Fireproof

I am a born-again Christian. I am also somewhat of a film snob who counts movies among his favorites that are decidedly R rated (I have no problem with sin being presented in movies as long as it's not presented as something good), and some of my favorites are over 100 years old. Just to let you know where this review is coming from.

With "Fireproof" the Kendrick brothers have matured. Their first film, "Flywheel," was a wonderful story with almost no budget, and amateurishly done. Then came "Facing the Giants," which was pretty good but ultimately forgettable. "Fireproof" finally puts together solid production values, mostly topnotch acting, and a very nicely written script that includes some clever plot twists.

Yes, it is explicitly Christian in its message. Yes, it upholds the sanctity of marriage and celebrates a man fighting for all he's worth to win the love of a wife who's filing for divorce. Yes, there are two or three moments where the sentimentality goes just a bit over the top.

If any of these statements about "Fireproof" close your mind to it, that's your loss, but God bless you as you pass on this one to go see something lighter or edgier. But I promise you, I was very pleasantly surprised at just how good this film is.

Highly recommended for anyone old enough to appreciate the opposite sex.

I just got back from seeing this movie opening night. Of the 300 seats, 100 of them were presold and we were told to get there early. I was excited to hear that so many people were supporting this movie on its opening weekend. It's message will hit close to home with so many people. With the high divorce rate these days, I agree that all people should view this movie. I'm not married myself, but it touched me so much because I saw in it the relationship my parent's have had for years. And while it focuses on the husband changing his ways in order to win back his wife, it also touches on wives changing their ways to win back their husbands. There may be many stereotypes shown in this movie, but that comes with movies trying to touch the world. Without stereotypes, we might not understand it so well.

Overall ratings: Plot - 10, Cinematography - 9, Acting - 6 (due to using only one professional actor, kudos to the church members for holding their own)

Hollywood is great at letting us participate in the victories of those who conquer long odds, whether it's sports movies in which the underdog wins the championship or even movies about unlikely romantic pairings (geek meets beauty) that end happily in, say, a wedding. But we see few movies about the joy we feel in conquering the mundane - like in making a marriage work after both sides have lost the motivation to do so.

This is a movie that shows us how hard it is to revive a near-dead marriage, and why it matters so much. Yes, there is a religious context to the movie. A partner in a healthy marriage, we are shown, struggles to emulate the selfless love and service of Jesus by loving and serving his or her spouse, as Jesus would. But the religious aspects of the movie ought not keep away those who are religion-averse. Selfless love and service as the keys to a joyful marriage are not exclusive to any religion.

A great movie for married couples - very thought provoking.

Anybody who is married should see this movie because we've all had bumps in the road along the way.

Fire department Captain Caleb Holt (Kirk Cameron) is valued and respected everywhere he goes, except at home. His wife Catherine (Erin Bethea), overwhelmed by her career and her mother's inability to communicate, doesn't feel loved by him; and Caleb's withdrawal of love, along with her inability to respect him cause them to pursue divorce.

Upon finding out about their troubled marriage, Caleb's dad asks him to hold off proceeding with the divorce to make one last effort to save his marriage, a forty-day experiment called, "The Love Dare." Caleb reluctantly agrees to it, and forgetting it took years to dig the hole that their relationship is in, he is upset when it doesn't work immediately. For reasonable reasons, she doesn't react to his efforts at first.

Will Caleb continue to keep going even though she refuses to believe he'll change? Can his dad's love and guidance keep him believing? Will God save their marriage, and make it healthy again? These are the questions that this film answers.

Making a movie that tackles real life marriage problems head on is challenging, and not always easy to watch. Horror, violence, spoofs, fantasy, love stories, biographies offer easy escapes. Fireproof exposes the isolation that can occur between 2 people who started out loving each other, but over time disconnect, become self-absorbed and fall into a pattern of hurting each other. The relational pain finds some comic relief, and there is a job-related diversion. But help comes in the form of a 40 day dare to love. While you may not agree with the faith-based approach, there is no doubt that unconditional love is transforming. I was deeply moved... enough to take the dare myself.