While pundits always act surprised, each new release of a faith-based drama manages to find its way into the top tiers of the box office for the first few weeks of its debut.  There is a market for these family-friendly features, offering viewers who choose to see stories that speak to their interests an opportunity to find representation on the big screen.  I can admit that this genre isn’t what I usually find myself drawn to, along with overly long Romanian absurdist comedies and experimental films from the 1950s. However, to stay as well-rounded a critic as possible, I believe it’s even more important to pursue these titles, which aim not just to entertain but to inspire through stories of spirituality and how we form our worldview.

Sharing company with films such as I Can Only Imagine and Heaven is For Real, Unsung Hero resonates with a theme of the undying human spirit, a core narrative that forms the basis for numerous films from all genres.  Like The Sound of Music, it’s a story of a family’s redemption through art, specifically music.  While it winds its way down a path well-worn by similar faith-based biopics, it distinguishes itself by focusing on the bonds within a family that lead to success rather than the result of the hard work that got them there. 

Once a thriving concert promoter in Australia, by 1991, David Smallbone was facing an uncertain future in the industry.  With a wife and six children to care for (and one on the way), he takes a chance on a job offer in America, uprooting his family in the process.  When that job doesn’t pan out, the family is left to navigate unfamiliar terrain, making ends meet by taking odd jobs and often surviving on the goodwill and charity from church members. This portrayal of a family’s struggle to adapt and survive in the face of adversity is a narrative that many can find some kernel to resonate with.

During these years, to hear co-directors/screenwriters Richard Ramsay and Joel Smallbone tell it, the grace of a higher power put them in the right place at the right time in front of the right people. Though it took years of nurturing and negotiating to finalize the deal, David secured a future for his family by refusing to let their dreams fall by the wayside just because they fell on hard times.  Starting with the eldest sister, several family members became the celebrated Christian recording artists Rebecca St. James and for KING + COUNTRY, both of whom still perform today. This is a testament to the transformative power of faith and music, inspiring us to never give up on our dreams.  

What gives Unsung Hero a bit of a hook is that Joel Smallbone not only guided the film from behind the camera but is starring in the picture playing his father.  Other key members of the family show up in cameos (the credit sequence at the end shows the real-life counterparts to the unfamiliar, like me), but Joel has big shoes to fill, and while he has perfected his stage presence as a member of for KING + COUNTRY, he’s no slouch in the acting department. 

The titular unsung hero is Helen Smallbone, and while the real-life family’s matriarch is credited with holding them together, so does the actress playing her strengthen the film as a whole.  Daisy Betts captures the unwavering devotion of a mother wanting the best for her children, and her attempts to shield them from a storm of disappointments are a tribute to her perseverance and sacrifice.  It may not be quite as dramatic on screen as the for KING + COUNTRY song playing over the credits, but then again, who wouldn’t write such a beautiful thank you song to their mom if they had such a big platform?

Visually, the film does not venture far from convention, with Johnny Durango’s (Red Right Hand) gauzy cinematography looking like it belongs on an Australian soap opera.  Costume design, while generally fitting the era, succumbs to the curse of overly whimsical wigs, which is the kindest way I can describe what’s been placed on the heads of Jonathan Jackson as music producer Eddie DeGarmo and Candace Cameron Bure’s church friend which distract more than they define the era or the individuals. On the flip side, the score, composed with an ear for emotional beats, underscores the film’s poignant moments, enhancing the narrative’s pull on the heartstrings. 

At times falling victim to the crime of being overly earnest (and very, very white), Unsung Hero is an above-serviceable addition to the genre. For fans of faith-based entertainment, it looks at the origin story of two of the Christian music industry’s biggest names while demonstrating how they overcame adversity through faith.  Admittedly, as someone not within the target demographic, I can recognize the value of the film’s craftsmanship and its celebration of faith, devotion, and the transformative power of music. It may not break new ground, but it faithfully executes its intent to depict the real-life challenges of the Smallbones and serves as a reminder of the power of film to show the complexities of life with sincerity.