Deep Dive
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It's time to take the quiz. Five questions, five minutes a day, five days a week. Take the quiz every weekday at thequiz.fox and then listen to the quiz podcast to find out how you did. Play, share, and of course, listen to the quiz at thequiz.fox. It's Live in the Bream with the host of Fox News Sunday, Shannon Bream.
Okay, this week on Live in the Bream, I have two amazing women. I'm so excited about this conversation and what we're going to be talking about, which is a brand new movie called Unsung Hero. If you know anything about Rebecca St. James or King and Country, you will know a little bit about the Smallbone family, but not their incredible backstory, which really is so vulnerable, so transparent, it will just bring your tissues. I'm telling you that now.
You will feel every emotion, but you will leave here so encouraged by their enormous faith and the way God showed up so many times in their story. So to join us today to talk about it is actually Rebecca St. James. She lived this story. It's now on the big screen for her. She sold millions of records. She's a mom. She's an actress. She's an author. All of those things. And she's become a friend. I'm so glad you're with us, Rebecca.
Oh, Shannon, it's a joy. Thank you for having me. Okay, now someone who has been my imaginary friend, because if you've seen her over the years, you've often felt like, too, like, gosh, we would be friends. This woman is amazing. She, too, is an actress and author, super successful, a producer, an executive in so many different formats. You'll recognize her from Full House and Fuller House, and now her amazing productions with Great American Family. She's in this movie. Candace Cameron Bure, welcome.
Hi, thank you. I'm so happy that we get to finally chat and talk. Me too. Listen, you guys are so special in this project and that Rebecca, you're seeing your family struggle on the screen and we'll get to Cameron, uh, Candace's part of this, which is a beautiful, um, you know, hands and feet of Christ kind of moment that her family plays too. But, um, Rebecca,
Rebecca, what is it like to kind of put it all out there, warts and all, highs and lows, for the world to take in your story?
Um, it feels really redemptive, Shannon. Um, I, I feel like our family has talked for years about how our story of coming to America is a book. It's a movie, you know, at some point down the track, you know, there'll be something like this and to see it actually happen is just kind of crazy to see your life play out on the big screen is just super wild. But, um,
I mean, when we moved to the US, like dad got offered a job in Nashville. I was 14. It was six kids in the family. My mom was pregnant with my sister. And like two months after we moved, my dad lost his job. And we had no kind of like savings at that point because I kind of...
a tour that he had promoted had gone bad, badly back in Australia. So it was kind of sink or swim. So we, we, um, we prayed and we asked God to provide for us really is what it came down to as a family. And we clung to God and to each other and we saw miracles happen.
And it was really soon after that, that I started in music and there was question and the movie movie shows this, there was question about whether a 16 year old had anything to say or any life experience to draw from, you know, in writing and doing music. And honestly, the time that the film depicts, um,
is what gave me a platform and something to say and something to sing about even at that young age. So I'm so thankful for what God did in that time. And there's so much redemption. And I think there's something for everyone in that story. I mean, if you've had your heart broken, if you've had a financial crisis, if you have felt like,
alone and abandoned and wondered how you would get out of the deep, dark place, you will be spoken to by this film because it is an enormous amount of faith that each one of the members of this family had to move forward. And Rebecca, I got to say to the young actress who plays you, I'm sure you've heard this a million times on candy. It is crazy. It's like we cloned you and she's up on the screen. She does an amazing job.
Yes, she did. I'm so proud of her. We did media the other day, like kind of national media together side by side. It's like she's my little sister. And there's one scene, a final scene in the movie where I'm like playing a festival, one of my first festivals at 16. I was there on stage, Shannon, like watching this scene play out. I was standing on one side of stage behind camera watching this scene of myself, my younger version, and she's spitting image, like made up images.
and like the wardrobe correct for that period of time. I mean, she looks like me. My dad thought it was me that day. The whole family was there. I'm watching her do this pivotal, like ending of the movie scene with my mom, you know, movie mom. And like, I turned to my mom in real life, who's standing behind me, you know, on that other side of the stage. And I'd like lost it. And I said, mom, that happened
countless times where we were praying before I went out on stage. We had a moment and like how beautiful, how many people on the planet get to see the younger version of themselves looking identical to themselves and kind of can go back in time in that way. It was just so profound. It's really powerful. And Candice, you're involved in so many different levels with this, but you've
play a key family that makes all the difference for the small bones when they're really bottoming out. Tell us about your investment in the movie. Yeah, I would love to. I was, I was so excited when I, cause I've, I've known the small bones for about eight years now and done some things along the way with them. And then when they say, Hey, we've got a script that we'd like to share with you and see if you'd like to be a part of it. And yeah,
You always get nervous when you read something from friends because you have to be honest. And it's a little bit harder to be honest when it's people that you love. So I was a little nervous to read the script and I devoured it. I read it so quickly, which means it's really well written.
And I was like, this is amazing. I didn't even know half of their story of the origin story. And so I said, absolutely. I want to be a part of this. So we jumped on my company, jumped on Candy Rock Entertainment. And then they also said, hey, we'd also love for you to play Kay in the movie. And I was like, yes, absolutely.
And Kay is, you know, I feel weird actually speaking to it when Rebecca's here because Rebecca knows better. But as far as it's concerned within the movie, Kay and her husband, they were...
Kind of, I would say, the hands and feet of Jesus in that they were part of the church, part of the community, and they saw something in them. But they are just people that answered prayers. They saw a need and they helped. And I mean, that that really is the spirit of Kaye.
And she just was in real life. I mean, she was on set with us in real life. So it was a little intimidating, like, oh my gosh, Kay. Hi, nice to meet you. I'm playing you. Is this okay? Like, am I doing this well? But she's such a bright, bubbly, really fun woman. And I was like, oh, I could kind of see the casting when Joel and Luke were like, I think that you'd play a good Kay. So it's a really beautiful part of the story. And-
What I really take away from that is that, you know, while the small bones are such a prayerful family, it truly is the community that God allows, that God uses to answer those prayers and bring people together. And if you've ever wanted to hear Candice with a Southern accent.
You're going to get to do it in this movie. Yes. So good. I tried my best Alabama accent as I could. Welcome to Nashville, y'all. Welcome to Nashville, y'all. I love it. And there's really so many sweet moments that come because of Kay and her family that are a real part of your story, Rebecca. I mean, to the fact where, I mean, you guys were sitting around in your house with no furniture and,
And not asking for help and not wanting help from other people, but believing that God would bring people like Kay and her family into your life. How true to your life is that part of the movie where it basically was scrounging together change to try to find groceries and sleeping on the floor and making at least your mom in the movie and knowing your mom a little bit in real life. I mean, really putting the best face on everything you guys were facing. Yeah.
Yeah. There's a moment where, where we first walk in as a family to this furniture less house and, you know, Daisy Betts, who's playing my mom, like kind of walks into the center of the room and you kind of see her, her back.
And then you see her face and you just see, and now I'm a mom of three. So I just see on her face that she's making this choice of like, what do I do with this? Am I angry? Am I like grieved? Am I freaked out? Am I fearful? Or am I just going to trust God and we're going to walk together as a family? And she makes this choice to like see it as this adventure with God and with family and
And it's really beautiful. Like I look at it now as a mom and I go, how did my parents do it? When we were that close to the poverty line. I mean, so many of the details of the movie are absolutely true. The people that helped us, it was a lot of different people. It wasn't just Kay and her husband. It was John and Luann Moore. It was kind of like we've hybrided kind of
their characters like Candice's and Jed, who's her husband in the movie. We've kind of mixed a couple families in that were dropping groceries on our doorstep, that were part of the community that surrounded us and did give us a car the same day they met us at a homeschool Thanksgiving feast.
or a gathering of their friends and family. I mean, there's just so many things that are just, it's remarkable to me watching the movie, how true to life it was, even with the hybriding of, you know, a few different situations down to so many details being so true. So it's, it's really special. I do love the comedy in it. Like we were talking about Candace's role. She's, she adds some comedy to it.
some really funny lines and I think it helps the kids are funny the kids are I mean it's just there's so many good moments like when one of the kids prays that God will make things more cheap and he's putting it on the wall on this little sticky note and then you know we discover coupons and we did use coupons at that time in our life to make things more cheap so there's comedy that helps lighten up the drama which I think is really needed in the film would you agree Candice?
Absolutely. It's the comedy brings and it's not over the top. It's just the levity that you need throughout because there's so many emotional moments through it and it's hard and you need that little bit of laughter and done in balanced very well. Yeah.
Ladies, I love a coupon. I see no reason to pay for the price if I don't need to. We'll have more live in the bream in a moment.
Candice, you are on the forefront of so many different ways of doing entertainment, different avenues now. And listen, my whole life growing up, I did grow up in the church and there were movies and some of them were cheesy. I mean, we've gotten to a place where faith-based projects are, you know, A-list, top of the line.
Excellent production value and acting. The soundtrack on this I love as well. What do you make of kind of this rise of faith-based creative options out in the entertainment world that are not second rate? They're not cut right. Yeah.
Listen, it brings me so much joy. I can't tell you because I've been fighting against the stereotype of Christian movies for my whole life. And it's why I haven't actually been a part of quote unquote Christian movies for most of my career. I've always been in family entertainment, but I have found that over the years, most Christian movies were the less than version. They were like the off-brand cereal box version of great movies. And I'm like, I don't want to be a part
those as Christians, we're called to excellence in all things. So it has just been beautiful to watch over the last few years. Um, these movies that have come out with top notch directors and companies and actors and directors of photography and writers and all of that,
And, you know, that's been my mission and my goal with with my company and all the projects that I'm doing, no matter what the budget level is, because that's the other part that we have to think about. I make movies for Great American Family Channel. We have a very different budget, a much lower budget than a big feature film. And so just doing that with excellence is my mission. And I'm so happy to be a part of this movement.
film and really launching. This is a big deal for my company because it's our first feature in the books. And to come out of the gates swinging with the heavyweights, because I know how good this movie is, I couldn't be more proud. Yeah, and you should be. Again, Unsung Hero is out April 26th.
It is, you really, you will take the roller coaster of every single bit of emotion with this, but really come out cheering. It's almost like a Rocky type feel like you're fighting for these underdogs. You're with them in the toughest moments, your heart's breaking. And just to see God's goodness, their faithfulness, his faithfulness to them,
Candice, I got to ask you. So with this project, do you feel like Hollywood is more open to faith based projects? I know for a lot of them, listen, it's bottom line. Is this thing going to make money? Is it going to be successful? And it seems like they're getting the message that many of these projects are.
Yeah, it's exactly it. There's always the bottom line and the bottom line is the dollar amount. But there's an audience that has been so underserved for so many years. And like I said, they've they've gotten like the the second rate version and audiences that I call, you know, the flyover states. It's not the coast to coast states. We're like we want good. We want great movies. Yeah.
really good messages and the, and we will come out and support and audiences have been doing that. So the big studios have recognized it. And so they realize, okay, we're going to do this. We see the investment in it and we're going to make money on it. And so they're willing to now back these high quality movies that are faith driven, but there's a massive audience that's been wanting and waiting and craving them. So we, we are here to serve.
Yes. And I think, you know, it's, it's the, there's families that want to come to the theater, old school version of like showing up at the theater together to watch something that is both inspirational, great entertainment, and they're going to leave with something that's hopeful, you know, that's redemptive. And this movie is that, and I think people are also, Christians are just being educated or, or, or, you know, just families that just,
really want something virtuous. They're being educated now on the importance of that first weekend. I think people are just starting to discover that first weekend at the movie theater says to Hollywood that we need more films like this. So we do encourage people to show up if you can on, on April 26th, that weekend, um, in the theater, because it says, let's have more of this. Let's have more of this. We need it. We need it. Um, if it does really well, uh,
There will be more of it. So we just encourage people to go out, storm the theaters, bring your mom too. This is coming out right before Mother's Day. And that was intentional on Lionsgate's part. So bring your mom, bring your family. And you'll have great conversations too as a family after it. It's something that will leave you hopeful and also encouraged to
And it is really a love letter to your mom in so many ways. And really to all of our moms that we know that they manage whatever falls into their laps, whether it's economically or any other trials that come into our lives. Moms are kind of the front line and your mom certainly is. And so she's that unsung hero. And it's beautiful in that respect. I have to ask you too, Rebecca, about the soundtrack. I'm obsessed with movie soundtracks. I'm a little weird in that respect. I love that.
We have to stay for all of the credits because I must hear every song and see who the artist is on everything. Like, I really love it. And this one is so good. I mean, I love the songs woven through this project. Yes. Yeah. There's some really, really good ones. I mean, the fact that like Michael Sweet from Striper is on the soundtrack and then you've got
Michael W. Smith and you've got Amy Grant. I think you've got Lecrae. I mean, I'm on that as well. My song, You Make Everything Beautiful is featured in the film. And so my brothers and I do that together, which is sweet. Candice, who else am I missing? I mean, there's some really iconic artists. There are. And then you have some of the songs like a Seal song, like the song, you have these great 90s songs that I believe Joel and Luke have
On a version of it, yes. On their version that are incredible. So I've been, not all the songs have been released yet. They released last week, but the five songs or six songs that are released now, I've had them on just repeat, on a loop. They did such a good job in the movie of recreating the 90s.
which I'm old enough to remember very well. I think we all are. Let's be honest, Shannon. I mean, but I mean, the outfits that, I mean, Candace, you've got some doozies, but they work for that time and that place. But it all felt very true to, I mean, I've heard the story about the home that you guys used and how that was found kind of untouched with the, you know, the carpet and the paneling and all that stuff. The movie does such a good job of recreating that whole atmosphere of the 90s.
Yeah. And I mean, there was Miracle After Miracle that happened on set. Like that, that film, I mean, went through the ringer. I think some of the leadership like aged, you know, during the six weeks of primary shooting because locations would force you and then it was during COVID like,
kind of like post COVID, but still with tons of restrictions. And so it got close to like, you know, people a little bit were getting sick or they thought it might be bad and it was touch and go for a long time. But that location, honestly, Shannon, when,
When the family walks in to the room and when the Christmas scene happens with the Christmas presents, I mean, I'm getting goosebumps just talking about it, but it was that house. Like they, they, the location that they ended up finding, but you know, to replace the one that fell through it,
I mean, it is almost identical to that house. And it's just amazing to me to like step back in time to even sitting around that Christmas tree that again was a miracle. And just going that, I mean, it is that tree. It was the most beautiful tree we'd ever had. And it was like God's provision. So it was just, it's really beautiful to step back in time. So authentically they did a good job. Yeah.
and so much goes into production and and yeah candace i was just going to say you know you're looking at it from the production side and all of those other things too i mean there really were so many things that had to have it feels like the hand of god for them to happen
I know. I mean, everyone that worked on the film was phenomenal. So I give extra applause to hair and makeup and costumes and set design and set deck and locations. It's all those things when hopefully you're watching the movie, you know, you notice, but, but you kind of don't notice because it just feels like you're in it. Yes. Make it feel that way. You have to have extraordinary talent and, and that's what we had on the movie.
Well, Rebecca St. James, Candace Cameron Bure, the movie is Unsung Hero out April 26th.
You will enjoy every minute of this and come out so inspired. Hopefully your faith deepened and encouraged if you're in one of these spots now. We've all been there or we're there now or we're going to be there. This family story is really all of our stories in some way. So thank you guys for putting together something that really is so excellent and so entertaining in every sense of the word. And for everything you guys are putting out there, I'm cheering you on. And God bless you. You're an encouragement to so many people, both of you.
Thank you, Shannon. We love you. We're grateful for you. Thank you for all that you give. And we're proud of you, too. Listen ad-free with the Fox News Podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcasts. And Amazon Prime members can listen to this show ad-free on the Amazon Music app.
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