Fireproof Movie Review - A Triumph for the Gospel and Kirk Cameron

I just saw Fireproof and loved it. I DID NOT CRY . . . it was just that my eyes got teary when I pulled out a few nose hairs - that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

I heard one criticism recently about how repentance wasn't mentioned in the movie. It's kind of like the book of Esther which doesn't mention God's Name but God's sovereign Hand is everywhere in the book of Esther. Repentance is not mentioned in Fireproof but it is written all over the movie and it comes across loud and clear. One of the strongest themes I think.

I must confess to always being bugged by how the majority of "Christian" movie projects employ actors who are not Christians. This is not the case with Firproof which employed a cast of volunteers from Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany Georgia and Kirk Cameron who is best known for his roles as Mike Seaver in Growing Pains and as Buck Williams in the Left Behind series. I count myself priveledged to know Kirk Cameron and am well aware that both he and his wife live out authentic Christian lives. They are the real deal and a short amount of time with them reveals how precious Jesus Christ is in their lives.

Here are some positives and negatives in an attempt to be even handed.

Negatives
1. I did think when that when Kirk's character was explaining becoming a Christian that saying "about your faith . . . I'm in" was a pretty corny and vague way of articulating the born again experience.
2. The idea of decisional regeneration seemed to be coming across in the first half of the movie (maybe I notice that as someone who accepted Calvin into my heart). However, I was glad to see the emphasis of God doing a transforming work of regenerating a sinful human heart later in the movie.
3. The movie should have contained a warning for sensitive viewers alerting them to several scenes of gratuitous violence inflicted on trash cans (but wow that must've been fun smashing that computer monitor, I envy Kirk for that scene).

Positives
1. The theme of repentance came across real strong.
2. The movie explained why God is angry at sinners.
3. The issue of pornography was handled clearly but discretely - that was really well done.
4. It did not preach "life enhancement" - just the opposite.
5. I loved how it showed that Caleb (Kirk's character) was not capable of changing until God changed him half way through the "love dare". It really shifted the emphasis away from the "love dare" and focussed on man's need for God's supernatural transforming work.
6. Chick Fil A product placement - gotta love that.
7. I was genuinely surprised by the stunt where they move the car just in time and the train knocks the guys helmet off. Was that real? That scene was seriously better and more realistic than action scenes in high budget movies.
8. The movie was loaded with some really powerful, profound, and well written scenes - these included:
(a) where Caleb sits there complaining about his wife ignoring his love as the cross looms in the background - loved that
(b) where the computer (where Caleb viewed pornography) was destroyed and replaced with flowers and the note "I love you more"
(c) when Caleb's father opens Caleb's eyes to his own depravity
(d) Romans 5:8 at the start of the closing credits
9. Those long closing credits - loved them, thanking everybody who helped in so many ways really spoke loud to me about the Church being the Church
10. Ray Comfort got his hands on the script - so obvious

Special Award for Outstanding Acting as a Stunt Double goes to:
Chelsea Noble Cameron (Kirk's real life wife) for the kissing scene. . . . or maybe it wasn't acting.

Please go and see this movie and learn something about the sanctity of marriage, Christ's love for His Church, and send a message to Hollywood that there is a large market for projects that advocate Christian values and biblical truth.