Fireproof, the movie Comments

[caparisi]

Oh I loved LHOTP!! Now I get to watch it with dd! Growing up I read all the books as well and now dd reads them~I must say I personally think it had somewhat a positive effect on me!

Another great old movie to watch is the original Cheaper by the Dozen (maybe filmed in the 40’s-50’s???) It was a really good movie, but sad at the end!

wifemomommy I saw that movie to cheaper by the Dozen And I really enjoyed it. I love movies like that! Good old family enjoyment movies.

 

[caparisi]

Caparisi…You hit the nail on the head with this statement. I also was married once before. When I married, I truly thought it would be for life, I never married expecting to end up a statistic of a divorce. My first marriage did end because he was having an affair. As bad as I would have loved to made that marriage work, I knew I would eventually have to forgive, but that I could never forget it and stay with him after that. It was just the ultimate betrayal. I have seen some marriages work afterwards and I think it is great if this can happen, but it just was not for me. I then met my husband now. Total different world, respect and love of being married to him. I can see the differences now so much in my marriage now. I think sometimes we have to fall on our faces to see good and that is what happened to my during a terrible divorce. It was the worst thing that ever happened to me, but also one of the best. I think it is hard for some to understand, but there is so much work that goes into a second marriage. We understand that the statistics are stacked against in the beginning, but for me I don’t care about that, I have God in marriage like I have never had him. I don’t take anything in this marriage now for granted. This is one of the reasons that I get so defensive in standing up for the way some view protestant marriages on here. I know what I have been through and what I would fight for now and it definately was not taken lightly. But glad you shared that, it let me know that others are fighting for the sake of their marriage also, even if is the second in which we are judged for so many times, even when we were innocent bystanders in the failure of the first ones.

Fireproof is just a sample movie with very sample acting but has alot of meanning. When people are use to see these big time movies they just get disappointted when they seen this one but I heard alot people who have enjoyed it. I would not have mind paying the amount to see this movie in the theater because I came out with a better look on life and my marriage

 

[caparisi]

Fireproof is just a simple movie with very simple acting but has alot of meanning. When people are use to see these big time movies they just get disappointted when they seen this one but I heard alot people who have enjoyed it. I would not have mind paying the amount to see this movie in the theater because I came out with a better look on life and my marriage. I am a very simple person and sometimes that simples things please me and I appreciate it. My husband Doesn’t always buy me flowers but if I am sick he takes care of me and I take care of him. He gets laid off in winter sometimes and I am come home to supper after work every night. AT night he will cover me up with a blanket when i fall asleep on the couch. He is always doing simple things like that and that why that movie showed me that i need to appreciate at that even more and not take it for granted especially when I had none of that in my first marriage. That is why I went and brought that movie so I can watch it off and on. I think my two kids are seeing the different of how a father is suppose to treat their mother. And not how they saw their father treat me. And we talk about that movie after we watched it .

 

[psr13]

It is a really good movie. It stars Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball. Like you said, no bad language, no nudity. Chastity shown in real life. I understand the remake is just as good. But I tend to enjoy the older ones.

I don’t know who made the movie. So I don’t know the religion of writers or producers. I say Catholic because for grace before meals, they start with, " Bless us, O Lord and these thy gifts." And when they get married, they kneel. Both points toward them being Catholic. But I don’t remember any overt Catholic themes.

At least half of the kids went to Catholic school, too. I believe it was the wife’s kids. I’m not sure if the others did. Remember the nun making a stink about the boy and his last name? The original was way better than the remake.

 

[maryjk]

At least half of the kids went to Catholic school, too. I believe it was the wife’s kids. I’m not sure if the others did. Remember the nun making a stink about the boy and his last name? The original was way better than the remake.

Now a days, all different religions go to Catholic school, of course back then that was not the case. And you are right, it was a nun making a stink about Philip North vs. Philip Beardsly. I can’t believe I forgot that when mentioning the “Catholic” things in the movie.

I have been doing some reading about the real family. They were Catholic. Mrs. Beardsly was a devout Catholic. After they were married, they had two children together. The movie was made from a book titled, Who Gets the Drumstick? I understand that in the book and true to life, the children were very happy to become one big family.

I have never seen the remake.

 

[psr13]

Now a days, all different religions go to Catholic school, of course back then that was not the case. And you are right, it was a nun making a stink about Philip North vs. Philip Beardsly. I can’t believe I forgot that when mentioning the “Catholic” things in the movie.

I have been doing some reading about the real family. They were Catholic. Mrs. Beardsly was a devout Catholic. After they were married, they had two children together. The movie was made from a book titled, Who Gets the Drumstick? I understand that in the book and true to life, the children were very happy to become one big family.

I have never seen the remake.

Yes, but I was assuming back then was a different story. With all of the Catholic occurrences, I believe it is safe to assume they were Catholic.

 

[caparisi]

I brought the movie and rewatched it and I didn’t see the part about birth control in the movie. It said absolutely nothing about that in the movie. And the part were she said that she is not good enough. When you husband watch porn… more then giving her attention can make any woman feel not good enough. It made her feel that she could satisfy him. Which it is commiting aultery that is one of the commitment. He was very selfish in the beginning of the movie wanting what he wanted when she was trying to take care of her mother. He wasn’t being very supportive to her at a hard time in her life. That is part of being married being supportive of each other and having to give up sometimes things you really want. My first marriage that was part of the problem being selfish. So I can even relate to this part of the movie.

 

[Cajun_Nick]

I would like to offer a few comments, both On-Topic and In General, about Fireproof:

On-Topic
The first post of this thread connected contraception with the lack of intimate desire in the protagonists’ marriage.

1. I saw the movie this afternoon, but I don’t remember anything about contraception. So, I don’t know how we could make any statements about this particular couple.
2. However, I recently watched an excerpt of a talk Dr. Janet Smith gave touching on this very topic. The excerpt can be found on YouTube - or at the website for the Ville Platte Catholic Youth Group(which I moderate). For those who don’t follow the link, Dr. Smith cites a study done by evolutionist Dr. Lionel Tiger on monkeys. The study showed that The Pill did have the effect of reducing the desire of the male monkeys to mate; and even that they showed some homosexual tendencies. Very interesting indeed!

In General

1. I think that the acting was very bad. However, I would still recommend the movie. I think that we should support films (and music) like this. If we expect the product to get better, we need to show the producers that there is a market for this type of entertainment.
2. At first, I didn’t want to watch the movie. I was told about it by some female co-workers at Ville Platte High where I teach, and I just shrugged off their recommendation. However, students told me that it was good, and that I would enjoy it. Think about that: public school students who are accustomed to the best, most awe-inspiring special effects and big-name actors enjoyed the movie and recommended it. The acting may have been bad, but the message gets through.
3. To compare *Fireproof *to *The Passion of the Christ *is unfair. I’m of the opinion that *TPotC *was inspired. Let me explain it the way I heard Dr. Peter Kreeft explain it about Lord of the Rings. In a lecture, Dr. Kreeft said that he felt that LotR was inspired, not in the same way that the Bible is inspired; but inspired nonetheless. He said that LotR was the model of literary greatness and beauty, and named the Greatest Book of the Century. This model of beauty has as its source the source of all Beauty – God. I say the same with TPotC: Ironically, God sent us a message of violence through film to reach our dead hearts – hearts which have been deadened by two generations of violent, sexually-explict movies and music. God spoke to us in the way we were listening.

May God bless all of us.

 

[Cajun_Nick]

I’d like to add something to the response I just posted:

I said that the acting in the movie is bad. It would be fairer to say: the acting is not what we’re accustomed to. I certainly respect all of the actors who volunteered their effort to create this movie.

And, there’s no way I could have done a better job.

 

[DonHudzinski]

Pornography was defined as a parasite of marriage, humiliated the wife, who thought herself not worth of respect, and she asks, “How can I compete?”.

Contraception is also a parasite.

Maybe it would be helpful to list them.

1.Pornography
2.Contraception
3.Divorce
4.Abortion
5.Sterilization
6.Homosexuality

 

[caparisi]

I would like to offer a few comments, both On-Topic and In General, about Fireproof: I agree in what you said especially at the end… I beleive God speaks though us any many ways and though other people… I think this is one way of getting a message though>>>> We need to clean up our act in this world!!! and follow his way and not devil’s way… if you know what i mean!! I think had a real good message!!!
On-Topic
The first post of this thread connected contraception with the lack of intimate desire in the protagonists’ marriage.

1. I saw the movie this afternoon, but I don’t remember anything about contraception. So, I don’t know how we could make any statements about this particular couple.
2. However, I recently watched an excerpt of a talk Dr. Janet Smith gave touching on this very topic. The excerpt can be found on YouTube - or at the website for the Ville Platte Catholic Youth Group (which I moderate). For those who don’t follow the link, Dr. Smith cites a study done by evolutionist Dr. Lionel Tiger on monkeys. The study showed that The Pill did have the effect of reducing the desire of the male monkeys to mate; and even that they showed some homosexual tendencies. Very interesting indeed!

In General

1. I think that the acting was very bad. However, I would still recommend the movie. I think that we should support films (and music) like this. If we expect the product to get better, we need to show the producers that there is a market for this type of entertainment.
2. At first, I didn’t want to watch the movie. I was told about it by some female co-workers at Ville Platte High where I teach, and I just shrugged off their recommendation. However, students told me that it was good, and that I would enjoy it. Think about that: public school students who are accustomed to the best, most awe-inspiring special effects and big-name actors enjoyed the movie and recommended it. The acting may have been bad, but the message gets through.
3. To compare *Fireproof *to *The Passion of the Christ *is unfair. I’m of the opinion that *TPotC *was inspired. Let me explain it the way I heard Dr. Peter Kreeft explain it about Lord of the Rings. In a lecture, Dr. Kreeft said that he felt that LotR was inspired, not in the same way that the Bible is inspired; but inspired nonetheless. He said that LotR was the model of literary greatness and beauty, and named the Greatest Book of the Century. This model of beauty has as its source the source of all Beauty – God. I say the same with TPotC: Ironically, God sent us a message of violence through film to reach our dead hearts – hearts which have been deadened by two generations of violent, sexually-explict movies and music. God spoke to us in the way we were listening.

May God bless all of us.

 

[ghssd]

trade9shoes.com

 

[DonHudzinski]

caparisi:
I was just listing parasites, the only parasite in the movie was Pornography, but we have many other parasites, and the clip said all parasites should be removed, not just the one.

 

[kage_ar]

1. I think that the acting was very bad. However, I would still recommend the movie. I think that we should support films (and music) like this. If we expect the product to get better, we need to show the producers that there is a market for this type of entertainment.

By the same line of thinking, if the cafe up the street makes burgers that are full of gristle and eggs that have shells in them, low quality meat if we all run and eat there every day that will encourage them to serve better quality food? Nope, it tells them “look, these people will eat sub standard food!”

Remember, the entertainment business is that - a business. If the Christian Consumer demands high quality products, the business will react to fill that need. If they can fill it with low budget gristle, well, then we will get to chew gristle for the rest of our lives.

BTW - I did watch Fireproof. The wife character was such a shrew that I would have left her (and I am a woman). It really needed to be written by a professional to have had a chance of reaching a wide audience.

 

[agapewolf]

By the same line of thinking, if the cafe up the street makes burgers that are full of gristle and eggs that have shells in them, low quality meat if we all run and eat there every day that will encourage them to serve better quality food? Nope, it tells them “look, these people will eat sub standard food!”

Remember, the entertainment business is that - a business. If the Christian Consumer demands high quality products, the business will react to fill that need. If they can fill it with low budget gristle, well, then we will get to chew gristle for the rest of our lives.

BTW - I did watch Fireproof. The wife character was such a shrew that I would have left her (and I am a woman). It really needed to be written by a professional to have had a chance of reaching a wide audience.

the analogy is actually the opposite. The quality of the food is good, it is just presented badly.

Good message, bad acting. Substance is good, dressing is bad.

 

[Cajun_Nick]

I think that agapewolf’s comments have merit. The “food” of Fireproof was good.

As proof of that, I want to point out that my **students **at Ville Platte High (juniors and seniors) recommended the movie to me! They said they enjoyed it. If you don’t spend much time around teenagers, you might not appreciate how remarkable that is.

I wonder if the right attitude is to avoid *immediately and completely *any entertainment options that don’t quite rise to our expectations. Meanwhile, we’re left wtih nothing. And the message sent to the studio executives is that Christians don’t want to go to the movies, so why bother making them.

Rather, l think that we should encourage and support - for a reasonable time - these attempts. If the “food” is good, then let’s go eat at the “restaurant” a few more times. Tell the owner we appreciate the effort; and make helpful suggestions. If the owner is serious about keeping our patronage, he will improve his product. If he doesn’t after a few suggestions, then stop eating there.

To borrow another analogy, we might be better off trying to catch flies with honey, rather than vinegar. (Of course, one might wonder why we want flies anyway.)

Maybe this a too-hopeful attitude; but, after all, Christianity **is **the religion of Hope.

 

[caparisi]

My daughter really enjoyed that movie and alot of her friends so I know what you are saying… maybe we can learn something from the students that look at movies more in a simple way and look at thing with less expectation… I think we become aultes that some forget how to judge things more simple and we are so much hard on being cridicul on things…instead of just relaxing and enjoying them. like we did when we were teenager… I remember enjoying everything I did and saw because it was fun to just be with my friends or family!!!

 

[rolltidefan]

I couldn’t agree more with Cajun Nick. Until we as Christian start supporting the Christian films industry. We will not improve our films. The directors of Christian films cannot get the backing of Hollywood to get the money to have A1 actors and the effects and everything else that goes with making a quality film. I mean they cannot pay these actors what some want to get paid just to read a script to tell if they want it or not. They have to take what acting they can because of the money. You have to start at the bottom to climb to the top. There is no support of Christian films and that is because Christians don’t support them and therefore there is not going to be a grand amount of money to finanace such things until we get behind each other and support them. Sure The Passion was an awesome film. However, Mel Gibson had some of his own money to he could ust for backup. But if most are familiar with a lot of his films in the past, they are not ones that I would take my kids to go so, nor I guess as they say would watch with Jesus sitting by me (WWJD). There is a reason that PORN is the #1 industry for entertainment. And you know what it also doesn’t take A1 acting for that to be supported, anybody will sit and watch that trash but it is still #1. I just say that if there is a Christian film out there that is pushing a message that Fireproof did…well we as Christian should quit nick picking the petty stuff in the movie and support it. If you didn’t like the movie, fine, take your hard earned money and go put it towards something else on the blockbuster top 5 list…but for the ones of us that would rather sit through a decent movie that I can be proud to walk out of and know that I have not offended anyway and I have not been offended, then that is what I am going to do with my money and I hope what little I can do helps to make these films of better quality.

 

[kage_ar]

There is no support of Christian films and that is because Christians don’t support them and therefore there is not going to be a grand amount of money to finanace such things until we get behind each other and support them.

Guess I am old, because I remember when great Hollywood movies with Christian - even GASP Catholic - themes.

They started making cruddy Christian films in the 70’s and people have lined up to see them. The Christian world said that “A Thief in the Night” and “Cross and the Switchblade” were good enough, and the standards have not raised one bit in the thirty years since.

 

[ElisabethM]

I just watched this movie since it was available from our parish library and came here to check out the comments. I didn’t watch it to be entertained, and wasn’t bothered by the level of production or acting (which I would compare to an episode of Touched By An Angel).

The opening scenes drew me in because of the realistic view of a modern marriage. I recognized and understood the sickening place this couple was in–the confusion, the words, the blaming–all of it was very true to life. I also appreciated that it was up to the man to restore the marriage. This was the most important message of the film. The man, as head of his wife, has to be the one to lead in the marriage, to lead in sacrifice and respect for his wife. The good marriages I see, though sadly few, are those where the husband treasures his wife, and she can’t help herself but to return this to him with her love and devotion.

I have read many, many marriage books–Protestant, Catholic and otherwise. I have not see this issue of the husband’s responsibility BEFORE the wife’s ever well expressed. It is always said to be a “two-way” street and that each have to “mutally” submit to the other. This is not the biblical view of marriage which is a picture of Christ and the Church. Christ, the bridegroom, gives Himself up for His bride, and she responds by offering herself completely to him. The man gives, the woman receives. Why don’t I hear that said much?

I really liked one of the initial commentsin the movie that some may think sappy, “A woman is like a rose. If you treat her with love and care, she will bloom. If you don’t, she will wilt.”