Unsung Hero is a 2024 American Christian drama film written and directed by Richard Ramsey and Joel Smallbone. It follows Rebecca, Joel, and Luke Smallbone of For King & Country and their life journey to become Christian recording artists. The film was released in North America on April 26, 2024.

Plot

In 1991, the Smallbone family moved from Sydney, Australia to Nashville, in pursuit of a new beginning. David and his wife, Helen, uproot their lives and six children seeking refuge in Nashville after the collapse of David's music company in Australia following a $500 thousand loss from one concert booking. As the family settles into their new home they encounter numerous challenges, including financial struggles and the daunting task of starting over in a foreign country. Despite the uncertainty, Helen's unwavering faith and David's determination propel them forward, instilling hope and resilience in their children. Three of the Smallbone siblings, Joel, Luke and Rebecca St. James, develop their musical talents and navigate the competitive music industry. Joel and Luke eventually form the duo For King & Country, while Rebecca embarks on a quite successful career as a Christian recording artist.

Cast

Production

On November 30, 2022, Joel and Luke Smallbone announced via social media that they had made a film with their brother Ben about their mother. The film was set for release on April 26, 2024 by Lionsgate and produced by Kingdom Story Company and Candy Rock Entertainment, a production company headed by Candace Cameron Bure who also acts in the movie. The film was directed by Joel Smallbone, making his directorial debut and written by Joel and Richard Ramsey. The cast includes Jonathan Jackson, Bure, Kirrilee Berger, Lucas Black, Terry O'Quinn, and Hillary Scott, a singer. The producers are Justin Tolley, Josh Walsh, and Luke Smallbone.

Release

The film was released in the United States on April 26, 2024. It was scheduled to be released in Australia on May 30, coinciding with For King & Country's "Homecoming" musical tour through Australia and New Zealand. In the lead up to the film, For King & Country released an updated version of "Place in this World," featuring Michael W. Smith, who originally released the song in 1991.

Reception

= Box office

= As of 23 June 2024, Unsung Hero was still in wide release; in the United States and Canada, it grossed $21.1 million at the box office against a production budget of $6.0 million. For the first three weeks of its run it was in the Top 10 at the domestic box office, peaking at No. 2 in the first week.

= Critical response

= On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 61% of 33 critics' reviews are positive with an average rating of 6.1/10. The website's consensus reads: Unsung Hero presents a heartwarming dramatization of its fact-based story that's just uplifting enough to make up for its tepid approach to real-life drama. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 46 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale, while those polled by PostTrak gave it a 96% overall positive score with 90% saying they would definitely recommend it.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Official website Unsung Hero at IMDb