Rowe’s masterful storytelling shines in his debut anthem “Something To Stand For”

At a time when social media has develop into a national synonym, it is very exciting to listen to a very good story – if only since it almost appears to be a lost art. No one knows the worth of stories higher than Mike Rowe, and few have ever told them with more skill. In his latest film Something to rise up forthe opera singer who became the long-time presenter of Discovery’s international hit series, Dirty worktakes his hat off to the legendary Paul Harvey, whose The remainder of the storywas a national staple for a generation.

Like Harvey, Rowe uses the all the time exciting strategy of sharing interesting but little-known facts about famous people – without revealing their names until the top. When the verbal Polaroid comes into focus, you are left with no selection but to guess who it’s with each clue.

Rowe’s feature film debut is a rollicking collection of stories that remember the little-known backgrounds of a few of America’s most significant figures. Once you are immersed in Rowe’s clever narrative, it’s sometimes easy to miss the larger themes at play here, which Why behind the story and Rowe’s motivation.

Something to rise up for is Rowe’s celebration of American virtue and bravado, a reminder that the nation was forged by struggle and that we now have overcome many challenges in our history – due to the boys and ladies who’ve risen up and defied the percentages. More broadly, it asks a straightforward query: Who will answer the nation’s call next…Who shall be remembered?

Inspired by his popular That’s what I heard Podcast; Rowe introduces a series of unrelated historical events and the boys and ladies who stand at turning points in American history – each story solves some type of mystery and offers clever twists that keep the viewer hooked.

Among many other subjects, the film includes war stories, the Gippers’ ghost baseball game, a connection between NASA and Martin Luther King, a demoted deserter who received the Medal of Honor, Lincoln’s not-so-famous duel, a remembrance of Vietnam, a private tribute to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier… bull-testicle emasculators and their connections to the best court within the land (here Rowe would normally turn wryly to the camera and say: You didn’t see that coming, did you?). The 90-minute film is Rowe at his best, delivering a mixture of heart and humor as only he can.

Along the way in which, Rowe bridges the stories by asking atypical residents, amongst other things, for his or her thoughts on what it means to be American. One particularly poignant metaphor for our difficult times is a lady working on the Lincoln Memorial, who recounts how her team must restore the memorial while concurrently removing ubiquitous graffiti written out of ignorance.

At the start, Rowe embarks on a journey of sorts to find what has happened to American patriotism, wondering why only half as lots of his countrymen call themselves patriotic as they did 25 years ago. But this is not a didactic and drained lament a couple of lost America; as a substitute, Rowe holds up a mirror to the audience so that they can see what tomorrow’s heroes appear to be. Who will emerge is the one query, as Rowe reminds us that there’s something within the national DNA that helps overcome adversity and solve problems. In that respect, the film is cathartic—especially when delivered by the affable and assured Rowe.

“I didn’t make this film for Republicans or Democrats… conservatives or liberals,” says Rowe, “but for people who see themselves first and foremost as Americans… Some say patriotism is at rock bottom,” he adds, “and I fear they may be right.”

Rowe has all the time come across as the favored, smart uncle who’s at the highest of the list of Americans you’d most prefer to have a beer with. If trivia teams had a fantasy league, Rowe could be a first-round pick. In a world of multiplatform marketing and licensing, can a team Something to rise up for Won’t the quiz game be long in coming?

Today, Rowe is something of a guardian of our national conscience. He uses his a few years of experience as Dirty work host to realize unique insights into what drives Americans and the way politics influences candidates. While it’s hard to assume Rowe sooner or later entering Roosevelt’s political arena of dust, sweat and blood, one can dream.

Given the present national disunity, the timing of Rowe’s film is evident and opportune. It is a movie for individuals who still shed tears when the national anthem is sung and who remember why we have a good time our Independence Day. It is a type of link between the generations, the type of film that needs to be watched and enjoyed by families together.

Rowe’s supporting solid within the film is, well, quite a few: around 300 actors and crew who provide the visual context to Rowe’s stories as he tells them under floodlights on a theater stage, perhaps a nod to his opera days.

The project was produced by Mike Rowe Works Productions and Impact Productions. Fathom Events and Trinity Broadcasting Company are promoting the film nationally. TBN and its sprawling media group have built a successful television and film empire that appeals to the half of the country mostly ignored by the coastal media conglomerates. Their massive studios in Dallas now rival a few of the perfect in Hollywood.

the journey to Something to rise up for was a protracted and winding road for Rowe. His other jobs included working as an advertiser for the house shopping network QVC and presenting and speaking roles for American Chopper, Deadliest catch, Ghost HuntersAnd Shark Week amongst many others.

He grew up in Baltimore County, Maryland, the son of a social studies teacher who once created a piece release program that helped kids get jobs within the expert trades, amongst other things. So in a way, Rowe was simply carrying on the family mission.

And now you already know the remaining of the story.