Film Review: Fireproof

Welcome you to the Renewed Faith Media blog! Depending on where you are in the world, the Sabbath may have already started, so I’d like to take the opportunity to wish you a Happy Sabbath and hope that you receive abundant blessings from the Lord on the glorious day of rest He has given us.

Our Film Benchmark

Does the plot glorify God?

Does the film content glorify God through His Word: Use of Bible verses and adhere to His commandments

Promotes God as the only God

Promotes being free from idols or refrain from promoting idols

Does not use His name in vain

Promote the Sabbath or refrain from promoting Sunday as the day of worship?

Honours parents or refrains from promoting dishonour of parents?

Speak against murder or refrain from promoting murder?

Speak against adultery or or refrain from promoting adultery?

Speak against theft or refrain from promoting theft?

Speak against lies or refrain from promoting lies?

Speak against jealousy or refrain from promoting jealousy?

1. Does the plot glorify God?

Wiki and Imdb do not include the faith aspect of this movie. Wiki has a 493 word summary of the film, and only briefly mentions faith in this context. Itunes says, “

Plot from http://www.kendrickbrotherscatalogue.com/fireproof/

At work, inside burning buildings, Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter's adage: Never leave your partner behind. At home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules.

After seven years of marriage, Caleb and Catherine Holt have drifted so far apart that Catherine wishes she had never married. As the couple prepares to enter divorce proceedings, Caleb's father challenges his son to commit to a 40-day adventure he calls "The Love Dare." Wondering if it's even worth the effort, Caleb agrees, but more for his father's sake than for his marriage.

Along the journey, however, Caleb makes a life-changing commitment to love God ... and, with God's help, truly love his wife.

But is it too late to fireproof his marriage? His job is to rescue others. Now Caleb Holt is ready to face his toughest job ever ... rescuing his wife's heart.

2. Does the film content glorify God through His Word: Use of Bible verses and adhere to His commandments?

• James 1:19 (quick to listen, slow to anger, slow to speak)

• Love dare has Bible verses on every page (this was indicated in a conversation while Caleb and his father were out walking)

• Genesis 2:24 - marriage vows (during reaffirming ceremony of Caleb and Catherine)

• Romans 5:8 - Christ died for us while we were still sinners (just before the end of film credits)

• Caleb’s dad mentioned the significance of the commandments during several of their talks.

1. Promotes God as the only God

2. Promotes being free from idols or refrain from promoting idols

3. Does not use His name in vain

4. Promote the Sabbath or refrain from promoting Sunday as the day of worship?

5. Shows them going to church, but doesn’t promote the day

6. Honours parents or refrains from promoting dishonour of parents?

   1. Caleb gets consistent support from his father and mother. He appreciates his father’s support and willingly accepts his help and advice.

   2. Caleb initially disrespects his mother (his father constantly defends her), but Caleb repents later on.

   3. Caleb tells Catherine that it was his father that gave him the Love Dare book.

7. Speak against murder or refrain from promoting murder?

8. Speak against adultery or or refrain from promoting adultery?

   1. Catherine’s colleague tries to encourage her not to pursue a relationship outside her marriage. She tells her that if the doctor is willing to have a relationship with a married woman, then what is to stop him from cheating on her later on.

9. Speak against theft or refrain from promoting theft?

10. Speak against lies or refrain from promoting lies?

    1. Catherine accuses Caleb of lying to her - it’s promoted as dishonourable.

11. Speak against jealousy or refrain from promoting jealousy?

3. What Christian standards does the film convey?

• Scripture alone

  • Caleb is shown taking his Bible to church

  • The 40 day love dare had scripture on each page

• Salvation through Christ alone (does not promote good works or the false trinity doctrine)

  • Father indicated he needed Jesus’ forgiveness and salvation. Explained God’s standards and the message of the gospel. Explained how we fall short of the 10 commandments, no matter what good works we have done or how good we think we are.

• Second coming

• State of the Dead

  • Mentions heaven when dying (scene right after the near train miss), and implies we go there after dying.

• Sanctuary

• Biblical marriage

  • Promotes marriage

    • In the intro - conversation between the daughter and her mother

    • Father gives credit to God for saving his marriage and implies the help he is sending in the mail is connected to the Lord (talk during their walk)

    • Conversation between Caleb and his colleague, Michael. Michael tells him that marriage is a life-long covenant. He reminds Caleb of his marriage vows and tells him divorce is hard and will not bring him peace. He tells him that separating a married couple results in one or both of them being broken.

    • Conversation with Catherine and her mother - reflects that her mother told her to hang on in the hard times.

    • Day 16: Pray for your wife. Day 17: listen to her. Day 18: study her.

    • Michael tells him divorce is not an option (based on his experience). He was not proud of getting a divorce. He said God made marriage to be for life. Beg God to show you how to be a good husband.

    • Anna discourages Catherine from furthering her relationship with Dr Keller.

    • Caleb repents for putting other things before his love for his wife, Catherine

    • Caleb’s father constantly defends his wife when Caleb constantly complains about her.

    • Caleb’s father tells him his mother deserves his respect

    • Caleb and Catherine’s decision to reaffirm their marriage through the foundation of Christ - as a covenant not a contract.

    • Song when Caleb and Catherine reaffirm their vows through Christ - the song, “Love is not a fight” speaks of the covenant of marriage and asking God to have his angels guard the door if we try to leave.

• Husband as the head in his home and the local church

  • Caleb’s mother submitted to the father in a scene where Caleb became frustrated with her and the father wanted to grant Caleb’s request for alone time with him

• Recognition of the value of life and blessing in children (anti-abortion)

• Modesty of dress

  • No one was inappropriately dressed. No partial or full nudity.

• Recognition as the body as the temple of God (does not promote alcohol, tobacco, drugs)

  • Frowned on addictions (like pornography, gambling, drugs), Day 23 - calls them parasites, that will suck the life out of a marriage.

• Freedom of conscience

• Regeneration (anew only after baptism)

• Separation of church and state

• Independence of local churches

• Spiritual gifts, but no division within the church

4. Does the film give glory to God through praises and thanks?

• Michael thanks God when his life is spared from being hit by the train

• Father gives credit to God for the success of his marriage (talk during their walk).

• Caleb’s father speaks of the gospel and what Christ has done for us and said Jesus Christ saved his life. Says Caleb needs Jesus and his forgiveness- as we all do. Told Caleb he needs to trust Christ with his life. He loved him too much to not tell him the truth.

• A worker prays before eating her lunch, when she was sitting with a non-believer.

• At the point in the film where both characters are at their lowest, a song is played that speaks of being patient, obedient, confident, hopeful, worshipping and serving the Lord while waiting for an answer from Him.

• Caleb gives God the glory for giving him a love for his wife that he couldn’t give on his own.

• Caleb’s father gives God the glory for transforming his wife and leading him to Christ, through her actions.

5. Did it encourage my faith? Colossians 3:16-17 We admonish one another, in word or deed, do all in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to the Father

• The film reaffirmed the sanctity of marriage, that it was created by God (Genesis 2:24) and divorce was not an option, as any one who stands before God and goes into marriage has gone into a covenant with their partner and God.

• The people who encouraged them to work things out were all Christian (Caleb’s parents, his colleague, Michael). It affirms that Christian couples need to have Christian friends and/or mentors in their inner circle, supporting their marriage, based on the word of God.

6. What actions came as a result of me seeing the film? Films should be life changing, not entertainment. Proverbs 27:17 - Iron sharpens iron.

• I added the song Love is Not a Fight to my Spotify playlist. It came at a time when I appreciated the lyrics in the text. I play the song often.

7. Would I change anything? Summary

• The reference to going to heaven right after we die is not biblical (Romans 2:6, 1 Corinthians 15:50-55, John 3:13, Psalm 13:3, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16, John 11:11-14, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Acts 2:29, 34, John 5:25

• A film that reaffirms marriage is created and protected by God when we willingly go into the covenant, putting God in the centre.

• Supports the need for good Christian counsel in our lives, that is centered on the Bible.

Additional Info

• Violence is frowned upon

  • When Caleb repeatedly takes out his frustration on his rubbish bins, his neighbour reacts negatively with stares and eventually tells his wife not to speak to Caleb, as he was weird.

  • Violence was implied by Caleb to Dr Keller, but no violence happened (when he confronted him about his relationship with Catherine) - Caleb’s character was highly strung and it maybe reflects that even when we come to Christ, transformation isa process.