Fireproof

[ADXC]

Okay, you guys knew someone was going to make a thread about it. I really did like this movie. They just keep getting better each time! This the third movie in the series in case you lost track. Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof. So what did you guys think about? Id like to hear everyone's thoughts and opinions.

I thought that it dealt with some very tough issues and the movie had to be as it was. It was a lot more serious(Not as cheesy) than it's predecessors(Althought it did have it's funny parts too. If anyone gets what I mean by this smile then you get a cookie. )., but it had to be because marriage is not something to be taken lightly. It's so hard to realize that so much can go wrong in a marriage if not watched over carefully and if not God-rearing.

So yeah, thoughts and opinions.

[Popsicle]

Hah! I get a cookie! XD

"Stay away from that guy hunny, he's a weirdo..."
"It takes one to know one."


I thought the movie was good. I loved all the funny parts and it dealt pretty well with making the marriage troubles seem realistic. I especially like how the creators of this movie didn't use a stereotypical "Hollywood" life style, where nothing is how it is in real life. All I can really say is that I enjoyed this movie a lot and probably one of the best ones I've seen this year. I think it's a must see for everyone.

[sharien chan]

I have to see it. My fiance's mom keeps bugging me to see it.

[ChristianKitsune]

My parents went and saw it and said it was VERY good... I haven't gotten a chance to yet...

I dunno, I just kind of wish this company would come up with more original ideas... EVERY one of their movies has dealt with marriage, and once the father comes back to God everything is great again...

Yeah, marriage is important and stuff but I guess I feel like "I've seen this movie before..." even when I haven't.

I just kind of think that there is more God wants to teach us with films ^^; There's gotta be other issues we can learn from...


I'm glad it's getting better reviews than the last two though. I really loved Facing the Giants... and to hear it's not as cheesy kind of makes me want to see it more...


I hear it was 3rd in the Box office its opening weekend...that's pretty amazing!

[Kurama]

I've been dying to see it, and since I've read all of your reviews I am going to be begging my mom more and more now. xD Hopefully we can see it tomorrow or something. xD Sounds like an awesome movie!

[ADXC]

Believe me CK this one really deals with marriage. The other movies did have some lessons of it as sidebar lessons, but this one heavily deals with it. And I encourage ANYONE who plans to get into a relationship or are already in one, to watch this movie. CK, there are many areas of marital problems that could occur in marriages that are portrayed in this movie. Not just the "Im tired of this relationship" thing, although that is the main lesson. It also deals with temptations, adultery, pride, lust, and other things. This movie has quite a few twists and surprises as well, be sure to follow them.

Even if you think it's like any other movie about marriage that you've seen, please watch it anyway.

[ChristianKitsune]

Believe me CK this one really deals with marriage. The other movies did have some lessons of it as sidebar lessons, but this one heavily deals with it. And I encourage ANYONE who plans to get into a relationship or are already in one, to watch this movie. CK, there are many areas of marital problems that could occur in marriages that are portrayed in this movie. Not just the "Im tired of this relationship" thing, although that is the main lesson. It also deals with temptations, adultery, pride, lust, and other things. This movie has quite a few twists and surprises as well, be sure to follow them.

Even if you think it's like any other movie about marriage that you've seen, please watch it anyway.

Oh, don't worry I probably will...be it in theaters or when it hits DVD. I wasn't trying to sound mean or anything I just hope that their next movie is something other than marriage ^^;

I didn't mean to sound like I was bashing the film, I haven't even seen it, how could I bash it?

[Gabriel 9.0]

I'll have to check out this film. Especially how gives out the true message of marriage under God.

[ADXC]

Oh Im sorry. I just misconstrued your post wrongly. Man, talking over the internet can be challenging sometimes because it's easy to misinterpret what others say!

[Phantom_Sorano]

It just came out on dvd today.....and it is a must see.

It goes into the troubled marriage between a fire fighter and his wife. When the hope for their marriage seems lost, Caleb's (firefighter) father gives him a book called the Love Dare. He must complete the tasks in it for 40 days....it is an amazing Christian movie.

I suggest picking up a copy....it is available at most movie rentals AND Redbox.

[ADXC]

Yeah it was a good movie.

Here's the thread for it.

http://www.christiananime.net/showthread.php?t=50256&highlight=Fireproof

[ashfire]

A few retailers will have it on sale. I seen trailers at the Maryland State Firemens convention in June.
I would have like to seen it in the theater but I'll buy it because I like anything that has a fire dept theme in it.
I have four seasons of Emergency and the latest season of Rescue Me.
I have a few firefighter movies I have found.
I have a anime movie based on the manga Firefighter Diago of Fire Company M.

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

It doesn't look good. Sure the message may be good (and it sounds like it is) but the presentation looks less than good (although not as bad as Facing the Giants). I just watched the 60 second version on the official site and it was funny enough - mostly because even with that you could tell the acting was downright terrible. I'm all for movies with a good message but they should be about entertainment and quality first-hand.

[Radical Dreamer]

Threads merged. I haven't seen it, so no comment on the movie. XD

[LadyRushia]

I watched it with a friend of mine, and while it wasn't anything special it didn't suck as much as I thought it would. For a Christian movie, it was pretty good.

[ADXC]

@ W4J- Would you be able to do better? These movies are made by a Christian church for the secular world to see. They have made three movies each getting much better than the one before it.

Have you seen Flywheel? Sure the acting isn't all that good but the message was clear and piercing. The acting in FTG was better(Not wonderful, but I liked it.) and the quality was better, still cheesy though. And once again in Fireproof they continue to get better. I won't say it's the best movie out there, but what other churches are making Christian movies that actually see theatres? So don't criticize it too harshly.

BTW Did you see the whole movie?

[Tommy]

I think what he's getting at is that in order for the truth to be revealed to the secular world to see it, they have to have a reason to see it and bad acting and a low budget are two reasons not to right there.

The truth won't get to anyone if it's not presented adequately.

I haven't seen this film in question, but I've seen Facing the Giants.
Well-written plot and great message, but poor execution.
In their defense, the acting does become more tolerable as the film progresses.

[ADXC]

I really did think that there was good acting in this movie.

[Raiden no Kishi]

@ W4J- Would you be able to do better?

How is this relevant at all? You don't have to be able to do something better than someone to know that they're doing something wrong. If your car is defective and breaks down, you don't have to be able to design and build a better car to know something's wrong.

For the record, I have not seen Fireproof and so will not comment on it. However, questioning whether someone can do better than what they criticize or not is an illegitimate rebuttal.

.rai//

[ADXC]

Well whatever, I just think that they did very well for just a church.

I seriously doubt that there will be many other Christian movies hitting theatres so beggars should not be choosers. And for the record I am one of those beggars. Whether you aren't is up to you.

And please can someone come in and say they have seen it and say it was bad(Im not saying it was, but infering from some of these comments...). I mean the whole movie too, not just a 60 second version. There's much more in the movie than what you'll see in 60 seconds.

[Tarnish]

This movie looks awful, and the fact that watching Facing the Giants made me feel like ripping off my own flesh, strip by strip, Poltergeist-style, doesn't help.

Unfortunately, this looks like it's about as good as church-made films are gonna get. They seem more proccupied with getting lots and lots of exposure than, you know, making something watchable.

I have a feeling the only people who saw this in theaters were middle-aged Christian moms and gradmas. But at least that way, atheists were only able to laugh at us based on the trailer.

Except, of course, at the A.V. Club, where the movie made the worst of 2008 list.

[Danderson]

You know what guys?....We really need to be careful when we criticize.
Yes, the type of movies these guys and lots of other christians have made and are starting to make may not appeal to most our demographic and stuff, but have u ever thought about this:
1. Maybe this is the path they believe God wants them to be on, based on their convictions. Personally I think they're getting better, but that's just me.
2. This is only their 3rd movie, and for the budget they have, it's impressive.
3. The demographic their primarily reaching to is Christians but also ppl who want a break from the endless dog-eat-dog, crudity, all-out-gore movies that have given Hollywood it's stain. Believe it or not, there are ppl who don't want their movies soaked in this stuff....

God doesn't want us to have a critical spirit. We might not agree with everything their doing, their methods, as well as their mission. But if this is the path God wants them on, then there's nothing we can or should do to deter them....OK?

[Tarnish]

"For the budget they have"? What's that got to do with it? Once had an extremely small budget, yet managed to be an amazing, uplifting movie. You know what? That movie contained absolutely no violence or crudity.

Facing the Giants and Fireproof may be clean, but it doesn't make them good. While Once relied on actual talent, Fireproof relies on, well...being made by a church. That's it. That's the hook. It isn't made to be remembered, it's made just so people can have "Christian answers" to secular film.

...in my opinion, of course.

[MasterDias]

I haven't seen it, nor am I particularly interested in seeing it, but I will chime in to say that this:

And please can someone come in and say they have seen it and say it was bad(Im not saying it was, but infering from some of these comments...).

is a decent point.

Regardless of whether or not the movie is good or bad, trying to critique a movie's quality when one hasn't seen anything longer than a trailer is pretty pointless and doesn't really contribute anything substantial to the thread.

[ADXC]

Wow the negativity in this thread is really making the movie to look like it shouldn't have been made at all.

Here's my opinion. I would rather see some low quality, poor acted, Holy spirit-filled christian movie than the movie with the best quality, great acting and message that says "hey, do whatever you want, because this world is all your's to do with what you want."

So yes I agree with Danderson.

If this movie leads at least one person to Christ, then it was well worth it. And you cannot refute this statement.

The purpose of this movie was not to wow people, it was to help couples get through their relationship problems and maybe lead someone to Christ.

[LadyRushia]

I think this movie, though it may not meet many standards of its secular counterparts, is one step in creating Christian entertainment that isn't sub-par. It's not the most fantastic film in the world, but it isn't cheesy either. Hopefully, Christian entertainment will continue to get better so that it can be more effective than it is at the moment.

[Raiden no Kishi]

Here's my opinion. I would rather see some low quality, poorly acted, Holy Spirit-filled Christian movie than the movie with the best quality, great acting and a message that says "Hey, do whatever you want, because this world is all yours to do with what you want."

I understand why you would believe this. Here's my opinion: if those were my choices, I'd stay home (going to the movies costs too much anyway) and play my guitar. The way I see it, we should support what is not only well-intentioned, but well-executed. Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men".

Music's my thing, so bear with me. If I were to set out to write a song to perform in front of God Himself, do you think I'd just bang out some forgettable three-chord number? Certainly not. I'd study music obsessively and make sure every note was exactly as it should be so that when I go before God and say, "This is the song I have written for You," it's a darn fine piece of music. I'd also rehearse it until I could play it forwards, backwards, and upside-down asleep and underwater. Why? Because I am doing it for God. Therefore, if we are to do our work as though it were for the Lord, we should be putting some serious thought and effort into it, no?

Now, again, I'm not going to pass judgment on Fireproof, since I haven't seen it. So divorce my comments from the context of Fireproof itself. I think the attitude to take when evaluating Christian-produced media (I think "Christian media" is something of a misnomer as only people can be Christians, but I'm wanted in several states for digression and pedantry) is to be supportive in a general sense, but to be honest and criticize in a constructive fashion in the specifics. I'm all for movies being made by Christians. However, there are a lot of abysmal Christian-produced films that frankly make me sick knowing that they exist. Here's something to think about: if a movie leads one person to Christ and gives ten an image of Christianity that pushes them away, is that still admirable? I won't say that Fireproof does this, but I will say that it's more than possible.

Danderson, I think there's a big difference between constructive critique and criticizing to hurt. The former is an essential part of any artist's development, and without it, the artist stagnates. It should be supported and received graciously. The latter crushes spirits and is wrong. It should be corrected. And let's not unfairly characterize Hollywood as a den of sin and vice that produces nothing but depraved films. It's a den of sin and vice that produces a wide spectrum of films, many of which are good to watch and enjoy. Also, Christian filmmakers have a lot to learn from Hollywood professionals who, say what you will about content, on the whole produce much more well-executed films than Christendom.

That's a lot of text, Rai. What the heck are you on about?

1. We should do what we do as though we were doing it for God Himself. This means doing it well and seeking to constantly improve.

2. We should be supportive of Christians producing media, but be honest and constructively critique their work so that they may better pursue excellence.

That's all I've got to say on the subject. As far as Fireproof goes, the film itself doesn't excite me, so it's unlikely I'll see it any time soon. If I do, I'll let you know what I think. Until then, I reserve judgment.

.rai//

[Shao Feng-Li]

Wow, Christians make a film and it must be for the money. Now that's charitable thinking and non-judgmental. At least watch it first :| I'm not a middle-aged mom or grandma either.

I just finished watching it on DVD. I thought it was really good. Often times, Facing the Giants was a bit cheesy. I think they've improved a lot since then. The message was well worth it. Usually Christian films get preachy- like, someone wrote a sermon that morning. I really can't say that about Fireproof. Women didn't have boobs nearly coming out of shirts, they weren't talking on and on about sex, guys weren't cussing, and yet, no one said something like "fiddlesticks" while running through a burning building.

So yeah, I really liked it.

Not to mention, better to go to Fireproof for help in a relationship than Sex In The City: The Movie, eh?

[LadyRushia]

I like what Rai said.

Quality in storytelling is a vital aspect of getting any kind of message across. As someone who has actually seen Fireproof, and as someone who is pretty serious about her writing and likes to concern herself in matters of plot, execution, characterization, etc., I think this film is good enough to be taken seriously for what it's trying to say. The plot felt natural, for the most part, and the issues were presented in a way that wasn't forceful or cheesy.

[Danderson]

Danderson, I think there's a big difference between constructive critique and criticizing to hurt. The former is an essential part of any artist's development, and without it, the artist stagnates. It should be supported and received graciously. The latter crushes spirits and is wrong. It should be corrected. And let's not unfairly characterize Hollywood as a den of sin and vice that produces nothing but depraved films. It's a den of sin and vice that produces a wide spectrum of films, many of which are good to watch and enjoy. Also, Christian filmmakers have a lot to learn from Hollywood professionals who, say what you will about content, on the whole produce much more well-executed films than Christendom.

As a christian who desires to be a filmmaker, I understand completely and I apoligize if I made it sound like I was saying otherwise. It's the criticizing to hurt that I was rambling on about. But, also with our constructive critique we need to be careful not to sound like we're complaining all the time....I know as it's something that I've caught myself doing too much...

Yes, we should hold our brothers and sisters accountable, praising them when they're on to something and gently asking them to improve if something need's improving. But that's much different then an attitude that's always, "Christians make crap films."

(could a mod attach this to my previous post above? My "edit post" time ran out for this one...thanks)

Quality in storytelling is a vital aspect of getting any kind of message across. As someone who has actually seen Fireproof, and as someone who is pretty serious about her writing and likes to concern herself in matters of plot, execution, characterization, etc., I think this film is good enough to be taken seriously for what it's trying to say. The plot felt natural, for the most part, and the issues were presented in a way that wasn't forceful or cheesy.

Well, I finally got to see it....and....oh, where to begin.....There was so much in this that took me completely off guard....
First off, this movie was better then any expectation I had for what it would be like. You can tell they've ramped up their experience since Facing the Giants, by a long, long shot. There's so much about this that I just found incredible, but they did it as you said.....They did it in a way that I wasn't sure if they could do or not....

I think alot of it had to do with Kirk Camerons performance....He did a more then excellent job as the estranged firefighter. While the only other movies I've seen him do are the Left Behind movies, I honestly think he gave the performance of his life in this movie....

Maybe what stood out to me was the character he played; a man about to be divorced, wasn't into God at all....and the character made that so believable...Cameron really made you believe that his character didn't want anything to do with this "Jesus stuff".....just like lot's of other ppl do....

Then there was the story. They still had a lot of dialogue, but it never dragged down the story for too long....You felt more connected to the characters, you could feel their pain...you could laugh with them....you could cry with them....

Then there was the fire and car accident scenes...I was blown away at the intensity...Ppl were yelling, mothers and girls were crying, characters got injuries....it all felt so real....even with the absence of anything connected to a curse word....They did it....they actually made it real....

The cinematography and lighting I also felt had been stepped up a notch from their previous stuff. Also, I loved how I could laugh at the stuff they wanted u to laugh at....the bumbling cocky rookie, the nosy neighbors, etc....

As a young man who has been getting into film for 5 years (and has been trying to get as close as he can to and learn from the professionals...I admit there is still so much left for me to learn), and as one who usually looks at these independent christian films with doubts......For me, I'm still in shock after watching this....It wasn't Oscar worthy, no (even though it earned more money at the box office then all the Best Picture nominees combined....go figure that one out), but I think these guys are on to something that's just more then wanting a good message....these guys are working towards making quality film here...

I know there are still some of you out there who are afraid that you will be disappointed if you watch it (and some that are not afraid to put themselves into the film snob critics corner), but I encourage you to at least watch this film before you make then final judgement....perhaps that is something we need to be willing to do more of on both sides....From the "low-budget, low-quality", independent christian films to the Blockbuster quality movies that have all the "bad stuff", I think we all need to be willing to watch these movies with both an open mind for learning new things and an open heart for seeking to be a light to the world who is watching us....in our squables....