Fireproof -- January 2009

IS YOUR MARRIAGE FIREPROOF? AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR LIFE?


If you saw and appreciated either Facing the Giants or Flywheel, the chances are good that you’ll really like Fireproof. “That small church in Georgia” is at it again in their film ministry, with their best picture so far.

Kirk Cameron plays fire chief Captain Caleb Holt. Caleb’s motto is “You never leave your partner in a fire.” He stays admirably true to that idea on the job, but when it comes to his marriage he’s failed miserably. Caleb is selfish and ill-tempered; worse, he’s addicted to Internet pornography. Catherine, his wife, finally has enough and files for divorce. The wedding vows they once made now apparently mean little to them. Neither does faith, though Caleb was raised in a Christian family. But when all seems bleakest, Caleb’s dad gently but firmly intervenes, persuading his son to read and follow the commands in a 40-day journal titled The Love Dare. This is the last thing Caleb wants to do, but he accedes to the request out of love and respect for his father. At first he fulfills the tasks mechanically, and Catherine is having none of it. In fact, she has fallen for a handsome and erudite doctor at the hospital where she works. As the days pass, however, something starts to change in Caleb as the words and actions of The Love Dare begin to take on meaning. MIchael, his best friend among the firefighters, strongly encourages Caleb to stay in his marriage and try to save it, saying in one of the picture’s key lines, “Fireproof doesn’t mean that a fire will never come, but that when it comes, you’ll be able to withstand it.” This is reminiscent of I Corinthians 10:13: No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” Michael, who walks the talk, leads Caleb to Jesus. It’s a painful journey for Caleb, but our hearts leap when we hear him say, “Michael, I’m in.” In other words, he accepts Christ.

These films, made by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, seem to get better with each installment. Like the previous two movies, Fireproof is written and produced by brothers Alex and Stephen Kendrick. Kirk Cameron gives, in my view, his best performance to date. This picture is a blessing.

Film Rating: PG
My Rating: 3 ¼ stars.