Fireproof, the movie Comments

[rolltidefan]

Then please feel free to support immoral movies/actors. Just because the actors in Fireproof havent won Oscars doesnt make this any less of a good movie…

That is my point also wifenmommy…No Fireproof is not Oscar worthy and the acting was not the best…but what are most of the movies like that are Oscar worthy?? Like you said most are trash. Oscar night is just a night that all these actors that could careless about the message they are sending to our kids get together to pat each other on the back and get drunk and party all night long. I am like you, I would take my hard earned cash and support any Christian film with terrible acting as long as it refreshes my soul and that is just what this movie did for me. I can tell you that I have though alot about my marriage since watching this movie. No there is not porn or affairs in my marriage, but the point was working on not being so selfish that we get caught up in our wants and needs only and we put self aside for the person that we actually should put ahead of ourself and that is our spouse. I know I have changed many things in my life because of this movie and for that it was worth every penny I spend on bad acting.

 

[YADA]

I actually attended a pre-screening of the movie in July and then went to the movie in the theaters in September…

For the pre-screening, DH was unable to attend, I invited a friend. She did not want to go to a movie … I had to talk her into it … free movie, evening with me … etc. She decided to go and actually loved the movie … she also went the movie when it came out …

I cannot speak for your personal experience … but my first husband likked ppornography … [pre-dates the home computer … so this was movies first in the theaters, then on video plus magazines] … I can tell you that I felt exactly like the woman in this movie and had similar if not word for word conversations with him [why did he feel the need to look at women that did not resemble me at all? - What was wrong with me?] … and with family and friends … our marriage ended in divorce and there were scenes in my home that resembled the movie - shortly before the final break up …

As for the Passion and Bella being of greater quality … I agree that the actors were very polished [Mel Gibson is very accomplished, the staring roles were all performed by experienced ‘paid’ actors]. The movie was written and produced by the "movie’ industry even if it was financed independently. It is a now Good Friday Tradition [The first year we went to the Theater to see it on its Ash Wednesday opening and Good Friday] Ditto for Bella … I have the Passion in my video library.

Our Respect Life Group purchased Bella and the rights to show it in our parish for various groups [you have to pay the copyright fees your know to be legal]. We had a Pro-Life movie night for parishioners and the youth group viewed it at one of their Yought Group meetings.

This movie [Fireproof] was produced by a church. I have seen worse films produced by Hollywood - acting, screen play and production and any one of the three by its self IMHO… Far, far worse … Not everything that that comes out of Hollywood looks polished and some of it is just awful.

All of the Fireproof actors donated their time. Kirk Cameron was the only ‘real’ actor as I understand it and even he donated his time to the effort …

The movie recieved lots of good reviews on Fandango and a fairly high rating - this from average folks - watching a movie. Most of the reviews [and I admit I only looked after it had been in the theater a week - and not after] were very positive … the few that panned it mostly disliked it for its “preachy” tone … and I personally read that as people who prefer to have religion relegated to Sundays only and not in the public square - as it keep your religion to yourself types.

… My impression - I could be wrong.

 

[wifenmommy]

Awesome post rolltide! My dh and I both, even though we have a great marriage, benefited from watching this movie. I think all marriages, good and bad ones, can benefit from this movie. In this day and age where marriage is attacked from every angle, a movie like this (regardless of the actors talents) is refreshing to see.

 

[wifenmommy]

It is not a Fireproof or immoral movies choice - one does not HAVE to go to the movies

But I think we should support good, moral, Christian movies regardless if we think the acting is up to par.

 

[wifenmommy]

The only person who I found did not “get” the movie was my, ahem, “secular” sis in law. When I asked her what she thought of it, she said, “I thought it was supposed to be about firemen and a fire”……lol. Dh and I told each other we would pray for her to someday “get it”.

 

[rolltidefan]

The only person who I found did not “get” the movie was my, ahem, “secular” sis in law. When I asked her what she thought of it, she said, “I thought it was supposed to be about firemen and a fire”……lol. Dh and I told each other we would pray for her to someday “get it”.

That is too funny!!! lol My cousin went to see this movie with his wife. The only reason he originally wanted to see it is because it was about firemen and he is a police officer and they both have a strong sense of being a family within the workplace. Well, after seeing it he has been to church with his wife every time the doors are open and she says he has been extremely different in the home. Also, one of the couples that went with us was actually seperated at the time. They got back together and are working strong on staying together. So, I myself have seen two really positive aspects out of it. I guess some people get it and some dont!!! lol

 

[maryjk]

Then please feel free to support immoral movies/actors. Just because the actors in Fireproof havent won Oscars doesnt make this any less of a good movie…

Just because it is a Christian based movie, doesn’t make it a good movie.

The movie recieved lots of good reviews on Fandango and a fairly high rating - this from average folks - watching a movie. Most of the reviews [and I admit I only looked after it had been in the theater a week - and not after] were very positive … the few that panned it mostly disliked it for its “preachy” tone … and I personally read that as people who prefer to have religion relegated to Sundays only and not in the public square - as it keep your religion to yourself types.

… My impression - I could be wrong.

Yes, you could be. I did not enjoy the movie. I felt that the acting was so bad that it was hard to get past it. Somehow I think my friends would think it funny that in your opinion that means I relegate my religion to Sundays only. I work at the Church, I home school with a Catholic home school group, I have a Catholic bumper sticker on my car and I have had a neighbor return to the Church because I am vocal about my faith. I am hardly someone that only has faith on Sundays.

The only person who I found did not “get” the movie was my, ahem, “secular” sis in law. When I asked her what she thought of it, she said, “I thought it was supposed to be about firemen and a fire”……lol. Dh and I told each other we would pray for her to someday “get it”.

That is too funny!!! lol My cousin went to see this movie with his wife. The only reason he originally wanted to see it is because it was about firemen and he is a police officer and they both have a strong sense of being a family within the workplace. Well, after seeing it he has been to church with his wife every time the doors are open and she says he has been extremely different in the home. Also, one of the couples that went with us was actually seperated at the time. They got back together and are working strong on staying together. So, I myself have seen two really positive aspects out of it. **I guess some people get it and some dont!!! **lol

You know, I am really tired of people figuring that if I didn’t love the movie, I either have a horrible marriage or I am not really a Christian. That somehow I didn’t “get it.”

 

[wifenmommy]

When I mentioned my sil did not “get it” it was in regards to having a relationship with God, not an attack on those who did not care for the movie. She is the most secular person I know, and dh and I can only hope one day she sees differently. We have seen the power of God working in our lives and want the same for all of our family. However, I can respect not caring for the acting in the movie, but we should all support Christian movies so maybe one day Christian themed movies will out number secular ones!

 

[rolltidefan]

Just because it is a Christian based movie, doesn’t make it a good movie.

Yes, you could be. I did not enjoy the movie. I felt that the acting was so bad that it was hard to get past it. Somehow I think my friends would think it funny that in your opinion that means I relegate my religion to Sundays only. I work at the Church, I home school with a Catholic home school group, I have a Catholic bumper sticker on my car and I have had a neighbor return to the Church because I am vocal about my faith. I am hardly someone that only has faith on Sundays.

You know, I am really tired of people figuring that if I didn’t love the movie, I either have a horrible marriage or I am not really a Christian. That somehow I didn’t “get it.”

Come on girl, loosen up a little! I wasn’t even talking to you. I was responding to wifenmommy about her talking about her sister in law thinking it was a movie about firemen and fire!! I didn’t say anybody had to love the movie. I said it was a crying shame that we finally get a Christian movie and people pick out petty things in it. Does not mean you have to like it or love it?? Nope. Go watch what you want to watch. I don’t think anybody here said anything about your marriage either. I don’t even know if you are married for that matter. I think you would feel a lot better to not be so uptight and reading into what you think is an attack on you.

 

[wifenmommy]

Rolltide it is probably attitudes like some of these posters why Christian themed movies dont make it. They pick it apart an criticize the perfromances of the actors. It is a wonder there are any Christian movies made at all, they way people are so harsh and judgmental towards them. I wonder, do these same people make it a point to bash secular movies? IMHO, Oscar performance or not, we as Catholics/Christians need to support these movies!

 

[rolltidefan]

Rolltide it is probably attitudes like some of these posters why Christian themed movies dont make it. They pick it apart an criticize the perfromances of the actors. It is a wonder there are any Christian movies made at all, they way people are so harsh and judgmental towards them. I wonder, do these same people make it a point to bash secular movies? IMHO, Oscar performance or not, we as Catholics/Christians need to support these movies!

This is where I 100% agree with you. I can pick every movie apart that I watch. No the acting was not wonderful and we are not saying it was. We are talking about the “meat” of the movie. Which was a wonderful example of a Christian marriage and two people that loved God and in the end wanted to put God back in their marriage and make it work. Now, if anybody here is picking that apart then yes I do believe something is wrong with you. Especially when, I know myself that in the past, I would go and watch a movie that had people having premarial sex and cussing like crazy and maybe even at times some partial nudity, partying and getting drunk, and I would leave that movie like dang that was awesome. Now I think WHAT!!! That is not what I want my kids watching and that is not what I want being conveyed to my kids is acceptable. And yes I believe some that is probably being too harsh on this movie, would have or probably has in the past done that same thing as I had done. Which is why YOU AND I both are saying, no the movie acting was not great, no some things could have been better, BUT ALL IN ALL the movie content was an awesome family film which we have VERY LITTLE of now days. Nobody here ever said that if you didn’t like the movie that meant you were not supporting and are not a Christian. But as usual, on most forums, people take what they want to hear, twist it and get all uptight for nothing when all in all we are adults and disagreeing is okay. But yes I agree with you, if we as Christians have a good Christian film, we need to support it because we probably want get another one for MANY MANY years to come.

 

[kage_ar]

Rolltide it is probably attitudes like some of these posters why Christian themed movies dont make it. They pick it apart an criticize the perfromances of the actors. It is a wonder there are any Christian movies made at all, they way people are so harsh and judgmental towards them. I wonder, do these same people make it a point to bash secular movies? IMHO, Oscar performance or not, we as Catholics/Christians need to support these movies!

Let’s say a you see ads for a new restaurant that is opening up in your town - “From the people who brought you Fireproof, the Movie it is Fireproof, the restaurant. A restaurant designed to bring families close to God.”

They are going to play Christian music, the waiter prays with you over your meal, everything is decorated with Thomas Kincade and Max Ludico art. There is a place where kids can go and play Bible themed games…

You go for dinner.

You order your food, it comes to you and it looks a bit odd on the plate, but, you pray with Kirk, your waiter, and dig in.

The food is awful. It tastes as if they opened a 99 cent frozen TV dinner and nuked it before putting it on a pretty plate. It is edible, but, it is not worth the restaurant dinner price you are paying for it.

Would you go back and suggest your friends come? It is a Christian restaurant with Christian themes and Christian prayers?

 

[wifenmommy]

Oh geeeezzzz…You really cant compare a resturant to a movie that has a definite message! The MESSAGE of the movie is something I feel can benefit all married couples…A meal at a resturant isnt capable of portraying a message. Yall can bash and not support Christian themed movies all yall want, but dont count on me to do it. Are yall senses sooooooo refined that yall cant bear to watch anything less than an Oscar performance with Oscar winning actors? Lighten up people and see the big picture. It is persnickity attitudes like these that has really hindered the Christian viewpoint that keeps society from being a Christian majority…

 

[kage_ar]

Lighten up people and see the big picture. It is persnickity attitudes like these that has really hindered the Christian viewpoint that keeps society from being a Christian majority…

Golly, now not liking low budget protestant movies is the cause of downfall of society? That seems to be a teensey stretch.

 

[wifenmommy]

I was just saying that if we as Christians/Catholics would come out in full force and support Christian themed movies then eventually society/movie makers may think twice before they would put trash out. If society was majority Christian/Catholic, then they would basically be forced to make decent movies that decent families demanded…jmho!

 

[rolltidefan]

Golly, now not liking low budget **protestant **movies is the cause of downfall of society? That seems to be a teensey stretch.

Ok…Good glad you just said that one word. I don’t mean to sound disrespectful and I promise you that I am not. I think if this film had been made by the Catholic and not Protestant it would have made a world of difference in the responses it has gotten here. So the key word here is not it was a low budget CHRISTIAN film. It is because it is a low budget PROTESTANT film. I get it now!! Explains alot and also shows me that if this is the case, that we have not come that far from the old days of the Catholics and protestants hating each other, we are just not killing each other now, other than with words. I do wish there were more tolerance and that works for both sides also. Again, I am not meaning to sound harsh and don’t mean it at all disrepectful, just wanted to pointed out that we still have a lot of intolerance between the two today. And I think that is important for us all to see and accept before we can fix anything and move on.

 

[kage_ar]

Ok…Good glad you just said that one word. I don’t mean to sound disrespectful and I promise you that I am not. I think if this film had been made by the Catholic and not Protestant it would have made a world of difference in the responses it has gotten here. So the key word here is not it was a low budget CHRISTIAN film. It is because it is a low budget PROTESTANT film. I get it now!! Explains alot and also shows me that if this is the case, that we have not come that far from the old days of the Catholics and protestants hating each other, we are just not killing each other now, other than with words. I do wish there were more tolerance and that works for both sides also. Again, I am not meaning to sound harsh and don’t mean it at all disrepectful, just wanted to pointed out that we still have a lot of intolerance between the two today. And I think that is important for us all to see and accept before we can fix anything and move on.

I will begin searching for a recently made Catholic movie with bad acting.

 

[maryjk]

I just don’t get it.

I didn’t like the movie because I couldn’t get past the terrible acting.

I see no reason to support a movie that is so bad.

When I talk to people about it, I tell them, you may like the message. But you are going to hate the acting. When it was still in the theater I told everyone to wait for the DVD. I didn’t want them wasting their money.

I feel that I wasted my husband’s hard earned money the night we attended that movie.

Now, if it had been made by someone Catholic, would I have felt the same way. YES. The acting was terrible. And I am sure if it had been made by someone Catholic kage_ar would have said,

Golly, now not liking low budget Catholic movies is the cause of downfall of society? That seems to be a teensey stretch.

But because it is a Protestant movie, she identified it as such.

 

[rolltidefan]

I just don’t get it.

I didn’t like the movie because I couldn’t get past the terrible acting.

I see no reason to support a movie that is so bad.

When I talk to people about it, I tell them, you may like the message. But you are going to hate the acting. When it was still in the theater I told everyone to wait for the DVD. I didn’t want them wasting their money.

I feel that I wasted my husband’s hard earned money the night we attended that movie.

Now, if it had been made by someone Catholic, would I have felt the same way. YES. The acting was terrible. And I am sure if it had been made by someone Catholic kage_ar would have said,

But because it is a Protestant movie, she identified it as such.

Hopefully that is the case. I just know I went back and read even like page 1 and 2 of this thread and it being protestant was brought up quite a bit and also some even saying well now I will not see it. But you are right, you have ever right as a person and American citizen to not like something. I had a brother that served in the Army, a grandfather that served in World War II and a step-dad who served in Vietnam and they fought for our rights as Americans to make our own choices. So you do have that right to like it or not and to go see it or not see it. All wifenmommy and I were saying was, when we have Christian films that come out, we personally think they should be supported by Christians, because we don’t hardly ever get any Christian movies instead of nick picking the petty things out of it. Of course she and I noticed the acting was not on par with top Hollywood. We aren’t such terrible movie critics that we didn’t noticed this. However, we were not looking at the bad acting. In the end it was OMG the meat of the movie speaks loud and clear to me as a Christian in a marriage and what I need to be doing more in mine and that is giving and not taking all the time. Then after reading hundreds of messages online where families were blessed and marriages were saved because of this movie, they were not talking about how bad the acting was. They just got the movie for what it was and it was made for the message. In the end, it really doesn’t matter if this movie only touched me and wifenmommy, if that was two lives changed and two marriages made better, then it was worth every penny they spent to make it and every penny I spent to watch it.

 

[sonofourlady]

For all those who are critical of this movie please help me to understand your point of view better by stating your credentials for judging movies.

Where did you study acting and critiquing movies on a professional basis?