Mike Rowe's New Film 'Something to Stand For' a Celebration of the American Spirit

Well-known media personality Mike Rowe has developed a reputation over the years for being one of America’s greatest storytellers. Blessed with an everyman charm, Rowe has traveled near and far over the years to deliver compelling stories of hope, gratitude, and American pride.

In a new Fathom Movie event, Something to Stand For with Mike Rowe, in theaters June 27 through July 4, Rowe takes viewers on a remarkable adventure to uncover some of the lesser-known stories in American History. Using the historic backdrop of our nation’s capital Washington, DC, as his home base, Rowe delivers fascinating accounts from all eras of U.S. history – from the American Revolution to World War II, to the Civil Rights movement, and many other notable American benchmarks scattered in-between.  The movie’s sole purpose is to honor the brave men and women who gave us something to stand for.

Jonathan Coussens had the honor and privilege of putting these cherished stories on film. As the director of Something to Stand For with Mike Rowe, the Oklahoma native brings each remarkable story to life, honorably showcasing the patriots who built our country.

I recently sat down with Coussens to discuss what was needed to bring these stories to life, why this film is coming at a crucial moment in history, and why he chose a Ford Bronco for Mike Rowe to drive around in the movie.

If you were trying to convince a friend or family member to take the time to watch Something to Stand For, what would you say to encourage them? What would your sales pitch be?

This is a love letter to America. We celebrate some of the greatest American heroes in our history, whether it's a president or an unknown marine. And we tell stories of determination, faith, courage, and resilience that define the American experience. The movie comes out the week before July 4th, and I don't know why you wouldn't go see an American movie made in the homeland, in the heartland, right here in Oklahoma. It's a film that will leave you laughing, It will leave you crying, and then it will also leave you reflecting that our nation is still worth standing for. It's a fun movie, and it will leave you feeling a lot of really great emotions. It's a good one. 

For every director, there always seems to be a trigger, a tipping point, a moment where you say to yourself, “I have to make this film!” For you, what was that moment with Something to Stand For?

We all believe in the values that bring us together as Americans, values of hope, courage and determination. And I think what made me want to make this movie is to remind audiences that there's still something we're standing for. And those things are timeless. I think we can celebrate our past by looking at it. I think we can celebrate our past. And even though there are some mistakes that we've made, we can look back at it with gratitude, but also look forward to the future with hope and optimism because of the foundation that was laid by the Founding Fathers and by people that sacrificed so much for our country.

Specifically, this film highlights various patriots who built our country – from the Founding Fathers to unknown Marines at Iwo Jima. How did you arrive at this group of people to feature?

I think something everyone should know is that we take a whole bunch of stories that span from 1776, all the way to the present day. And what makes this unique is that each story is part mystery and part history. We tell a story about famous Americans that everyone knows, but stories that you may not know about. We chose the stories because they had to do with the American spirit. They had to do with the traditional values that we all hold dear. And it's not a traditional film, it's not a documentary, it's not a true narrative. Mike (Rowe) takes a field trip to Washington, DC, and along the way he tells you stories of great Americans or reminds you of why our nation is great. It's not just about visiting monuments or rediscovering America's past.

I think it’s a way to experience the American story. I think it's a way to experience the American story in a way that isn't political. It's a way that celebrates our freedom and celebrates who we are as Americans.

How did you go about bringing these stories to life? Were there any key elements that you knew you needed to bring to the forefront?

I'm from Oklahoma, right in the middle of the country. The heartland is what we like to call it here. That was something that was really important to me whenever we were identifying how to tell these stories. To make sure that they all have heart, that they all communicate the values of the heartland. And so, whenever we brought the stories to life, we decided to film them right here in Oklahoma. We didn't go to the West Coast, we didn't go to Atlanta. We decided this is a story of the American spirit and how else would you better define the American spirit than look right at the heartland, bring a crew together from Oklahoma, and bring a cast together. There's no big names other than Mike Rowe, America's greatest storyteller.

In the film, Mike Rowe drives around Washington, DC in an old Ford Bronco to tell the story. Why did you choose this to be his vehicle of choice?

Well, it’s American-made right?  What we want to make sure that the audience knows is that we're not ashamed of being Americans. We're not ashamed of what we believe and what we stand for. And as Mike guides viewers through these iconic streets and landmarks of our nation's capital, weaving together all these stories, the courage, the determination, and the resilience that define the American experience, those things are central to what we hold dear.

And so, as he's giving the tour of Washington, DC, it's not like where we're not trying to highlight the faults of the swamp. What we're trying to do is we're trying to reinforce the foundations of the American story. And I think we do that with something to stand for. I just thought the vehicle was a nice touch and it was perfect casting as they say.

This film seems to be coming at a very interesting time when it appears everything in our country is becoming a little beaten and battered. Why is this film so important right now?

There’s a lot of questions being asked. First of all, I want to know about our country and about its past, and I think those questions are worth asking. But I do think our past has been given a bad rap a little bit. When we look at the past, we can look at it full of problems. We can look at it full of issues that are kind of shameful to be honest. Or we can look at our past and be grateful for what we were given. We live in the most free nation in the world. This isn't a political film by any means. This is not left or right or Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal. We're not trying to spin a political philosophy. It's a patriotic movie. And right now in our country, it's okay to be a patriot.

A patriot is someone who believes in freedom. And I don't think that there's anyone on either side of the aisle that says, I don't stand up for freedom. And so, I think as we enter into the 4th of July, there's no better way to celebrate America than standing up for freedom, and realizing there's still something worth standing for right here in our country. 

After people have had a chance to see Something to Stand For what would you like to see audiences take away from the viewing experience? What is your greatest hope for the film?

It's really important that if you are someone who still believes that this country's worth fighting for, worth standing for, to go see this movie in theaters. Because the only way these movies get made is if people go and see them in the theaters. My hope for the audience is that when they walk out of the movie, I know they're going to laugh. I know they're going to cry. But I also know that they're going to reflect inside of that theater. And I think that is really what our hope is. Our hope is that they reflect not only on the great men and women who've given so much for our country, but also I hope that they're reflecting on how they can become a person like that. Just in their everyday life, whether that's in their community, or, as Mike would say in their dirty job, wherever they are. Our hope is that they reflect on the virtues, values, and sacrifices that individuals have made all throughout our history, and choose to become one that sacrifices and hopes for the future. 

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