Movies have a unique way of touching hearts and sparking meaningful conversations, and Unsung Hero is no exception. As a hands-on parent and an advocate for raising responsible and grateful children, I couldn’t resist sharing my thoughts on this heartwarming film after watching it with my family on Netflix yesterday. It’s not just a story about a family navigating life’s challenges; it’s a treasure trove of lessons for parents and kids alike.

Let me share my honest review without spoilers.

“Unsung Hero” is a poignant cinematic portrayal of the Smallbone family’s journey from Australia to Nashville, Tennessee, in pursuit of their musical aspirations. Directed by Joel Smallbone, who also stars as his father, David Smallbone, the film offers a heartfelt narrative of faith, resilience, and the unyielding spirit of a family united by love and music.

The film shows the struggles of balancing work and family, all while teaching valuable lessons about love, resilience, and gratitude. Its relatable theme will resonate deeply with parents and children, making it a must-watch for families.

Lessons for Kids: Gratitude, Responsibility, and Compassion

The film beautifully emphasizes the importance and benefit of kids contributing to household responsibilities and showing appreciation for their parents’ sacrifices. Here are three key takeaways for children:

1. Be Grateful & Appreciative: Children can learn to be grateful for what they have or for what their parents provide. It’s a lesson every child should internalize in today’s consumer-driven world. Sometimes, children and adults fail to pause, look around them and appreciate every thing and person in their lives. Like do we appreciate that we have a home with furnitures or utilities? There are people who are homeless or who live in less desirable conditions. Do our kids know how to appreciate what they have and what we, their parents, provide for them?
2. Help with Household Chores: Children should be taught to contribute to the family at least by doing chores that are age-appropriate. This teaches responsibility and empathy even at an early age. Children can become mindful that chores are tiring and thus, they should not scatter their toys all over the room or the house and leave the clean up to the adults only. If kids are taught to clean up their mess and to help out at home, they will learn to be responsible for the consequences of their actions. On top of that, learning to do chores builds confidence and can even enable them to earn money if they want to offer their services to others.
3. Empathy Goes a Long Way: When the children begin to understand their parent’s hard work and struggles, their relationship blossoms. This highlights the value of being kind and considerate to their parents who are working to provide for their needs, especially when times are tough. It can also foster thriftiness and not being wasteful of resources as a way to show compassion and appreciation for their parents’ work.

Lessons for Parents: Honesty, Support, and Resilience

As parents, we often feel the pressure to be perfect. Unsung Hero reassures us that it’s okay to be vulnerable with our kids and reminds us of our role as mentors and cheerleaders in their lives.

1. Be Honest with Your Kids: The parents in the story model the value of open communication by sharing their challenges with the children. This honesty fosters transparency and strengthens their bond. It helped the children grow in emotional maturity and faith.
2. Support Your Kids’ Dreams: The very first thing that parents need to let their children know is that they believe in their children to achieve their dreams. But words are not enough. The movie shines when the parents go out of their way to nurture their children’s aspirations, proving that love and encouragement are the foundation of success. It also showed that sometimes, parents need to make sacrifices and be humble to support their children in pursuing their dreams.
3. Resilience is Contagious: Despite numerous obstacles, the parents in the movie never gave up. This resilience inspires the children to adopt a similar attitude, making the family stronger together. So, even though our children know of some of our family challenges, this can help them see how we are overcoming these challenges. This is an essential lesson for success. Life is not all sugar and spice and everything nice. Sometimes, life will throw us a lot of lemons. Do we make lemonade out of these lemons? What we do with life’s challenges define our character.

Why Families Should Watch Unsung Hero

The film’s heartwarming narrative is complemented by powerful performances and moments that will tug at your heartstrings. Be ready with a box of tissue.

Watching Unsung Hero as a family can open doors to meaningful discussions about gratitude, teamwork, and perseverance.

As a hands-on parent, I love films that align with my parenting philosophy of teaching children life skills and values while maintaining a nurturing environment. This movie offers practical lessons that are easy to implement in our everyday lives, like creating a chore chart or holding family meetings to discuss goals, challenges and dreams.

Practical Applications at Home

After watching the movie, why not try incorporating some of its lessons into your family routine? Here are a few ideas:

• Assign Age-Appropriate Chores: Let younger kids set the table or help with simple cleaning tasks while older ones take on more responsibility, like cooking or doing the laundry.
• Practice Gratitude Together: Start a family gratitude journal where everyone writes something they’re thankful for daily. You may also share about your blessings or answered prayers at the end of each day or week.
• Support Dreams: Schedule regular one-on-one time with each child to discuss their aspirations and how you can support them.

Final Thoughts

Unsung Hero is more than just entertainment; it’s an invitation for families to reflect on their dynamics and grow closer. It reminds us that every family member has a role to play and that love, honesty, resilience and most of all, faith in God, can overcome any challenge. You can watch the trailer here.

So gather your family, prepare some popcorn, and get ready to be inspired. Whether you’re a parent striving to balance work and home life or a child learning to appreciate your blessings, this movie is sure to leave a lasting impact on your heart.

After watching the movie, come back here and share with me what lessons from Unsung Hero resonated with you. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!