Unconditional, produced by Harbinger Media and directed by Brett McCorkle, is that rare phenomenon: a faith-based film with wide appeal. It has managed to maintain a "fresh" rating on popular moviesite Rotten Tomatoes, garnering positive reviews from critics who praise its sincerity and voice surprise at all it is not: didactic, medicinal, preachy, or overbearing. Unconditional may owe that sincerity to its source. It's inspired by the true and moving story of "Papa" Joe Bradford, who became a father figure to disadvantaged children in his Nashville neighborhood. Here he talks about the movie and more.

What was it like to see a movie made about yourself?

The skeletons in my closet are now revealed to the whole world. But I hope that things in my life, let's just say what I overcame, I hope they can be an inspiration.

What do you hope audiences walk away with from seeing Unconditional?

One of the main reasons I agreed to do this movie is that I believed it was going to be a call to action, and it is: a call to action to help at-risk children throughout the country and the world.

How did you get involved with kids?

When I first moved into the income-based community, this little deaf girl lived right next door to me. She came up to my door, and at the time I didn't know she was deaf. I looked at her, and I said, 'Hey, what do you want?' And she just looked at me. Well, (Bradford's wife) Denise gave her some candy. And there were fifty children living in our neighborhood. And what happens when you give one child a piece of candy? Whether they're deaf or not, your house is full of children. So we decided to make a choir out of these children. And that's how we started working with kids.

How did you get the nickname "Papa Joe?"

My wife and I were working with an inner-city choir, and they were going to be singing for the National Day of Prayer at the Ryman Auditorium. While we were practicing right by one of the projects, one of the little girls came up to me, and she had been beaten by her mother. She was only twelve years old, and we prayed for the child, showed the child some love. And after that, I'm standing beside the choir, and her nine-year-old sister walks up to me, and she says, "Will you be my daddy?" And I thought the child was playing, but before I knew it another child walked up to me and said, "Will you be my daddy?" I thought they were in cahoots together. But before I knew it, several children were walking up to me saying, "Will you be my daddy?" So I just stood there and contemplated the situation, and I said, "Yes, I will." And that began the "Papa Joe."

And some children in the movie actually are Papa Joe's kids?

The two oldest children actually are part of our ministry. It was amazing seeing them on screen. It took me back to when we first started working with these children, and I was, like, "Oh, wow. Lord, you've brought us so far, to have children that we actually work with to represent you before the country."

What has it meant to you, growing up without a dad?

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