presents a strong moral worldview documenting how one woman is making a difference other people’s lives. Positivity is constant in PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW, but Mike Rowe sometimes uses foul language and displays a slightly irreverent attitude toward the idea of church. The episode also takes time to stress that CarePortal isn’t a faith-based organization, despite its members claiming faith in God on camera. Therefore, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children.

Content:

(BB, CC, PPP, Ro, L, D, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Strong moral, pro-family worldview with a very positive view of America because the entire episode is centered on demonstrating the selflessness and kindness of individual American citizens toward people in need, with examples of valuing and never giving up on family despite hard circumstances, examples of protecting children, two of the foundational CarePortal associates helping Lenzy are Christian pastors, and there’s a prominent positive display of churches and ministries, but time is taken to specify that the organization which is the focus of the episode is not faith-based, and Mike Rowe does open the episode by saying he “can’t believe they’re meeting in front of a church,” as well as introducing himself to a pastor by jokingly belting out a hymn, some vaguely Romantic elements where the host’s narration suggests that serving others comes “through the generosity of our own heart and spirit,” instead of mentioning obedience to or love of Jesus Christ;
Foul Language:
Four light profanities, one “d” word, one “s” word, and two potty jokes;
Violence:
No violence;
Sex:
No sex;
Nudity:
No nudity;
Alcohol Use:
No alcohol use;
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:
No smoking or drug use onscreen, but Lenzy’s addiction to drugs for ten years is discussed;
Miscellaneous Immorality:
Some strong immorality is mentioned as part of Lenzy’s story including unspecified abuse toward her and her child, and one lighter example of immorality such as lying to Lenzy to keep the surprise party a secret from her.

More Detail:

PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW is a documentary produced and hosted by social critic, author and blue collar advocate Mike Rowe on his YouTube channel, The Real Mike Rowe @therealmikerowe. The series highlights individuals giving their best efforts to help their communities. It reminds viewers of content from Mike’s previous show, “Returning the Favor,” and continues the spirit of focusing on charitable people.

The first episode, “Saving Families in Crisis: Lenzy Philips,” follows a former drug addict who now spends her days helping those less fortunate through a non-profit outreach software called “CarePortal.” With his cheery Producer Sarah Yourgrau by his side, Mike Rowe sets out to document Lenzy’s efforts as she delivers necessities to needy families. Lenzy believes she’s in a documentary showcasing CarePortal but doesn’t realize that Mike and Sarah are out to surprise her with a gift of her own. As Rowe describes his new program, “We find them. We meet them. We surprise them.”

This first episode of PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW is off to an uplifting, entertaining start. The documentary’s subject, Lenzy Philips, is given plenty of time with the camera and the engaging host to tell her story. The close-up on the help she received in her darkest hour segues nicely into montages of the help she now gives to families in crisis.

Throughout the episode, Mike Rowe keeps the conversation entertaining with his trademark dry humor and cutaways to funny interactions with children or pets. At the same time, he never loses an opportunity to explain how churches, CarePortal, and other charitable organizations like the Sleep in Heavenly Peace network improve the lives of those around them.

Episode 1 of PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW focuses on showing the American people how many helpful citizens are out to improve their communities. It presents a strong moral worldview, documenting how churches and Christians spearhead organizations making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Not only are the documentary’s subjects shown to be kind and selfless, but the series exemplifies how the crew of PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW, like Sarah Yourgrau, are motivated by helping others, too.

Though positivity is constant in PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW, Mike Rowe sometimes uses foul language and displays a slightly irreverent attitude toward the idea of church. Time is also taken to emphasize that CarePortal isn’t a faith-based organization, despite each of its members claiming faith in God on camera. So, MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children.