Fireproof

Year:  2008

Filming:  Color

 Length:  122 minutes

Genre:  Christian/Drama/Romance

Maturity:  PG (for intense thematic elements)

Cast:  Kirk Cameron (Caleb Holt), Erin Bethea (Catherine Holt), Ken Bevel (Michael Simmons), Alex Kendrick (Pastor Strauss), Ken Bevel (Michael Simmons), Stephen Dervan (Wayne Floyd), Eric Young (Terrell Sanders), Pastor Strauss (Alex Kendrick), Harris Malcolm (John Holt), Phyllis Malcolm (Cheryl Holt), Tommy McBride (Kyle) 

Director:  Alex Kendrick  

Personal Rating:  2 Stars

***

    

     As I think I’ve mentioned in the past, many independent Christian productions are sorry cases of good intentions gone awry and sacrificing art for message. This is especially the case when utilizing a largely untrained cast and crew primarily comprised of church volunteers. While the intent may be to “change the world”, these films usually never make the trek beyond church basements and marriage counseling groups. Such is generally the case with the much-spoken-about Christian romance called Fireproof.  

    Our story begins with Caleb Holt, starring Kirk Cameron, and Catherine Holt, starring Erin Bethea, whose marriage is rapidly disintegrating. Neither one seems particularly proficient in the art of communication, especially when it comes to stocking the fridge and caring for Catherine’s elderly mother. Both of them are busy as beavers with their respective careers, Caleb as a fireman and Catherine as a hospital worker, and they seem to have little time for each other anymore. Instead of trying to remedy that problem, they grow more and more intolerant of one other.

    With things falling apart bit by bit, Caleb finds distraction in online porn, while Catherine finds consolation with an attentive doctor in her ward. At this point, Caleb’s Evangelical Christian father steps in, and provides his son with a journal that was once used when his own marriage was on the brink of collapse. Although Caleb is skeptical, he honestly wants to preserve his marriage and is willing to try anything. So day-by-day, he makes an effort to be more considerate of Catherine, making her coffee, buying her flowers, setting up a candlelight dinner, etc.

    Sadly, Catherine is being influenced by her well-intentioned yet busy-body friends who insist that Caleb is merely buttering her up for ulterior motives such as a juicy divorce settlement. So instead of reciprocating to his attempted kindnesses, she grows more standoffish and continues to pursue preparations for the divorce. Caleb is burned out by the continued rejections, and is on the brink of abandoning the project when his father insists that he think more deeply about the nature of abandonment and suffering, and embraces Christianity. His also gets moral support from his best friend and fellow fireman, Michael Simmons.

    Although things seem to get worse before they get better, Catherine is eventually moved to give Caleb another chance after he goes the extra mile to be nice to her when she gets sick (he even gets her a bag of fast-food from Chick Fila…umm…is that really healthy food for a sick person??). But what really clinches the deal is when it is discovered that Caleb has purchased her elderly mom special mobility equipment with the money he had been saving to buy a boat. Things wrap up fairly quickly (low budget), and the two agree to stick it out and reaffirm their vows, symbolized by a salt and pepper shaker set…glued together…stuck on top of a wedding cake…yeah!

    Fireproof is what it is: a small-time Christian film about love and marriage, pieced together by a predominately amateur cast and crew. While the concept is laudable, the production values plummet. The acting in general is pretty painful, and the relationship between Caleb and Catherine lacks depth and realism. He’s always stomping around, and she’s constantly whining about something, with a few in-your-face “how dare you treat me this way” moments to try and break up the monotony. October Baby had similar problems, but at least that managed to achieve some character development and genuinely heart-tugging scenes.

    The whole conundrum of Fireproof could best be described as a tempest in a teapot. Even the action sequences are clunky and predictable. Frankly, the sappy dialogue and obvious plot set-ups made it impossible to be drawn into the story. I will agree with Caleb that Catherine is virtually impossible to deal with, and ever so annoying. I’m really having a hard time feeling for her through the whole ordeal of this flick. Caleb may have his issues, like a growing addiction to pornography, workaholic tendencies, and a demanding attitude about breakfast yogurt. But all that confirms is that the two of them are equally immature.

    One of the main problems with Christian films today is the feeling that one is being wacked over the head with a proselytizing pamphlet. There is always the dramatic moment when the main character gets “saved”, which most non-Christian viewers can see coming from a mile away and take offense at the attempt to shove them into salvation. Even as a Catholic, I find the anticipated “big moment” quite alien. My own tradition relies on a quieter, steadier, more gradual growth as opposed to a slam-bang instant. I’m not saying that some conversation don’t have a dramatic catapult, but probably not the majority.

    While I can appreciate the work of firemen in general, the plot tends to emphasize consistent melodrama in association with the job. Actually, just like the army, there’s a longer “cool out” period waiting for something to happen than life-threatening incidences of high tensity day-in and day-out. Nevertheless, this film tries to milk the heroic moments, and make the job seem as glamorous as possible. There are two main actions sequences in the movie, both of which struck me as being rather hokey. One is the car stuck on the railroad track; the other is the rescue of a little girl from a burning building.

   

   The big action sequence when Caleb rescues a little girl from a burning building was pretty lack-luster. I thought he might get hurt and Catherine would feel some sense of compassion and appreciation for his heroism and be drawn towards him again. But instead, she continues going out with this cheesy doctor guy who seems planted in the story specifically to lead her astray. Caleb eventually confronts the guy (dume-dee-dum-dum) with fist upraised (great way to handle a situation…couldn’t he get arrested for threatening a medical professional?).

    The spranglings of over-the-top humor, especially the “me time” fireman and the Tabasco sauce drinking contest. It was pretty imbecilic and did little to enhance, or even alleviate, the finer points of the plot. The ending is also too “perfect”, as she suddenly decides that she really does love her husband after he buys her elderly mother mobility equipment. She also decides that she wants to be “saved” as well. I’m all for happy endings (in fact, I’m quite down-cast and frustrated when they are not at the very least hopeful!), and yet when they’re too sappy, it really undermines the believability of the story.

    In spite of all these things, I will admit that there are some broad spiritual concepts in the plot that rarely make it into movies these days. One of the main ideas is that marriage is a covenant of honor between two persons before God, not based on mere emotions but on a soulful vow of commitment that should last a lifetime. The concept of a day-by-day journal, trying to turn the relationship around through prayer and good works, is an interesting one. Also, the realization that all rejection we experience is a mere drop in the bucket to the rejection experienced by Jesus Christ on the Cross. We must trust God, turn over everything to His will, and rely on His help us get through our struggles in this world. Meanwhile, we should “praise Him while we’re waiting”.

    Judging by independent Christian production standards, I will not say Fireproof was a total bomb – at least, not in the same warped theological sense that permeates God’s Not Dead. But on an artistic scale, this one still sinks pretty low. Non-Christians will probably just laugh it off because of its instant-coffee style of conversion, and even many Christians will realize that the quality is shabby even if the message if full of good intent. That having been said, there is a nugget of goodness to be salvaged. To quote the film, “Fireproof doesn’t mean the fire will never come; it means when the fire comes, that you will be able to withstand it.” For firefighters and married couples alike, it is paramount “never to leave your partner behind.”    

 

Caleb Holt (Kirk Cameron) begs Catherine Holt (Erin Bethea) to forgive him