Let me say right off the bat that I did not grow up reading superhero comic books, nor do I wait expectantly for the release of movies based upon them. Too much violence and the frequent language and sexual innuendo are not my idea of entertainment. Neither do I care for spin-offs of blockbusters. Needless to say, I had no great expectations for Somebody's Hero, believing it to be hanging on the coattails of the recent release ofThe Avengers.A superhero film from Backlit Picture that was touted as a "heartwarming film for the whole family." Great! That family could mean the dysfunctional chaos that prime time television believes represents modern families or the relationship pendulum could swing to a sickly-sweet fairy-tale-like family that was common in shows from the 1950s.

Christopher Gorham (Covert Affairs) plays Dennis Sullivan, an accountant in a New York firm. His boss sends him to have some important documents signed by Katie Wells, a beautiful and wealthy widow, played by Susan Miner (Person of Interest). At the Wells' home, Dennis meets Katie's young son, Jake, who is a die-hard fan of the television superhero Man America. It's easy to see that Jake uses this show to deal with the loss of his father.

On the spur of the moment, Dennis decides to stop by a costume store to buy a Man-America costume to surprise Jake. While in the dressing room, a man walks into the store, pulls a knife and demands all the money. Unaware that the security cameras are capturing everything, Dennis jumps out in all of Man-America's masked regalia and, after a brief skirmish, thwarts the criminal. When the footage from the security camera is released to the local news, much to Dennis' chagrin, Man-America becomes an overnight hero.

Sounds hokey? Don't let the hook fool you;Somebody's Herois as heartwarming as the filmmakers claimed and is exactly what our culture needs: the portrayal of a real hero.

Gorham is wonderful as the mild-mannered Dennis. He is a man of integrity, kind, compassionate, and clean-cut in a way that you don't see much on the big screens. He doesn't hesitate to do the right thing, no matter what the consequences to himself. Miner is heartbreakingly believable as a young widow, trying to be both mother and father while trying to deal with her own grief.

It's difficult to claim that anything is good for the whole family. Does that mean a toddler could watch it? Does that mean you wouldn't be embarrassed watching it with your grandmother?Somebody's Herocomes close to both. There are a few scenesfighting and perilthat might frighten young children and there are a couple of mild sexual innuendos and a little coarse language.

What makesSomebody's Herogolden is the underlying message found in the tag line, "Everyone can be somebody's hero." You don't have to wear a cape. You don't have to have muscles. You don't have to have supernatural powers. You just have to consider the needs of others as more important than your own.