Bringing Hope to a Tale of Trauma

Steven Monroe ’90 has more than 150 television, film, and commercial acting credits, but with the feature film Lonesome Soldier, he took a turn at an entirely different role – executive producer. Based on a true story, Lonesome Soldier portrays the travails of Jackson Harlow, a young soldier who returns home from Iraq to find that his trauma endures. It’s a harrowing portrayal of PTSD, and its effects on soldiers and their families. Monroe, who also works as a marriage and family therapist, was deeply moved after reading an early script.

“It resonated to me because I’ve always had such respect for military service members and veterans,” explains Monroe, who also plays Jackson’s father, John. “It’s such a profound sacrifice that often goes unacknowledged, or even disparaged in ways that break my heart.”

He embraced the project fully, signing on as an executive producer.

“If I’m speaking from a perspective of faith and service, it seemed the next indicated step in my own journey, a marriage of my therapy as well as acting, now to be part of a producing team,” he says.

Released in theaters nationwide in November 2023 and on 40 military bases in December, Lonesome Solider ultimately offers a message of hope and redemption that has resonated with viewers. The film boasts a 97 percent “Popcornmeter” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which has been scoring entertainment recommendations for more than 25 years online. It’s available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

“There has been such a stigma around issues of mental health, and as a therapist, it’s routinely alarming to consider that which affects us most is talked about least,” Monroe says. “And I think of the demons that haunt our veterans, so, to have an opportunity to put that on screen and in a way that it’s entirely apolitical … it’s quite humbling.”