This Is My Fireproof Thread

[WolfGate]

I thought it was fine. Not top-notch Hollywood artistic standards. Better artistically than most low budget, faith based stuff.

I thought the movie did a balance of portraying both of them to be messing up. Surprised a bit at some of the reactions, because the man was the one who decided to do something about it. And wasn't nagged into it by a woman either. And then with the revelation about his parents at the end, well, I thought they went out of their way to avoid the stereotypical man bashing.

Also didn't expect anything but an ending where things worked out. Why would you from a movie where the manifest purpose was to help couples approach and deal positively with difficulties they might be having.

Don't overbuild expectations, and it's fine. Better than half the movies in theaters overall.

 

[McScribe]

I havent seen it..I have a feeling I'll be like Lena..its been hyped up so much It will probably feel like a dud to me....having said that..since some are saying it WASNT that good...oddly its making me want to check it out now..because I think this is the first time Ive seen anyone say it wasnt..

BUT I think I will see Kung Foo Panda 2 first..Po ROCKS!

Dallas

It's got petty good special effects, and there are some silly things in it but what movie doesn't have that? Some of the battle scenes are amazing.

 

[JaneFW]

It's generally better, mostly because of a scene where the coach says after they lose a game, "Remember we said we'd praise God no matter what." it wasnt a bad football movie either.

I liked that that theme ran through the whole movie. The wife says it too, when she has failed to become pregnant. She says that she will praise God no matter what. Of course, she does end up being pregnant, but it was very poignant. I also liked the part about "preparing the fields" (I think). I can't quite remember the story that was told, but it was about getting ready for God's blessing, kind of, being prepared, showing faith and trust in Him.

The football I can take or leave.

 

[McScribe]

The football I can take or leave.

...and you call yourself a Texan.

 

[pgp_protector]

I liked that that theme ran through the whole movie. The wife says it too, when she has failed to become pregnant. She says that she will praise God no matter what. Of course, she does end up being pregnant, but it was very poignant. I also liked the part about "preparing the fields" (I think). I can't quite remember the story that was told, but it was about getting ready for God's blessing, kind of, being prepared, showing faith and trust in Him.

The football I can take or leave.

What's football?
I think that's something my wife watches.
Is it anything like the "soaps"

 

[JaneFW]

...and you call yourself a Texan.

Well, no I dont actually, lol. I don't know anyone who calls me a Texan.

 

[Lena75]

Facing the Giants is on our gotta see soon list. Our church actually let the Youth (12 & older) see To Save a Life. Hubby and I watched it and personally I thought it was too strong a movie for the younger kids, like ages 12 - 15. My 13 year old saw it and his word to sum it up......BORING! He said he'd rather watch LOTR! lol

 

[Created2Write]

Fireproof was the first date I went on with hubby. I loved it then. Watched after marriage, and didn't much care for it. lol. Fancy that.

I was appalled that the wife never confessed her emotional affair to her husband(or at least they didn't show it, which ruined their whole reunion for me), never actually apologized for her actions. That irked me beyond belief. I loved the message, about how one spouse trying and making efforts can change the entire marriage, but it was tainted for me when the wife wasn't held accountable.

Facing the Giants acting sucked, but the movie itself was incredible. I bawled from like, fifteen minutes in, til the end of the credits. Course, I was heading to boot camp a week later, so I may have been emotionally unstable at the time. lol.

 

[Speculative]

Still waiting for your speculations, um, Speculative.

I was pleasantly surprised. I understand some of the criticisms posted here, but overall I thought it had a pretty good message. I had very low expectations going in to it, so I ended up pleasantly surprised.

I liked the character of Caleb's (Cameron's character) father. It seems that we're so sophisticated and cynical days and I liked his child-like faith, perseverance and patience.

So, yeah, I liked it for the most part and pretty much agree with what WolfGate said.

 

[Conservativation]

Facing the Giants was horrible as a movie, these things would make better books. Its a disservice when they do these. The acting was so incredibly bad, directing, etc. its embarrassing to recommend to an unsaved friend or invite them over to watch. The thing is you can spot "B" (and this stuff is C or D) movie stuff in the first 5 minutes, and as a way to reach out, it fails miserably, but its supposed to be outreach.
So churches go gaga over these movies, one local church recently rented all the theaters in the Memphis suburbs, well, not every screen, just one screen in each, to get folks to see the Grace card, ....the message of which appealed to me even more than Facing the Giants....but it amounted to the church folks getting a free movie pretty much.


Its odd. The stories of grit and redemption Ive heard (and experienced) in life are serious, compelling, and would be academy award raw material if made into movies with real talent....we have the best story, as Christians, that there is....desperation, inspiration, etc. And these efforts are what we get.

Some big churches need to cut the free double triple latte mocha frppa whateverio...and pool monie and make a real movie. Notice when the Passion movie came out it filled theaters, like it or not

 

[McScribe]

Facing the Giants was horrible as a movie, these things would make better books. Its a disservice when they do these. The acting was so incredibly bad, directing, etc. its embarrassing to recommend to an unsaved friend or invite them over to watch. The thing is you can spot "B" (and this stuff is C or D) movie stuff in the first 5 minutes, and as a way to reach out, it fails miserably, but its supposed to be outreach.
So churches go gaga over these movies, one local church recently rented all the theaters in the Memphis suburbs, well, not every screen, just one screen in each, to get folks to see the Grace card, ....the message of which appealed to me even more than Facing the Giants....but it amounted to the church folks getting a free movie pretty much.


Its odd. The stories of grit and redemption Ive heard (and experienced) in life are serious, compelling, and would be academy award raw material if made into movies with real talent....we have the best story, as Christians, that there is....desperation, inspiration, etc. And these efforts are what we get.

Some big churches need to cut the free double triple latte mocha frppa whateverio...and pool monie and make a real movie. Notice when the Passion movie came out it filled theaters, like it or not

One of the best movies about Christianity is "The Mission", another is "Blackrobe", and another is "A Man for all Seasons". And here is another odd one: the movie Black Snake Moan. It actually has a genuine no faking message of redemption in it.


I liked some elements of the Passion but some parts annoyed me. Probably one of the worst scenes is where they go to the crack den...sorry King Herods palace, and everyone is laughing like a lunatic. I also found the Judas death scene with the little demonic looking kids irritating. What was wrong with just having him overwhelmed with grief and guilt? I liked Mel Gibson better when he made movies like the Road Warrior and Gallipoli.

But that's beside the point. I think that it's all trying too hard. In the Bible we are told that the Word became flesh in Jesus Christ. We are to emulate him in all things, so then it stands to reason that if were doing that the art we produce should reflect it naturally.

Having said all this, I still give Christian made movies a chance. They're not as bad as they used to be...I mean B movie quality is better than laughably groan worthy bad. Hopefully they will continue to improve.

Something else, to be blunt. Some of these movies are being made for the audience of Christians who are retreating from watching anything wordly.

 

[Conservativation]

One of the best movies about Christianity is "The Mission", another is "Blackrobe", and another is "A Man for all Seasons". And here is another odd one: the movie Black Snake Moan. It actually has a genuine no faking message of redemption in it.


I liked some elements of the Passion but some parts annoyed me. Probably one of the worst scenes is where they go to the crack den...sorry King Herods palace, and everyone is laughing like a lunatic. I also found the Judas death scene with the little demonic looking kids irritating. What was wrong with just having him overwhelmed with grief and guilt? I liked Mel Gibson better when he made movies like the Road Warrior and Gallipoli.

But that's beside the point. I think that it's all trying too hard. In the Bible we are told that the Word became flesh in Jesus Christ. We are to emulate him in all things, so then it stands to reason that if were doing that the art we produce should reflect it naturally.

Having said all this, I still give Christian made movies a chance. They're not as bad as they used to be...I mean B movie quality is better than laughably groan worthy bad. Hopefully they will continue to improve.

Something else, to be blunt. Some of these movies are being made for the audience of Christians who are retreating from watching anything wordly.

agreed, on all of it....I wasnt selling he passion, just that it had some techno moxy
the best movies are the subtle ones that have redemption in them from my taste and there are lots of those gems to be found in the "secular theater"

 

[blythe_ann]

As moving watching people, Fireproof really drove us bananas. The acting was... well, entertaining, in it's own way... and once you got used to one set of terrible actors, another one would be introduced and it would take another half an hour before our snickering was quiet enough to pay attention.

 

[Luther073082]

It's generally better, mostly because of a scene where the coach says after they lose a game, "Remember we said we'd praise God no matter what." it wasnt a bad football movie either.

Facing the Giants. . . Seriously??? REALLY??

That is like the 2nd worst movie I've ever seen in my life.

And heretical to the boot. Its prosperity heresy. Seriously, commit your life to God and you'll get everything you ever wanted. THAT IS THE MESSAGE OF THAT MOVIE!!!. Seriously he re-commits his life to God and his team suddenly goes from team suck to team awesome, he gets a truck, a baby, goes from everyone hating him to everyone loving him. Like his whole life is just suddenly fixed because he committed his life to God. Thats prosperity heresy...

Not to mention all of the cheesiness, and bad acting.

Ugg I hate that movie.

Fireproof was ok. It does tend towards the fix the man fix the marriage side like Chaz says. But at least it wasn't quite as cheesy as Facing the Giants, the script and the actors where slightly better but still on the weak side. And it lacked any apparent heresy. It was on the bad size of medicore.

 

[McScribe]

Did you actually use 'heresy' in casual conversation? That's fun.

Facing the Giants was not so bad if you..,wait did you pay to see it? I saw it on YouTube. No wonder you're bitter.

I like the scene in Fireproof where the Rebels defend agains the Death Star attack on Yavin.

Wait. Wrong movie. Guess I just didn't like it.

 

[Luther073082]

Did you actually use 'heresy' in casual conversation? That's fun.

Facing the Giants was not so bad if you..,wait did you pay to see it? I saw it on YouTube. No wonder you're bitter.

Actually no I'm pretty sure I didn't pay to see it. I don't actually remember where I saw it, I just remember thinking that it was horrible.

And I use heresy to refer to anything which has a false and untrue teaching about God or the Christian faith. Facing the Giants is heresy, it preaches a belief that committing one's life to God will fix your worldly life and your worldly problems.

 

[WolfGate]

Facing the Giants. . . Seriously??? REALLY??

That is like the 2nd worst movie I've ever seen in my life.

And heretical to the boot. Its prosperity heresy. Seriously, commit your life to God and you'll get everything you ever wanted. THAT IS THE MESSAGE OF THAT MOVIE!!!. Seriously he re-commits his life to God and his team suddenly goes from team suck to team awesome, he gets a truck, a baby, goes from everyone hating him to everyone loving him. Like his whole life is just suddenly fixed because he committed his life to God. Thats prosperity heresy...

Not to mention all of the cheesiness, and bad acting.

Ugg I hate that movie.

Fireproof was ok. It does tend towards the fix the man fix the marriage side like Chaz says. But at least it wasn't quite as cheesy as Facing the Giants, the script and the actors where slightly better but still on the weak side. And it lacked any apparent heresy. It was on the bad size of medicore.

I had similar properity gospel concerns when I first saw Giants, though I looked a bit deeper after discussing with a friend. In the end, I think they just did a poor job of making it clear it was intended to be a story where things did work for this guy, rather than sending the false teaching that it would always happen.

(Quick sidebar - we also can't say that God never does bless materially, because he certainly has throughout the Bible. But it's of His chosing and for His purposes. Not because we've "earned" it by following Him.)

Interestingly, the pastor behind the movie has publically spoken out against prosperity gospel (linked below). Couldn't find it quickly in a search, but when I looked into it before the producer/director indicated they had tried to show it wasn't prosperity gospel by inserting several lines and scenes - among them the one quoted earlier about praising God even when they lose. Don't recall the others.

Clearly it wasn't enough balance, because your criticism was one of the major issues Christians had with Giants. But I don't think we can say that Sherwood Baptist is prosperity gospel or that the movie is heretical. I think we can say execution of the movie didn't make that clear or at least would provide encouragement to those who are prosperity gospel.

'Fireproof' pastor: Prosperity gospel is hindering church revival | Christian News on Christian Today

 

[Luther073082]

I had similar properity gospel concerns when I first saw Giants, though I looked a bit deeper after discussing with a friend. In the end, I think they just did a poor job of making it clear it was intended to be a story where things did work for this guy, rather than sending the false teaching that it would always happen.

(Quick sidebar - we also can't say that God never does bless materially, because he certainly has throughout the Bible. But it's of His chosing and for His purposes. Not because we've "earned" it by following Him.)

Interestingly, the pastor behind the movie has publically spoken out against prosperity gospel (linked below). Couldn't find it quickly in a search, but when I looked into it before the producer/director indicated they had tried to show it wasn't prosperity gospel by inserting several lines and scenes - among them the one quoted earlier about praising God even when they lose. Don't recall the others.

Clearly it wasn't enough balance, because your criticism was one of the major issues Christians had with Giants. But I don't think we can say that Sherwood Baptist is prosperity gospel or that the movie is heretical. I think we can say execution of the movie didn't make that clear or at least would provide encouragement to those who are prosperity gospel.

'Fireproof' pastor: Prosperity gospel is hindering church revival | Christian News on Christian Today

Its completly insufficent considering how recommitting his life to God suddenly just made everything work out for the better for him on earth.

If he wanted to avoid that he should have gone the route he went with Fireproof and show how faith and Christian values plus a lot of work can improve your marriage or improve some aspect of your life that is failing.
But Christian faith and values don't make a sorry losing football team into a team that is awesome and suddenly wins every game. They don't arrange for some wealthy guy to leave you a new truck outside your office. They don't get you a raise at work, and they don't suddenly increase you or your wife's fertility either.

A short statement about praising God when things don't go your way and then suddenly making EVERYTHING LITERALLY EVERYTHING go the main Character's way. Yeah he might praise God when things don't go his way, but since everything will go his way from now on it doesn't really even matter.

If he wanted to do something maybe he could have made a movie about people who praised God and kept their faith while going through some really bad times. SOMETHING REAL Not a movie about a football coach who has some weirdo Janitor shows up in his office and decides to read him some bible verse and give him some sermon that weirdly has an application to his life and then suddenly said football coach is like "oh yeah praise god" and starts telling his football team to praise God and then suddenly his team goes from losing every game to winning every game, he gets a raise, a truck, the admiration and love of EVERYONE AND to top it all off his wife finally gets pregnant after eons of trying.

Christianity would be honestly better off if every copy of the movie was destroyed and it was never seen again.

 

[McScribe]

Luther, honestly, are you saying that it's impossible for miraculous things to happen?

It would be one thing if you were venting about a real cinema abortion like "Phantom Menace" but another altogether about this. Yeah the movie has some nonsense in it, but just to advise you....if you're calling this movies perspective heresy then you do realize that you're also pointing the finger at some Christians here who believe similar things.

 

[WolfGate]

Luther - heresy is a strong word and the one you chose to describe the movie. That, in this case, is what I responded to.

I'm not at all disagreeing that they did a poor job of making it crystal clear their church is not advocating a prosperity gospel. I am saying that calling the movie heresy, and bolding stating that the intended message of the movie is "commit your life to God and you'll get everything you ever wanted" is heading into hyperbole.

From everything I've read about Sherwood they do not teach prosperity gospel. They indicated they tried to put things in the movie to make that clear. That is wasn't clear enough does not change their intent. That they didn't do a great job of it does not make them heretics.

God can and has done much more for some of his people - when it fits His intentions. (Or should we just throw all the plays and movies about Joseph out because, taken in isolation, it sure seems to be prosperity gospel). It is just as wrong to deny that God can, and has, done miraculous things in the lives of some of his followers as it is to say that He will always do so if you are faithful enough. Both of those try to limit God.