> fireproof II

No, I haven’t yet seen Fireproof (though I still plan to). But I have to say that while my enthusiasm for it’s box office performance has continued, my excitement for the film itself has diminished.

In my first piece on Christian film, I pointed out that in order for people to even begin to accept any sort of message from a Christian movie, the movie itself must be good.

So what’s the problem with Fireprooof?

According to critics, it has failed in that most important aspect.

Though it is apparently a far better movie than Facing the Giants, Fireproof’s score of 43% means that the film is still rotten. Now perhaps the film is better than that, and the decidedly non-Christian mainstream media aren’t giving it a fair shake because it’s, well, a Christian film. That may be true, but then how do you explain WORLD magazine’s Warren Cole Smith walking out on the film only 20 minutes into it? In his review of the movie, Mr. Smith said that “…in those 20 minutes I saw enough bad acting, heard enough bad dialogue, was assaulted by enough amateur lighting set-ups, and was distracted by enough bad directing to give me full confidence in my thinking.”

Ouch.

To be fair, the score of 43% is a far cry from the abysmal 9% that Facing the Giants received. And Mr. Kendrick, if you’re reading this, please understand that I’m not trying to bash your film (which, as I stated above, I still plan on seeing – I’m just a bit broke now that I moved to Orange County). You have done something that I aspire to do: make a feature film that glorifies God and get it distributed nationally so that it has a chance to make an impact. That is an amazing achievement. But don’t stop there! Make your movies truly good in both senses of the word: well-made and glorifying God. After all, the best way to glorify Him is to produce excellence in His name, isn’t it?

And that’s my point. Alex Kendrick is under the microscope because he’s one of a very small group of filmmakers who actually aspire to make Christian films. That he did it at all is to be commended; that he didn’t do it quite well enough is to be learned from. It may still be that one day we will point to a Kendrick film and say “Yes! This is what a Christian film should be.” That day has not yet come – but at the rate that Mr. Kendrick is learning, it will be here soon.

And that’s something worth getting excited about.

- d.m.c.

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You’re currently reading “> fireproof II,” an entry on celluloidhope

Published:: October 12 . 2008 / 5:37 pm

Category:: faith, film

Tags:: alex kendrick, facing the giants, fireproof

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celluloidhope is an exploration of the film world from a Christian perspective.

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ridge765 10.13.08 / 6pm

I’m not sure you can rate a Christian film on the same level as a mainstream Hollywood blockbuster. The pool of resources and talent is decidedly (and possibly irretrievably) smaller, even at the Kendricks’ rapid improvement rate. If we have to wait to make “good” Christian films until Russell Crowe, the Coen Brothers, or Glenn Close become believers, I’m afraid we’re going to be waiting for a while, and not much art will get done for the Kingdom. Comparing Christian and mainstream films is a bit like comparing a quilt made by your grandmother on the same scale as one you bought at JCPenney’s.

That said, FIREPROOF’s effect on mainstream moviegoers is clear–you’ve already linked to other secular movie sites that show this. It is getting thousands of people talking about covenant marriage, Christians and non-Christians alike. The link to Rotten Tomatoes you provided refers to the secular critics–the RT community rates it at around 85%. And let’s not even discuss how many churches and Christians have renewed their vows and recommitted themselves to their marriages because of the film or its spinoff resources–I found some of them at http://www.fireproofresources.com, but I think you can get them everywhere now. God does not require that a film be “good” (by worldly or Christian standards) to reach anyone; He only requires that the work be His.

celluloidhope 10.14.08 / 12am

Thanks for the comment, and welcome to celluloidhope! You made some very good points and got me thinking; I’ll try to respond to some specifics.

My point is not that we should wait to make ‘good’ Christian films; my point is that we should be doing so right now! Or, at the least, trying. And that’s what I commend the Kendrick’s for.

That being said, I believe there is only one bottleneck to producing quality Christian film, and you touched on it in your comment: actors. I have no doubt that having Kirk Cameron in Fireproof helped the film, and I’ve read good things about his performance. But he is one member of a very small pool of talent. Everything else can be learned: directing, screenwriting, cinematography. There is no reason that a Christian can’t go to a secular (or Christian) university such as UCLA or Chapman and learn these things and excel at them. Or even buy his own camera, read some books, and through experimentation and learning, become good at these skills. Even acting can be learned to some extent, but I need to think more on that before I form an opinion.

Why do we need to be good at making films? So that non-Christians will pay attention to the film long enough to hear the message. That’s why I focus so much on secular critic’s views of Christian films. Thanks for pointing out that the film has an 85% user rating on RT, I hadn’t noticed that. Still, user-ratings can be less than accurate due to a disproportionate number of Christians posting in order to promote the film. There’s nothing wrong with that, I’m glad people do it. But it doesn’t tell me what non-Christians think of the movie – the tomatometer does. I’m not seeking the praise of men, but I am hoping that they find the movie well-done and enjoyable – if so, maybe they’ll watch it again, or recommend it to a friend, or show it to their kids. And each and every time, the film’s message will be spread. I hope that articulates my viewpoint a little better.

The one aspect of Fireproof I haven’t paid enough attention to is seeking an answer to a question I should’ve asked from the beginning: “What good is God doing through the film?” You’ve answered that question for me, and I’m very grateful for that. I needed to be reminded of God’s power to use our humble offerings to his glory. My mother saw the film and said that all married couples should see the movie; I’m sure it planted seeds in her and my dad’s minds about their own marriage, a trend that appears to be common among viewers of the movie. That’s a wonderful thing, and praise God for choosing to speak through a little movie in a big way.

Thanks for the insight, and again, welcome to the site!

celluloidhope

> fireproof II

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