In this touching weepie, a father moves his family halfway around the world in order to save them from financial and personal ruin. Though it’s an intriguing draw, learning how one close-knit family gave birth to two chart-topping contemporary Christian musical acts isn’t the only heartbreaking hook in “Unsung Hero.” It’s not always about understanding how the Australian expat community pulled together and persevered in the face of numerous adversities.
Joel Smallbone, who co-wrote and directed the film with Richard L. Ramsey, takes a fascinating vantage point that is reminiscent of how Steven Spielberg explored a turbulent period in his childhood with “The Fablemans.” Smallbone plays his father, who is dealing with both personal and financial crises. The co-directors create a moving tribute to the strength of family and faith by reinterpreting situations that develop characters.
Early in 1991, David Smallbone (Joel Smallbone) is performing at the highest level. As one of the leading Christian concert promoters in Australia, he has an excellent network of supporters and has drawn in acts like the heavy metal hair band Stryper.
Thanks to the hard work of his devoted and caring wife Helen (Daisy Betts) and their growing family of Rebecca (Kirrilee Berger), Daniel (Paul Luke Bonenfant), Ben (Tenz McCall), Joel (Diesel La Torraca), Luke (JJ Pantano), and Josh (Angus K. Caldwell), he is also enjoying a prosperous home life.
His labors have brought them the finer things in life, including a large mansion, expensive cars, and private education for his children. But the test of their mettle is about to come.
David loses all of their savings when he is unable to sell out an Amy Grant concert, partly because of the terrible national recession. His fallback strategy to bring Jonathan Jackson’s character Eddie DeGarmo over from the States also disappears over night.
With no other options for a career and another child on the way, he makes the bold suggestion to relocate the family to the United States in the hopes of representing a friend who is an artist in Nashville.
From a tense customs detention to the psychological effects of David’s struggles as a provider, their journey is beset with difficulties. Even though the Smallbones swallow their pride to bravely face difficult circumstances, they are only human, and there will always come a breaking point that they must cooperate to overcome.
Smallbone gives his hero a rich internality by carefully texturing him both in front of and behind the camera. The title seems to allude to David’s journey of accepting himself and becoming humble as a result of these difficult circumstances. But since the narrative examines motherhood through this particular lens, it also applies to the matriarch of the Smallbone family, Helen, who has equal thematic significance to her husband.
The scenes where she overcomes tragic obstacles and turns depressing circumstances into imaginative adventures for the good of all—including herself, as a coping mechanism—showcase a classically imagined heroine full of bravery, selflessness, and humanity. Betts draws strength from these qualities and brings to light nuanced aspects found in the text in her quiet performance.
Instead of at times resorting to overt schmaltz, the movie excels when it focuses on poignant details that add up to a cumulative experience that makes you cry.
Beautiful grace notes abound, ranging from some much-needed tension-relieving humor (not to be confused with the obligatory jokes about Vegemite and “Crocodile Dundee”) to the poignant revelation of Rebecca St. James’s process for selecting her stage name. (Solo: A Star Wars Story, take that!) Audiences with keen eyes will enjoy spotting a few family members that make brief cameos.
The evolution of the Smallbone family is reflected in Katherine Tucker’s production design, which shows how their surroundings improve as their familial ties grow. Cinematographer Johnny Derango subtly modifies lighting cues to correspond with the overarching story. The recurring golden hour glow alludes to Terry O’Quinn’s (David’s always upbeat father) presence even when he isn’t on screen, and it culminates in the truly moving finale where three distinct character arcs converge.
While each sibling contributes to the family’s survival, some aren’t given the attention they deserve because their survival required a psychologically demanding team effort, particularly for the younger siblings who were forced into adulthood too soon.
Along with the parents’ issues, the teenage daughter’s struggles with confidence as a musician and songwriter are also highlighted. Naturally, young Luke and Joel receive a lot of attention and contribute a few humorous, self-aware moments. Later in life, they would go on to form the duo For King + Country (and they also provide the moving ballad for the closing credits).
Ben, Daniel, and Josh, on the other hand, are reduced to roles that are determined by their occupations rather than their personalities. They are itching to be included more in this testimony.
The two sides of the charity coin could have been discussed more carefully. While the family’s Christmas is saved by the generosity of others, David feels like a charity case when their wealthy neighbors Jed (Lucas Black) and Kay (Candace Cameron Bure) assist with significant medical bills.
Nevertheless, the filmmakers promote comforting remarks about realizing the American Dream. It should be acknowledged in more movies that there are situations when money isn’t always the best solution.
It’s quite the dynamic feat to fully comprehend a psyche in turmoil by putting oneself in his father’s shoes, as Smallbone demonstrates with this feature, and to extract the amount of meaningful insight that results. This is particularly crucial for a religious audience, who must understand that our imperfections are what define us as human.
