Watercooler Wednesday - Fireproof
(This post is part of the Watercooler Wednesday blog carnival. Check it out and be inspired by creativity from around the world…)
Anna and I are headed to Atlanta on Friday night for a pre-release screening of Fireproof at the Fox Theater.
Fireproof is the new movie from Sherwood Pictures…which is actually Sherwood Baptist Church of Albany, Georgia…the folks that gave us Facing The Giants a few years ago.
I’m headed to this with mixed emotions. I have nothing but admiration for the folks at this church, who had a vision for doing something extraordinary and DID IT. They filmed a movie for a hundred grand, and it grossed over 10 million dollars domestically. But was it a good movie? To me, that’s a complicated answer.
I watched Facing The Giants, and cringed at some of the bad acting…laughed at some of the bad acting…shook my head at the ending where EVERYTHING ended PERFECTLY. But I was also pulled into the story, and yes I even cried at a few points. It was not a well-made movie by Hollywood standards - I don’t think anyone would say it was. But it was an amazing piece of work considering where it came from, so good for them.
Now they’ve been able to take their success, and obviously more than 100K, to make Fireproof. But is it going to be a good movie? It’s still church members doing the acting, so I honestly don’t have high hopes for that aspect. It does look like a good story. So I do hope it’s going to be a big improvement.
I guess the other thing that bugs me about it, and about Giants, is that the world will look at this and say “this is the kind of art Christians make”. No, this is the kind of art a Southern Baptist Church with exceptional vision and resources makes. But if it’s not good, we’ll get lumped into a big lousy-art pile.
We’ll see…
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Comments
I’m with you…I get blasted everytime I mention my dislike or that giants movie…I had low expectations going in, and I wasn’t disappointed…
I agree with your take on Facing the Giants. It really wasn’t a great movie. On the other hand, it did have a good message that resonated deep into my heart. There is something to be said about the ability, in a movie, to touch a person’s heart. I am hoping that Fireproof will do that as well.
Thanks for sharing.
Rudy, Remember the Titans, and every other football movie ends the same way. Protagonists win in almost all sports movies. You get a few exceptions like Rocky that make you cheer for a loser but for the most part we root for the winner.
I was horrified at the Giant’s acting but impressed with the real-life problems they faced like broken car, unusual smelling kitchen, wanting kids…that’s MY LIFE and hollywood has never captured that. Giants also deals with the problems with the way I deal with them. All you can do is pray and pray sometimes (although no one’s ever given me a truck. but then again…Sam’s Mustang!)
My fear is that the world will scoff at the thought that marriage can be successful. It’s a novel idea to them- on screen and off.
Somehow I think that the world looks at my life like you did “Facing The Giants,” “It’s a Chrisitian life and I think that it could be better.” Just like there is talent in Hollywood that was given by God, but not honoring Him, so are there positions in the church that many hold and was never intended for them. But like the story of the widow, we must take what we have in our hands and offer it as a sacrifice whether it is a million or a mite. Just a thought 
Be sure and share your thoughts after you see the movie. We went to see a preview a month ago. The acting is better than Facing the Giants. We were pulled into the story line. It touched on some tough subjects that come up in marriage.
Have fun and hope you enjoy.
I think that’s why “The Shack” resonated with so many people - because his daughter doesn’t come back to life and there is no neat and tidy ending. Just the promise that God is always with us.