Fireproof (2008) Samuel Goldwyn Films/Drama RT: 122 minutes Rated PG (thematic material and some peril) Director: Alex Kendrick Screenplay: Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick Music: Mark Willard Cinematography: Bob Scott Release date: September 26, 2008 (US) Cast: Kirk Cameron, Erin Bethea, Ken Bevel, Stephen Dervan, Eric Young, Jason McLeod, Harris Malcolm, Phyllis Malcolm, Perry Revell, Stephanie Makulinski, Renata Williams, Dwan Williams, Amberly Marquard, Alex Kendrick. Box Office: $33.4M (US)
Rating: *** ½
I believe that marriage is a sacred thing and it takes a lot of hard work to keep it on solid ground. Sometimes you might even need the guidance of a higher power to make it work. Such is the premise of Fireproof, a powerful and moving drama about a marriage in deep trouble.
Caleb Holt (Cameron, Growing Pains) is a fireman who constantly tells his men to never leave their partner behind. If only he would apply that motto to his personal life. He constantly argues with his wife Catherine (Bethea, Facing the Giants) who he thinks doesn’t give him the respect he deserves. She can’t stand his addiction to Internet pornography and selfish attitude. Her mother is disabled and requires expensive hospital equipment that her health insurance won’t cover. He has $24,000 in savings that he intends to spend on a boat. He adamantly refuses to help her out.
Catherine is extremely miserable and wants a divorce. She doesn’t love Caleb anymore and wants out of the marriage. When Caleb informs his parents of the impending divorce, his father challenges him to try the “Love Dare” before ending his marriage. It takes about 40 days and entails the husband doing nice things for his wife in order to earn back her love and respect. It’s inspired by verses from the Bible and should strengthen Caleb’s spiritual character in addition to repairing his broken marriage.
Initially, Catherine rejects every one of Caleb’s attempts to win her back. Her friends have convinced her he has ulterior motives for his sudden change in behavior. Instead, she starts flirting with a doctor (Revell) at the hospital where she works. Caleb’s efforts are only half-hearted until he has a serious conversation with his father who tells him he needs to invite Jesus Christ into his heart and give everything over to Him. Once he does, his efforts become sincere and true. Catherine still doesn’t believe his motives are honest. It’s not until Caleb makes a huge sacrifice that she starts to believe he wants to make their marriage work.
Fireproof is a faith-based film from Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, GA. It’s another triumph for the makers of the inspirational sports drama Facing the Giants. They generally work on a shoestring budget with a mostly non-professional cast and crew. Cameron is probably the biggest star to ever appear in one of their movies. Written and directed by Alex Kendrick, Fireproof is my favorite of their films. It tells a story to which I can relate. I am happily married to the most terrific wife anybody could ask for. I know it takes a lot of work to maintain a strong marriage.
One of the best elements of Fireproof is the intensity of the drama; not just the personal drama but the dire situations that Caleb and his colleagues find themselves in on a daily basis. These scenes are handled better by this movie’s non-professional crew than similar scenes in Hollywood movies made by some hack director. There’s a sequence where a couple of teenage girls are trapped in a car that crashed after an impromptu drag race. They’re stuck on railroad tracks with a train quickly approaching. It’s one of those scenes where you hold your breath waiting to see the outcome. I don’t think any other director could have done it better than Kendrick.
As you can see, the title Fireproof takes on a double meaning. Not only does it reference the career of the protagonist, it also refers to making one’s marriage “fireproof”. This is a message that many people need to hear; the divorce rate in this country is way too high. I love how this movie tells a compelling, intense story without getting bogged down with an overbearing religious agenda. Of course, the filmmakers, by way of the characters, are witnessing to the audience about their relationship with Christ. They probably hope to save a few souls in the process. There’s nothing wrong with that at all just as long as the movie doesn’t become a sermon which it doesn’t.
I’d say this is the best performance of Cameron’s career, an actor I always regarded as a former teen idol who peaked with the sitcom Growing Pains. His success did not translate to the big screen with duds such as Like Father, Like Son and Listen to Me to his credit. I put him in the same category as Jason Bateman (Silver Spoons) and Richard Grieco (21 Jump Street) as teen stars that should have just gone away instead of subjecting us to the likes of Teen Wolf Too and If Looks Could Kill. Well, I was wrong about Bateman. He made a strong comeback with movies like Juno and Horrible Bosses as well as the cult TV series Arrested Development. Still no word on Grieco. Maybe he works at the same car wash as the guys from Color Me Badd?
It looks like I may have misjudged Cameron as well. He does a pretty good job in the lead role here. A born-again Christian in real life, it shows in his honest and respectful performance here. He had his wife Chelsea Noble stand in for Bethea in one scene because he won’t kiss any woman other than his wife. BTW, Bethea gives a moving performance as the wife initially unmoved by her husband’s endeavors. Another good performance comes from Ken Bevel (Courageous) as Michael Simmons, one of Caleb’s colleagues/friends and a staunch supporter of his spiritual endeavors.
Overall, Fireproof is an excellent movie that will touch the heart and soul of anybody who has ever been married. Maybe it’s not such a bad thing to have a higher power guide you along the treacherous path of marriage. A strong marriage can withstand anything that life throws at it. A good marriage is fireproof. If more people understood that simple concept… well, you know what I’m saying. I’d even go so far as to say Fireproof should be mandatory viewing for all engaged couples.
