At a time when social media has become the national shorthand, it’s especially captivating to hear a good story—if for no other reason than it seems nearly a lost art. No one knows the value of stories better than Mike Rowe, and few have ever delivered them with more skill. In his new movie Something to Stand For, the opera singer turned long- time host of Discovery’s international hit, Dirty Jobs, tips his hat to the legendary Paul Harvey whose, The Rest of the Story, was a national staple for a generation.
Like Harvey, Rowe employs the always engaging technique of sharing interesting but little-known facts about famous people—without revealing their names until then end. As the verbal Polaroid comes into focus, you are left to guess who it is with each passing clue.
Rowe’s feature debut is a rollicking collection of stories that celebrate the little-known background of some of America’s most important figures. Once engaged in Rowe’s clever narrative, it’s sometimes easy to miss the larger themes at play, the why behind the story and Rowe’s motivation.
Some 300 actors and crew re-created the scenes narrated by Rowe.
Something to Stand For is Rowe’s celebration of American virtue and grit, a reminder that the nation was forged from struggle and that we’ve overcome many challenges in our history—thanks to men and women who rose to defy the odds. By extension, it asks a simple question: Who will be next to heed the nation’s call…who will be remembered?
Inspired by his popular The Way I Heard It podcast; Rowe introduces a series of unrelated historical events and the men and women faced with turning points in American history—each story solving a mystery of sorts and delivering clever twists that keep the viewer engaged.
Among many other topics, the movie consists of war stories, the Gipper’s ghost baseball game, a link between NASA and Martin Luther King, a demoted deserter who received the Medal of Honor, Lincoln’s not-so-famous duel, a Viet Nam remembrance, a personal tribute to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier…to bull testicle emasculators and their ties to the highest court in the land (this is where Rowe would normally turn to the camera wryly and say, Didn’t see that one coming, did you?). The 90-minute movie is Rowe at his best delivering a mix of heart and humor as only he can.
Actors portray the harrowing moment that led to a demoted deserter becoming a Medal of Honor recipient.
Along the way, Rowe bridges between stories by asking everyday citizens, among other things, their thoughts on what it means to be an American. A particularly poignant metaphor of our troubled times features a woman working on the Lincoln Memorial. She shares how her team both restores the monument while at the same time must remove ever-present graffiti written in ignorance.
At the beginning, Rowe sets out on a journey of sorts to discover what has happened to American patriotism, wondering why half as many of his countrymen identify as patriotic as those from just 25 years ago. This is not a preachy and tired lament for a lost America, however, but rather Rowe holds up a mirror to the audience so they can see what tomorrow’s heroes look like. Who will step forth is the only question, for Rowe reminds us that there is something intrinsic in the national DNA to overcome struggle and solve problems. In that way, the movie is cathartic—especially when delivered by the affable and self-assured Rowe.
“I didn’t make this movie for Republicans or Democrats…conservatives or liberals,” Rowe says, “but for people who first and foremost see themselves as Americans…. There are some who say patriotism is on the ropes,” he adds, “and I’m afraid they may be right.”
Rowe at the TBN studios in Dallas promoting his new film.
Rowe has forever come across as a favorite, wise uncle who scores high on America’s list of who you’d most like to have a beer with. If trivia teams had a fantasy league, Rowe would be a first-rounder. In a world of multi- platform marketing and licensing, can a Something to Stand For trivia game not be far behind?
Today, Rowe is something of a keeper of our national conscience, using his many years as Dirty Jobs host to gain unique insights in what makes Americans tick the way retail politics informs candidates. While it’s hard to imagine Rowe one day stepping into Roosevelt’s political arena of dust, sweat, and blood, one can dream.
Given the current national discord, the timing of Rowe’s feature is unmistakable and opportune. It’s a movie for those who still shed a tear when the national anthem is sung and who remember why we celebrate our Independence Day. It’s a sort of binding agent between generations, the kind of movie that should be seen and enjoyed—together—by families.
Rowe’s supporting cast in the film is, well, large—some 300 actors along with crew who provide the visual context to Rowe’s stories as he delivers them under the lights on a stage in a theater, perhaps a nod to his opera days.
Rowe meets with a veteran during the filming of Something to Stand For.
The project was produced by Mike Rowe Works Productions and Impact Productions. Fathom Events and Trinity Broadcasting Company are promoting the film nationwide. TBN and its expansive media group have built a successful television and film empire speaking to the half of the country the coastal media conglomerates mostly ignore. Their massive Dallas studios now rival some of the best in Hollywood.
The journey to Something to Stand For was a long and winding one for Rowe. Other gigs along the way included serving as an on-again-off-again pitchman for the QVC home shopping network as well as hosting and voice roles for American Chopper, Deadliest Catch, Ghost Hunters, and Shark Week among many others.
He grew up in Baltimore County, Maryland, the son of a social studies teacher who once created a work-release program that helped kids, in part, get jobs in the trades. Thus, in a way, Rowe has simply continued the family mission.
And now you know, the rest of the story.