Unsung Hero

The staging of the Ramseys themselves and Smallbone (which they also direct) does not exceed what could be expected from a television production. [Full review in Spanish]

Feels more like band merch than an insightful family portrait.

For the most part, “Unsung Hero” does what David Smallbone himself didn’t do: It shies away from taking risks.

Is your family what really makes you rich in life? “Unsung Hero” doesn’t really have the answer to that question, but it convincingly argues that making a hit movie about them wouldn’t hurt.

The co-directors re-contextualize character-building circumstances, crafting a soul-stirring testament to the power of family and faith in the process.

Despite the fuzzy good intentions, it’s tough to make much of this making-of story.

This is not a subtle movie, operating with a heavy emotional and religious hand, but it’s an earnest one, and will probably find an enthusiastic audience among evangelical churchgoers. Others should probably not populate the pews.

Unsung Hero is a solid drama that will readily appeal to fans of Rebecca St. James or For King + Country.

It’s a good bet that longtime followers of contemporary Christian music are already familiar with the inspiring Smallbone family story. They'll be pleased to discover the movie is exactly what it professes to be in the opening credits: “A True Story.”

Community, humility and the power of prayer are the lessons offered in its story, set in the 1990s, bathed in warm light and interspersed with home video segments. [Full review in Spanish]