Last night I had the opportunity to preview Fireproof, the latest release from Sherwood Pictures who also brought you Facing The Giants. This movie has received fairly positive reviews and not the least of which was from Tim Challies who reviewed it here.
The story is about Caleb (a firefighter) and Catherine (a PR professional) encountering marriage problems and crises and eventually finding themselves on the brink of divorce. Through the loving intervention of his father, Caleb is led through a journey that would see him accept Christ, take responsibility for his part in ruining his marriage, and ultimately being the catalyst for the conversion of his wife which results in the reconciliation and restoration of his marriage. The plot line as they say is fairly simple.
It’s when you start looking at the movie beyond the plotline that it really begins to show its flaws. Before I get to those, I want to say that I, like Challies, thought the screenplay for the most part was adequate given the budget and resources that a film like this has at its disposal. You didn’t feel, except for about the first ten minutes of the film, that you were watching something that is one step above a college performing arts play. The dialogue of the film, for the most part, was realistic and engaging and it moved along at a decent pace. Meaning, you weren’t left waiting for the scene to change because it was clearly already done. There were also some very humorous scenes mixed in that made you genuinely belly laugh. You put all this together (budget, screenplay, dialogue, special effects, humor, etc) and that’s where it goes from a zero to a five for me.
Unfortunately, that’s where it stops and why I rated the film in a post-screening survey a 5. I’ll discuss the major issues that I have with the film…
First, Caleb and Catherine are show to live in what is clearly a three car garage all brick house and the movie is set in Albany, GA. So given that, doing some basic research, that was at least a 250k - 350k house. So right off the bat, I wonder what percentage of American marriages this is representative of? How many Americans live (a) in their own home and (b) if they do own a home live in a suburban nice development expensive house.
Second, we are presented with Caleb as a firefighter and Catherine as a PR director for the local hospital. Once again, doing some basic research for both Caleb and Catherine, we discover Caleb probably made about $50,000 and Catherine probably made about $130,000. This notion of money being plentiful is definitely not refuted in the movie. So, my question is, what percentage of American marriages have combined incomes of 175k-200k.
Third, Caleb and Catherine are presented as having no children. While this is an interesting character choice for the movie, it was probably done to cut down on having to develop extra characters (the kids) in an already low budget movie. But once again, what percentage of American marriages have no kids?
Why do I bring these things up? Because you put them all together and we’re given a marriage to watch that has very few external pressures other than a porn addiction for the husband and a flirting rich doctor at work for the wife. No money problems. No kid problems. No external surrounding issues. No extended family issues (in fact, both extended families have both parents living and are presented as being there to support this couple as they work through their problems). Those are all neatly taken care of for us and we’re left to watch a very affluent, externally comfortable, self absorbed couple work through their marriage problems. Sorry to say, that may be representative of about 5% of marriages in the United States. And that ain’t how it is in the real world.
What I’m left wondering is why weren’t we presented with a couple that’s been married for five years, has two kids, the husband just got laid off and the house their living in needs serious work but they can’t afford to do it because money is tight. Why weren’t we presented with that couple and shown how the Gospel helps that couple get through life and their marriage. You may say that it’s not important and that I’m nitpicking, but if this thing is going to be billed as a MAJOR outreach tool, I have to believe that most people who have no connection to Christianity are going to go watch this film and see a couple and a marriage situation on the screen that they cannot identify with. It’s a lot easier to work through problems when you have nice neighbors, a lot of money, food on the table, two cars, good jobs, and a good education. Most American marriages don’t have that luxury.
Not only that but we’re presented with a lost couple that yells at each other and never swears and we’re also shown an angry husband, yelling at his wife in her face, but never hitting her. This is an interesting choice considering that between 1/3 and ½ of all women in America have been abused by their partner at some point in their life. I realize it was all probably done the way it was to keep the PG rating on it and the fact that a church ministry is producing it but real life is real life. It seemed all to vanilla and put together to really make a huge impact.
I know I’m going against the grain here, not to mention Challies, but while I hope and believe that God can use this film to change a marriage (I’ve received an email already testifying to that very fact), I suspect that this film will appeal to Christians mainly and will have very little appeal to the larger segment of non-believers. I hope I’m wrong,
7 users commented in " I’ve Finished Watching “Fireproof” "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackback -->I’ve seen Fireproof, too, and couldn’t disagree more with the posted review here (which as the reviewer admits is in the minority).
Fireproof is one of the best (and most powerful) movies I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen quite a few films.
If the movie’s greatest weakness is that the family owns a nice home and has some money, then the filmmakers are doing a pretty good job. Besides, that can be viewed as a strength: Even though they have money — which many couples hope to obtain, seeing it as the end of the rainbow — their marriage is falling apart. Even money won’t save a marriage.
The couple’s financial situation should matter little to the film’s message. The film’s message is this: They’re married, I’m married. They’re marriage has weaknesses, my marriage has weaknesses. Christ saved their marriage; Christ could save my marriage or anyone’s marriage.
I read a good review of Fireproof on another website. Check it out here:
http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=28557
James,
Thank you for stopping by and for the comments. It’s always intriguing to me how two people can look at the same thing and come away with such different conclusions.
I would disagree with one thing though. How the couple is portrayed in the movie makes all the difference in the world. Especially in a movie such as this. The characters have to be believable. They have to be people that the audience can see themselves in. They have to be people that typify the situation they’re hoping to address..
IMO…I don’t think the film did this. Once again…going back to my post, if this movie is meant to be an “outreach” and thereby appealing to those who have no connection to Jesus whatsoever, then it should endeavor to develop and portray characters that fit that segment.
Now, if it’s meant to reach Christians who are struggling in their marriage, then I think it gets a little closer to the mark…but I suspect that most of the revenue for this film will come from churches and Christians attending it rather than those who don’t know Jesus at all…
Marc,
Thanks for posting this review. I enjoyed reading it!
You said, “No money problems. No kid problems. No external surrounding issues. No extended family issues (in fact, both extended families have both parents living and are presented as being there to support this couple as they work through their problems).”
It’s a good point you bring up, and I wonder if that isn’t exactly what they were trying to do. Every one of those plot elements, while it might make the story more realistic, would also add an element they needed to introduce, deal with and then somehow wrap up. Perhaps they kept things simple so they could focus on the biggest issues and the ones that are of particular interest and importance to Christians today. Those other issues would either make for a longer movie or one that kep flipping between issues.
But I am just speculating. Either way, I think most couples will see something of themselves in there. My wife and I look nothing like the couple in this film in some ways (no porn addictions, no expensive house, three children…) but we still saw something of ourselves there; somehow the movie still managed to connect with us. It’s not going to challenge for any Oscars, but I do think it’s going to speak to people where they’re at.
But again, good review!
Tim,
Thank you for the reading the review and for the gracious comments. I do agree that folks, if they look, will see something of their own marriage in the film.
While it would have definitely been harder to “rough up the edges of the movie” both in the character and situational development, I think it would have been effort well spent on a movie that is being sold as an outreach tool to people whose lives definitely have “rough edges”…
I think Sherwood films is making a great honest effort to advance the Gospel and glorify Christ in it…but I hope I’m wrong about what I said at the end of my review..my hunch that this film will appeal mostly to Christians..and not far beyond..
Time will tell…
“my hunch that this film will appeal mostly to Christians..and not far beyond..”
I’d agree with you there!
Marc,
I have not seen this movie yet but it is showing at my church in a week or so.
I agree with you and a few other reviewers: in essence it is time for Christian filmmakers to grow up and make quality movies. I can’t escape the feeling that the studios (this is Sony, after all) think that they can get away with anything because their Christian audiences will lap up even the most simplistic stories presented to them. Unfortunately they have sometimes been right (same applies to Star Wars fans, IMHO).
I can’t escape the feeling that churchgoers are being unduly swayed by claims that “Facing the Giants” made $15 million? same with “The Passion”. Are feelings of pride that one of “their” movies can make money blinding them to plausible affect these movies are having in the quest to spread the Gospel?
Scott,
Thank you for stopping by and for the comment. I would add to your sentiment by saying that I think we as Christians, in almost everything we do, think that our efforts are having far more impact than they truly are.
The reason that we believe that is because we live in a Christian “bubble”…If I took a poll of the millions of “born-again believers” in the US who attend church every Sunday and asked them how many “lost”/”non-Christian”/”unbelievers” they are “Friends” with and have evangelistic friendships with, the percentage that would say ZERO would probably be around 75% or higher.
I just don’t think most Christians are engaging people who aren’t Christians at all. I think they are more interested in separating from them than moving closer to them. And as such we live in the echo chamber.
And as such, we hear the applause of a movie like this from those we are hanging around and assume, therefore, that it must be great. Truth be told, we’re inside the chamber and can’t hear the deafening silence of indifference outside the chamber…which is what I think this movie will receive from those who don’t have any connection to Christ, Church, or Christianity.
IMO
Leave A Reply