FIREPROOF Movie Review

I Heard about this movie from Donna Gomes as I made my way to her office one day.  “Lexi, you’re all about relationships, right? You gotta watch this movie!!!”

I was surprised I never heard of it before; “Fireproof” is the most amazing movie ever!

Fireproof is about a young married couple who is facing divorce, Caleb, a successful fireman (played by Kirk Cameron) finds himself exhausted trying to maintain his marriage to his wife, Catherine, who is just as stubborn about making the marriage work as he is.  Caleb’s goals to try and change his wife and put the blame on her takes it’s toll as they finally call it quits! On the verge of a divorce,  Caleb’s father puts him on a 40 day “Love Dare” which challenges him to walk in love with his wife for 40 days in order to save their marriage.  It’s not easy as it sounds, as Caleb endures rejection after rejection in his commitment to finish the process.  Many test, trials and situations arise to bring resistance and disappointment; but at the end, it’s Caleb who realizes what “True Love” is and, it’s “himself” that changes from an a stringed husband to a man whose love walk becomes more than just a dare – but a lifestyle.

This was so much an eye opener for me, I saw it twice and cried both times.  It spoke to me on all fronts in all situations of relationships! I’d say this movie came at the most perfect timing too and God had it all along to come and rescue me through this movie which shared the word of God in such an amazing, non threatening way! I was amazed at Caleb’s committment to the “Love Dare” (Word of God) in walking in love with his wife – I could relate to Caleb in so many ways!

Sometimes, we walk in love with the difficult people in our lives and when they don’t respond like how we would want them – that’s when we second guess ourselves! Caleb never had Christ during this time in the 40 day love dare, which made it hard on him because he simply didn’t know what love is! I on the other hand, have Christ, and I know how to “walk in love” yet, I failed miserably many times myself! It’s a struggle to do the right thing when you think that you’re only doing it because “you have to” – as Caleb discovered in the middle of the Love Dare – that’s when he really got tested whether or not his heart was in it.  No matter how many times he got shunned away in the most cruelest way – he never stopped loving! It’s interesting to note that as soon as he recieved Christ into his life, he didn’t try as hard as he used to – he just went on doing other things to “wait and serve” Him – and that’s so true (if you saw the movie, you know what I mean).

Finally, when division tried to shove Caleb against a rock and a hard place, that’s when Caleb pushed back the hardest – the act of love that made it all worth while for him.  This movie has principles that can be applied to any relationship. After viewing this movie, I began to pray for my family more and thought about my friends, co-workers and even my boss.  So many people never take the time to fight for their God ordained relationships and marriages – and its’ about time we had a movie that beautifully illustrates this – in a story of how fighting for a relationship can get ugly, dirty, messy and hard – but it’s all worth it at the end! This movie was so refreshing! A breath of fresh air; a gust of cool wind on a hot summer’s day; a rainstorm in the midst of a famine.

We all have been “Caleb’s” – Not wanting to see our marriages/relationships go down the tubes, fighting yet not seeing any results. Finding it hard to forgive, hard to walk in love (although we do it almost robotically) feeling frustrated that the other person(s) don’t see it that way, knowing that we’re loving sincerely but having the other person(s) judge us and think that there’s an ulterior motive to our actions.

Then again, we might all have been “Catherine’s” – Stubborn, not wanting to forgive, holding in bitterness and resentment. Questioning the motives of those who dare to walk in love with us; shutting down every single attempt made by others to get things right; even going as far as never trusting the people in our lives again.

I’m sure we can find ourselves in one or both characters.  Caleb utimately was the one who had to humble himself and change first. I identified myself as a “Caleb” – I’m the one that needs to change, not my boss or my co-workers – not my father or mother – not my friends.  The one thing that amazed me about Caleb was that walking in love became such a “lifestyle” to him that even if Catherine went through with her divorce, that if she never trusts him or loves him back again – he was committed to loving her! Wow! In the words of Jack Canfield, “Love transforms.”

Me and my friend Samantha saw the movie for the first time on Sunday, October 19th. On Friday, October 17th, my friend Samantha gave me a love dare – and like Caleb – I didn’t want to do it.  There was a timeframe for this dare (75 days to be exact), and I was reluctant to get into it  – I really didn’t want to walk in love with anyone.  Then she asked a similar question that Caleb’s father asked him before he agreed to do it.  Then, I committed myself – half heartedly.    But after watching the movie, I realized that it’s not by my power or might – but by the Spirit of God! Everyday God dares me to walk in love with His Word – to see others through the eye of faith, to see people for who they are and not what they do; soon it’s going to be a lifestyle and no longer a dare – no longer a 75 day dare, but a 24/7 – 365 days committment.

You know, the most impacting moment did not come during the movie, but after. I have these two teenage girls in my life group – they have (what we call ’special friends’ and it shall stay that way in Jesus’ name!) who are not Godly “boys” and are more likely immature in their emotions – and I was kinda hard on them tonight – I just laid it down to them.  They listened intently even though none of them were all that serious of changing the condition of their relationships which more than likely will end in some form of a breakup.  I wanted to give them the heart behind relationships, which is not some casual thing – but to be taken very seriously. I lectured them like an older sister on how teens these days don’t understand just how serious relationships are, and how devastating breaking up is.

I explained to the younger one that God has a man out there for her, and that he’s worth the wait.

“You heard what aunty Tiffany said during coffee talk about soul ties and how your heart gets torn to where you cannot give your whole self to the person God has for you? Rae, don’t make that mistake! Save yourself, he’s worth it!!!”

Rae hugged me and I began to (small kine cry, kay, small kine). I asked her if she believed God brought her together with this particular “guy” she liked.

“I don’t know?” She said. Very honest response.

I want these girls to be loved like how they deserve to be, be admired and loved by men of God who know what love is – and will be committed to them both body and spirit.  I didn’t want them to get sucked into their friends and peers version of what relationships are all about – but what God says relationships ought to be! This movie has sparked so many ministering conversations lately – even prior to us watching it.

I need to know what love is – because there are feet following me from behind. I, like you out there have this responsibility to demonstrate what true love is – so that the people in our lives who look up to us know what true love is all about and are able to discern what is and what it’s not.  I learned that I Corinthians 13 should not just be confessed in my life but needs to be demonstrated – so these girls can see right through the guys in their lives and say, “Hey, that’s not love!” or say, “You know what, undoubtedly ‘THAT’S LOVE’!”

And whose going to show them? If not a movie, than definitely their life group leader.

~ by lexigurl on October 24, 2008.