I'm a movie buff; which is a hard thing to be these days because there isn't much worth seeing. Who wants to plunk down eight to ten bucks for two hours of unrelenting violence and gratuitous sex? Not me!
But the past few years have given us some refreshing new material because Hollywood's big studios no longer have a stranglehold on the film industry. Little can be better. We saw Mel Gibson think outside the box with
The Passion of the Christ and produce a blockbuster. He also taught all the little guys out there how to do it. So now we've had
Therese,
Expelled,
Bella, Facing the Giants, Fireproof, etc. which all had a respectable showing at the box office.
In fact,
Fireproof, a low-budget film produced by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, ranked number four during its release weekend. Pretty impressive for a film that only opened in 1,000 theatres and was made by 1200 volunteers including leading man, Kirk Cameron.
The movie tells the story of fire chief, Capt. Caleb Holt (played by Kirk Cameron), whose marriage is disintigrating partly due to his pornography addiction. Caleb takes a forty-day "love dare" from his dad to try to save his marriage. The movie sends a message of hope and inspiration to couples in trouble. I was particulary inspired by an interview with Cameron who says, as an actor, he promised his wife he would never kiss another woman even if it meant losing a film contract. The kissing scene in the movie was played with Kirk's wife, Chelsea, substituting for his on-screen wife wearing the same dress. The scene was shot in silouette and is very effective.
Not only that, but so many people are interested in The Love Dare that the pastors of Sherwood Baptist wrote a book after the movie was released. What started as a plot device is now taking on a life of its own with
a best selling book and a
website that offers help to troubled marriages.
I'm excited. A medium that has been used to do so much evil has the potential to save marriages.
Testimonies coming in from couples indicate that's exactly what's happening.
Encourage your friends to see Fireproof and pray that couples in troubled marriages will be inspired to keep trying. Real love isn't for sissies. True love is not a feeling but a decision to work hard and grow in the virtues that water the garden and keep it growing: patience, kindness, perseverance, forgiveness, etc. Children need a happy home. Every married couple can have one. But it takes integrity, a commitment to keep trying, and the grace of God which is free for the asking!
