Hooo boy. I would have had a snark-filled field day with this back when I was reviewing movies for a liberal Northeastern newspaper. Now that I’m hopefully wiser and, as life’s knee-slapping sense of humor would have it, living among the movie’s sweet-tea-drinking target audience, I want to give it – both the movie and its mission – a fair shake. In order to do that, however, I’ll need to get a few things out of the way.
The production values of “Fireproof.” Sigh. Melodramatic soapy dialogue, predictable gags and the most neutered marital throwdown I’ve ever seen. The fight that ignites the proclamations of divorce is devoid of anything stronger than “you ungrateful woman.” C and I have worse fights trying to sort out whose toothbrush is whose. In the most unholy of ironies, C said it reminded him of a late-night Skinemax flick – made for TV and cringeworthy.
Come on, Pastor Alex and Pastor Stephen. If you want to reach the pagans and atheists, you’re going to have to be slicker than that.
If evangelizing the unchurched was their goal, that is. It’s hard to tell who this made-by-Christians movie about saving marriages with a creamy conversion-story filling was meant for. I’m afraid the movie will cut audiences down party lines – it’s preaching to the choir (the Lordy types, as Tertia would say) as it offends the skeptical. If the skeptical even rent it. Those who watch movies starring Kirk Cameron are a pretty self-selecting bunch.
“Fireproof” did make millions at the box office – it was the highest-grossing independent film of last year – playing in actual movie theaters (not just in mega-churches), and is sure to make a killing on DVD. So perhaps I’m not giving those on the fence enough credit. I mean, I’m one and I was crying at the end.
Cameron plays Caleb Holt, a firefighter whose marriage is on the brink. Interestingly, neither he or his wife are committed Christians, though they convert during the course of “The Love Dare,” a 40-day Bible-based program given to Caleb by his father. Which makes the “becoming saved” storyline seem like an afterthought.
If what I said until now isn’t incendiary, I’m sure to receive some flames for my thoughts on marriage. (Get it? Flames? “Fireproof”?!) The movie asserts that only by accepting Jesus Christ can a couple save a marriage. It can’t be done on one’s own. As much as I’d love to shred a movie with Christian rock on its soundtrack, I gotta go with the filmmakers here.
The commonly held notion of marriage, that it’s only worthwhile so long as both parties are feeling the love, is a well-proven reason for the divorce rate. You’ve heard it – love’s an action, not an emotion. We operated that way for a while, too. Our marriage, like so many others, was a convenience for two selfish people. We were happy as long as things were going well and we were each getting what we wanted from the other. My spouse needed to respect me and do nice things for me and reflect well onto me. You know, be successful so as to make me look good. And it was fine. So why we were arguing all the time?
I don’t know what caused the change. Maybe it was becoming parents, or maybe it was the series of disappointments that came when we decided to move and start a business. There became a realization that we needed to express gratitude for what we have and to have faith that things will be OK, even if we can’t yet see how it will work out. It occurred to me that a husband who loves me even when I don’t deserve it might be something to be grateful for, too. It wasn’t just our daughter keeping us together – something else was at work here.
You don’t have to call it God. Call it the Supreme Being or the Universe or the Positive Life Force if you want. The point is, you’re imperfect and odious at times, yet the Cosmos shows you love and mercy. So find it in yourself to do the same for your spouse.
There! Now that I’ve stored up some heaven points for myself, can I just say that not only is Kirk Cameron’s acting not bad at all and that there are some nice scenes of him working out, that some camera views reveal he has one di-vine be-hind? He’s like a pastor or something, too, isn’t he? Which means I’m probably going to sizzle for an eternity. But. Oh. My.
Coming tomorrow: “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” (How’s that for a departure?)
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suburbancorrespondent 01.28.09 at 2:28 pm
My impression from the trailer was that all the marital problems were pinned on the guy not being sensitive enough – so I was sort of turned off. Am I mistaken?
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eliz 01.28.09 at 2:56 pm
Hmmm, that’s interesting. He actually does the Love Dare without her knowing, so throughout the movie I kept wondering why she continued to be such a witch to him while he was trying so hard. I think it must have been the way the trailer was edited, because it truly can be seen as problems on both sides. I’d say it was a fair portrayal of why most marriages end up in trouble (those that aren’t due to something like drugs, domestic abuse or an affair) – both spouses with the “what’s in it for me?” attitude.
anna 01.29.09 at 12:12 am
How is it possible I haven’t even heard of this movie?
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eliz 01.29.09 at 4:52 pm
@anna – Um, ’cause it’s a Christian flick? I don’t know. It was a huge-grossing movie, and the trailers ran nationally. But I’m sure it was bigger ’round these parts than it was in LA. I was fascinated by what a phenomenon it turned into, and while the script was cheesey, it *looked* beautiful. These pastor guys make very nice-looking movies. The largest problem with it is the “if it’s targeted mainly at Christians, who presumably don’t have the marital strife of the population at large, how is this movie going to reach those who truly need it?” conundrum.
anna 01.29.09 at 5:37 pm
You know, that is probably why I don’t know about it! Very funny, too, because movies are very hyped in this town, and there are billboards everywhere for films nobody has ever heard of.
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