Fireproof

I almost quit on this movie 20 minutes into it. The script was riddled with trite dialogue and the performances seemed a little stiff. I had a huge problem with the train scene where something significant seemed to happen near the end but was never resolved (and apparently completely forgotten about for the rest of the movie), which was quite bizarre. But as the film progressed and reached its climax, there were actually some very powerful and moving moments, performed very impressively by both Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea. This movie kind of reminded me of "Freedom Writers" where overall it was so-so yet contained some very poignant, profound, and memorable scenes.

I am a Christian and I admired the fact that the makers of "Fireproof" were not shy of bringing forth the Gospel message and how Jesus Christ should be the focal point of a healthy marriage. I couldn't help but think what I would have thought about this movie if I had seen it before I received Christ into my life. Back then, I think I can honestly say that I may very well have turned it off after those first 20 minutes. But if I hadn't, it could very well have helped to change my life. And thinking about it, I bet there are some people out there whose life DID change after watching this, and to that I say hallelujah! :-)

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.

Being a Christian I am still not a fan by any means of Christian movies, I was offered the chance to see an advanced screening of this movie and the only reason why I went was to say that I saw it before anyone else did. I knew it had Kirk Cameron in it so I assumed it was going to be as bad as the Left Behind films. Then I noticed that it was directed and produced by the same people who created Facing The Giants, so I thought there was a chance it would be okay. The opening of the movie was weak and unclear but developed into a rather interesting and touching story. The comic characters were perfect! There was not too much or too little, it was just the right amount. Some of not all of the religious conversations came across as cheesy. To sum it up I went in not expecting anything worth talking about but came out surprised. The following are based on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best.

Acting - 5 Music - 6 Cinematography - 6 Screenplay - 4 Story/Plot - 5 Overall - 5

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)

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.