FIREPROOF Review

I did not go when I should have gone the first time around.  The first time I heard about this movie was in my bible study class. The moderator talked about all of us going to see the movie as a group. She really didn't say what it was about so I assumed it was something like Backdraft or Ladder ?? (I forgot the number), I also saw it advertized on a movie poster one day while going to the "regular" theater (went to see something else). I say regular because my wife last week said we should go see the movie at the $1.75 theater. So off we went. First of all, I was immediately surprised by the fact that the theater was PACKED!  My wife and I were so lucky to finally get seats together.  As soon as I saw the movie's first fight I knew this was no ordinary movie.

The scene was so real to me and many men (including myself) found ourselves with tears in our eyes - simply because what we were seeing was not acting, it was a real scene played out in our own lives.  By the end of the movie, tears rolled freely.  For I don't know how many years I have been saying to everyone I know that someone from the Christian communtiy needed to be making movies.  Through movies stories are told and people are taught, inspired, etc.

 I could not stop thinking about the movie for many days on end.  I got online and read many reviews along with interviews of the creators of the movie to get more background.  It is amazing to me that atheists (and I used to be one) would say that this movie does not belong in theaters.  Or that anyone would look at the acting styles, lighting, colors, etc as really meaning anything.  People, lets get real here.  I was on the set of "Random Hearts" with Harrison Ford.  That movie (like many other comedy, drama, romantic, etc) movies had a MULTI million dollar budget (tens of millions).  It had high calibre actors, perfect lighting, 8 semi trucks of equipment rolled onto Pax River Naval base to film one scene - and yet that movie, like so many other movies out of Hollywood was total and absolute garbage.  A total waste of anyone's time.  What is more important to you, whether or not the lighting lands right on a bare bottomed fool on the movie "Knocked Up"?  Or a line delivered by an amature that speaks the truth about people's lives?  For those that don't already know, the budget for "Fireproof" was $500,000 and only ONE camera was used.

Did I notice the wooden acting, the burned holes in the film?  Sure - and?  So what?  Did it move you? Did it make you think?  Did it make you cry?  This movie will not win an Oscar for cinematography, it wasn't meant to.

For those that deride the Christian message and say that it should have been toned down.  Boy, you just don't get it.  These are Christians, for them to do so would be for them to be what they are not.  For them not to try to convey their message to you is like a Jew pretending to be a Christian or an atheist trying to tell you how good any religion is.  They would not be true to themselves and you would see them for the fakes that they would be.  It is truly amazing that you would complain about cringing when Jesus and God is mentioned but think nothing much at the violence, infidelity, foul language, dispespect for law and family in your everyday movie and think how great the movie is.

Instead of telling film makers to leave their sermon at home, how about you leaving your closed minded biases aside and ask yourself whether it makes sense to you?  Was it realistic?  Did  you learn anything?

I hope these guys keep on making these movies.  I made the mistake of passing this up when it was in the theaters, but I'm not making the same mistake twice.  I'm buying 10 copies of this movie when it comes out on DVD in 15 more days.  It is going to be the best belated Christmas gift I have ever given to people I care about.