Fireproof Your Marriage

Well, I’ve been encouraging everyone to go watch Fireproof since its release date on the last weekend of September.  And now that I have had the opportunity to see it for myself, I wish my online readership was in the millions, just so I could persuade EVERYONE to go see this film.  Where do I begin?…

A movie review of sorts seems in order, but I will keep it very brief.  If you have seen the previous film by Sherwood Pictures, Facing the Giants, you won’t be caught off guard by the acting.  I found the acting to be significantly improved from the last one, especially given the lead role by Hollywood actor Kirk Cameron, but you should still be ready for performances of less than the caliber you would normally expect on the big screen.  Given that the rest of the cast are all just average folks who attend a church together in Georgia, I was genuinely pleased with what I saw.

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I found their depiction of the process of marital decay to be very realistic.  Specifically, I thought they nailed: 1. the importance of wives feeling loved and husbands feeling respected (see Emerson Eggerichs’ work), 2. how common and destructive pornography is in marriage, and how easily rationalized it often is by the men who do it, 3. the influence of our friends and family members on our attitudes and actions in marriage, as well as other areas of our lives, and 4. just because one spouse begins making necessary changes to save a dying marriage, doesn’t ensure the other will respond in kind or even appreciate the effort.

Great storyline, and fairly well scripted.  The screenwriting is still improving, along with the acting, but I was pleased with the final result.  The humourous interjections were welcome and enjoyable.  The depictions of marital fighting and distance were well scripted.  And the overall flow of the film went well.  Okay, I’ll admit it.  By the time this thing was over, I was wondering why they didn’t have the theater stocked with Kleenex.  Along with many others in the room, I found myself crying at several powerful moments in the last few minutes of the film.

And while I’m there, I just have to mention the unique experience of watching this film at the theater.  (I did not see Facing the Giants until it came out on DVD, so I don’t know about the theater experience on that one.)  With only one theater showing the film in Baton Rouge (I just read on the website that Sony has secured 300 more theaters across the nation for weekend #3!), and its debut at #4 in the box office last weekend, the place was packed by the time the show began.  If you have ever experienced a packed movie theater before, you know how energizing the dynamic can be.  What was so tremendously encouraging and refreshing this time was how that energy played out before the lights went down.  As individuals, couples, and groups came in to find their seats, they stopped to visit with friends and neighbors.  I enjoyed talking with a friend of mine who is an associate pastor here in town.  My wife and I visited with the folks sitting beside us, and we thoroughly enjoyed the conversation.  People were asking if they could move over to accomodate last minute viewers.  It was as though we were at the movies with a room full of people who are trying to live out the message of Christ.  🙂

A final note – I am going today to buy my copy of The Love Dare, the book featured in the film, and published because of the interest and demand expressed by the screening audiences.  The book is already at #9 on Amazon (where The Shack remains at a strong #3).  I’ve got a feeling I’m going to be recommending this one to clients for a long, long time.

With Hope in Him,

Roger