'No Address' Movie a Clarion Call to Defeat Homelessness in America
I think we have all been shocked and saddened whenever we see what appears to be a homeless person. The stereotyped image of a slightly disheveled person standing on a street corner holding a cardboard sign seeking money has become increasingly common in towns across America. Especially disheartening is to drive through the heart of any city in the United States and witness what appears to be the homeless living in tent cities spread across parks, city sidewalks, and beneath highway overpasses.
But what are we doing about it? Sadly, most people just drive on by. Perhaps we might say a small prayer for those less fortunate, but we never do much else to stand in the gap by loving our neighbors who have seemingly lost everything.
According to the latest statistics from the National Alliance to End Homelessness, more than 653,000 people experienced homelessness on a single night last January. That is a 12% increase over the same night from a year before. Nearly half of those people were living unsheltered … no tent, no shelter, no community center to rely on.
A new movie in theaters now, hopes to make a significant contribution to the homelessness crisis by not only shining light on the issue but by donating 50% of all net profits from the film to organizations and churches that are working tirelessly to combat the homelessness cycle within their communities.
Starring William Baldwin (Backdraft), Beverly D’Angelo (Christmas Vacation), Xander Berkeley (Air Force One), Ashanti (Coach Carter), and Ty Pennington (Home Town Kickstart), No Address follows the harrowing journey of a young woman pushed onto the streets and forced to survive against all odds. In essence, the movie is a gripping journey of living without walls and rising above them.
I recently sat down with Berkeley and Pennington to discuss the importance of “No Address” and its exploration of hope, humanity, and how people can make a difference in slashing the number of people living on the streets across our nation.
If you were trying to convince a friend to take the time to get out to the theater to see No Address what would you say to encourage them?
Ty Pennington: I would say this is the one movie that you've never seen a view into homelessness like this. The thing is, there's not many movies that have been made that puts all their budget into making something about showing how real homelessness is to sort of finally shine light on something that we've all sort of looked away from.
Xander Berkeley: It shows the bleak realities of it at the same time provides you with hope and redemption. If you get a ticket at noaddressmovie.com, you can be contributing to that solution, which 50 percent of the net profits are going towards these institutions that are actually helping to get people out of homelessness. So there's that as well.
For every, every person that's involved in a project like this, there always seems to be a moment where you say to yourself, “I have to be part of this project!” For No Address, what was that moment for you?
Xander Berkeley: Well, I think audiences know Ty's involvement, and I'll let him talk about that. But for me, I've just felt like for years I wanted to tell a story about homelessness because I've been surrounded by it and it's been an incredibly important issue because it's a crisis in our country. It's so rare to have a story that gets to tell the real story of people on the streets.
Ty Pennington: And for me, I'm just associated with giving so many people a home and what the elation is like when that happens. I think it's also important to realize how important a home really is to a family, for not only the safety of your family and to keep it protected, but it's the one spot where you feel safe. And when you know things don't go your way and you start sliding down that slope, the next thing you know, you've lost everything. And I think this movie is about finally really showing what we've all looked away from. And you're sort of faced with knowing that this could happen to anybody, and it can. I think that's why it's important that we all see it (No Address) because we all need a little empathy for the people who have ended up in this spot and they need a hand up. I'll leave the next to Xander, but I think it's an important film. Sometimes, you can go see a film just because it's got great special effects. This isn't that film. This is a film that's going to hit you emotionally, and it's going to make you want to be part of the change.
Xander Berkeley: And I think, as we all know, statistically, the shrinking of the middle class has opened the net for people to fall through all the more easily. And the mental health crisis in our country has led a lot of people without proper care and supervision to self-medicate and wind up in a really vicious cycle of homelessness. And there are solutions, there are places that are providing the wraparound care that is so desperately needed. And this draws attention both to the crisis and to the potential solution. And so it's a very worthy cause all the way around.
Ty Pennington: I was surprised at how many young people are homeless. You think it's someone who looks like Xander, but the truth of it is it's all ages, all walks of life, and a lot younger than I ever imagined, which is really frightening if you think about it.
Xander Berkeley: It's a very tenuous connection that can happen. And you know, there's people that are working three jobs. They've lost, they've broken relationships for whatever reason along the way, from their parents to their friends, to their spouse. And then a bad thing happens, whether it's a health crisis or losing a job, and boom, they're down. And then once you're down, it is really hard. One of the things the film shows is how many influences and forces are there that actually keep you down. It’s terrifying and really important for all of us. Not to look away, but to see what we can do to help.
Ty Pennington: The movie's about second chances. It's about how everyone deserves a second chance. And I think that's what this is. It's about finally looking at the homeless and seeing them. A lot of times we look away and I think this film is about finally having to look it right in the eye.
How does this film challenge common perceptions about homelessness?
Xander Berkeley: I think a lot of common perception is that people get themselves in the situation. If they are drug addicts or alcoholics, don't give them money. You'll just be contributing to the problem. And in many cases, I think there's been all kinds of mistakes that have been made, left, right, and center in terms of addressing the problem in a way that's effective.
One of the things that, especially having worked on the documentary with this same company, we got really well educated on what the factors are that actually come into play to bring about a change. People have to be ready to change and an organization has to be there that can provide the healthcare, mental health care, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, job training and placement, and housing when and where needed. It's a very complex structure that has to be provided because it's so easy for people to backslide back down into their addiction or the hopelessness of their situation. But there's a few lines that always stand out in my head from the documentary. One is to help somebody. That'll help you just by the act of helping another. And never look down at a man, but instead offer a hand to help them up. You have to rewire your brain because it's so much easier just to avert your gaze. The film has done a lot of the work for you. If you see the film, you're contributing to these organizations like Citygate and so many, like The Gathering in Sacramento, California is an incredible organization. There's so many good people that are walking the walk and working to do what none of us really do. I was so humbled. They have devoted their lives to it’s good.
No Address is currently playing in theaters nationwide. Visit NoAddressMovie.com to learn more about purchasing movie tickets to combat the homelessness cycle.
WATCH A TRAILER FOR NO ADDRESS:
