Fireproof The Movie

You may not yet have heard about the new movie from the creators of “Facing the Giants” and “Flywheel,” (two films I highly recommend for the spiritual issues they raise!), but on September 26, Sherwood Pictures' film “Fireproof” will be given limited release nationwide.

I was invited to see a preview of the film at a local theater and was very impressed. There were no paid actors in the film; everyone volunteered their time—yet the drama, both in the tension between the main characters and in the action scenes onscreen, was intense. It is a very enjoyable film that will inspire and challenge viewers. Spontaneous applause burst out in the theater on several occasions; and when the Kendrick brothers (producers of all three films) addressed the audience, they received a standing ovation.

More importantly, the strength of the movie is in the truth of the message it communicates.

Kirk Cameron plays Caleb Holt, captain of a fire station who is a great leader, an honorable friend and a bona-fide hero in his career. At home it's a different story. He can be selfish, lazy and filled with rage when it comes to his interaction with his wife Catherine (Erin Bethea). He has a good relationship with his dad, but resents his mom's criticism. You get the feeling that he's never been able to relate well to the women in his life.

She's the Director of Public Relations at a local hospital. The movie opens with a flashback in which it's revealed how she, as a little girl, idolized her Fireman father, who remains the image of heroic faithfulness as he stands by her mom's side in the aftermath of her debilitating stroke. By comparison, Caleb doesn't measure up; and deserves neither her respect nor the devotion of her heart.

Though it will probably have a "G" rating like the other efforts by Sherwood PIctures, the film has the courage to portray marital strife frankly, in all its selfishness, bitterness and outright rage. I think very few who see the movie would level the criticism that the couple on the screen don't have “real” problems—and I think this is important to know if you want to encourage others who need help in their relationships to watch the movie. Watching the characters work through what seem like insurmountable barriers should help even those with serious issues imagine that there could be hope for them.

Another real value in the movie is the thorough examination of the impact of outside influence on a relationship. Stereotypically, women have many friends in which they can confide, but these friends are all-too-ready to offer criticism of husbands and build up her ego. In the same stereotype, men don't have friends they're willing to confide in. Caleb's friends are his dad and Michael, second-in-command at the fire station. They both offer him sound, Biblical advice with great analogies and practical steps to take. Catherine, unfortunately, is the one who doesn't have real friends in this movie. The ladies from work gossip about her behind her back and only affirm her in all her criticism of her husband. Though her dad could probably offer good advice, she doesn't want to burden him with her problems as he cares for her mom. You get the sense that her mom is the one she's used to confiding in; and the stroke has left her mother unable to communicate.

In my experience, men are sometimes reluctant to attend a "relationship movie" or a marriage seminar because their content frequently makes the man the easy target. The husband, the underlying message often seems to say, is the party who needs real change, whereas the wife may need new perspective and sympathy for him as he struggles to change. This is a superficial assessment, at best, and in my view, Fireproof is a much more even-handed treatment of the need for heart change. It's clear they both have equally bad attitudes; but Caleb's personal progress is leadership in heart-change and ultimately wins her heart and her respect.

Simple kindness, as a decision not based on the other person's behavior, (a definition of grace), is the beginning, the foundational message of the “Love Dare,” the challenge Caleb's dad issues him. It's not by coincidence that the Bible also says “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4) In the setting of an abandoned summer camp site, with log seating surrounding a big wooden cross, Caleb finds his place of repentance, recognizing that he's had the same indifferent attitude towards God's gift—Jesus' suffering and death as his substitute—as Catherine has had towards his kind acts to her. (See Romans 10:21/Isaiah 65:2-5 and Jeremiah 25:4)

The clear message of the movie is that we need more than just a change of heart: we need a new heart, which can only come from God Himself. Caleb's dad puts it well when he confesses, “I couldn't truly love your mother until I knew what love was,” indicating his relationship with Christ.

Cindy and I are praying this movie will be wildly successful and that this much-needed message will bring Christ’s message of change from above to a lot of hearts who need him. See Fireproofmymarriage.com for resources!