What really surprised me is that this film actually made money.

I guess keeping the faith worked for this film!

Originally posted by Michaels Well, making any kind of faith-based movie is a tricky thing. You have to make it A) Family friendly (unless it's "Passion of the Christ", then you're hoping for all the hardcore Catholics to show up). B) Entertaining, because that's what movies are suppose to do in the first place. C) Be of good quality, because you'll fail if your movie is just "Plan 9" with Christian overtunes. and D) Don't be preachy, if people want to be preached to, they'll save their money and just go to church. Personally, I think religion has such a strong following, there's really no need for it to be in popular culture. Like seperation of church and state, I think there should be a seperation of church and all forms of media.

Bravo, Michaels.  I think you've summed it up quite well.

To my best memory, the best "Christian" film remains Chariots of Fire, and I don't recall a single Christian involved in that endeavor.

I dropped by to point out a little detail over at Box Office Mojo.  The budget for Fireproof is listed at $500,000.  The box office appears headed to break $30 million.  That's 60 times production with only domestic box office (nothing on plans for the foreign market; doubt it will do well there).  In short, this genre appears to be a moneymaker, and unless the movie industry has suddenly discovered it has a scruple or two, we will see more movies of the same quality as this one.

One Night with the King tried to be a good movie, but it had so many flaws. 

Although Before the Devil Knows You're Dead is not a religious movie, since batman39 brought it up again, I'll restate that I felt that was a good movie.  Although dealing with very difficult themes, one of which is financial desperation, which is very applicable to many people's lives today.  Still, Raising Arizona may be a better movie to drive home many of the same points. . . .

I am an evengelical Christian; but am fed up with other Christians not wanting to criticize any effort to make movies with Christian themes.  Truth be told, crap is crap, no matter how it is dressed.  I wish studios who endevor to make Christian films would try to make them good; it has been done before.  A few Good examples are End Of The Spear, One Night With The King, The Nativity Story, The Chronicles of Narnia series...also the studio that produces Veggie Tales; they are clever and entertaining even for those who are not Christians. It can be done, but it will take someone fearless to be honest about the movies.  I won't watch anything with Kirk Cameron after he made Left Behind, based on a great book series that was popular with people of faith and also people not of faith.  The movie was so bad, one of the authors of the book even filed a lawsuit against the studio.  These companies need to learn that you can't give an audience crap and expect them to like it, or even more encourage their friends to see it.

The U.S. Census Bureau doesn't make any formal effort to track the religious leanings of our population, but independent surveys show that about 75% of the population (not 90%) call themselves Christian. I'm guessing that at least half of those are pretty casual about their beliefs, at best.

I'll absolutely defend the right of people like Cameron to vent their beliefs in any forum they choose, including cinema. I also expect them to equally respect my right to slam the door in their face, although the more devout aren't holding up their end of the bargain. In any event, I suspect all but a few of the most devoted Christians regard dogmatics like him to be dangerous zealots.

Personally, there isn't much that I find more offensive than listening to self-proclaimed moralists from the political right lecture me about family values, considering how many of them are on their second, third or beyond marriages. The rather simple reality is that we still attempt to charish a lot of rather archaic institutions in our society. Marriage, or example, worked a lot better when we got married at 18 and died at 40. But that isn't the reality anymore, and it's not unusual for people who typically live 3 decades longer to grow apart. So maybe in this instance, it might behoove us as a society to start tolerating, even accepting, the failings or growth of our neighbors and their relationships in a more forgiving (i.e. Christian?) light.

I gotta say, that's kinda refreshing in this day and age of celebrities becoming famous via sex tapes and celebrity marriages lasting all of two weeks. But come on, Kirk, you're an actor -- it's only make believe!

Originally posted by Movie Man Found this on the IMDb trivia board. Another reason we should consider nominating Cameron: Trivia: Kirk Cameron, a fundamentalist Christian evangelist, refuses to kiss any woman other than his wife under any circumstance, so to film a scene in which his character in Fireproof (2008) kisses his wife, the filmmakers had to dress Cameron's real-life wife, Chelsea Noble, as the wife character (played throughout the rest of the movie by Erin Bethea) and shoot the kissing scene in shadow so the difference between Noble and Bethea would not be as evident onscreen.

Found this on the IMDb trivia board. Another reason we should consider nominating Cameron:

Trivia:
Kirk Cameron, a fundamentalist Christian evangelist, refuses to kiss any woman other than his wife under any circumstance, so to film a scene in which his character in Fireproof (2008) kisses his wife, the filmmakers had to dress Cameron's real-life wife, Chelsea Noble, as the wife character (played throughout the rest of the movie by Erin Bethea) and shoot the kissing scene in shadow so the difference between Noble and Bethea would not be as evident onscreen.

The one funny thing about Tyler Perry, he uses his films to push Christian vaules onto African-Americans, yet the Bible has passages that state a man shouldn't wear female clothing. So what does Perry do? Star in his own movies in drag.  

Originally posted by RoadDogXVIII Hah. This film has Christian overtones and has a discussion board. But Tyler Perry's films don't? There is one word to describe something like this: irony.

I've gotten stopped on the street during a street fair in my hometown by some of Kirk's "Way of the Master" crowd. I also watched a debate between them and some Atheists, and the guy who accosted me  pulled out every point that they used in that debate. They're a mindless cult.

Kirk Cameron has become one of the most ridiculous faux-celebrities this country has ever produced!! 

Wow, you really did just explain the plot to every Lifetime Channel "my marriage is ending" cable movie... 

Originally posted by wetbandit82 That said, I have deep dislike of Hollywood's usual take on the matter of familial problems, being:  A) It's entirely the husband's fault for working too much even if they have no other discernable source of income; all problems can be traced to that, logically or not, B) conversely, the wife and children are right about everything he's wrong about, even if they are themselves hideously abusive towards him in word and in the worst situation with violence; we are not meant to question their logic on anything, even though a healthy relationship is supposed to be give and take equally from both parties, and C) thus, Dad stopping working and sentencing them to welfare or dirt poverty will act like the aforementioned magic wand, and all ills will be permanently forgotten until the sequel if there is one.  Never mind that for many people in the audience it will by that point have become clear the family is no true family and is better off seperate until they REALLY learn a TRUE lesson about love and partnership (if I make it big, I do intend to try something from this angle, where either the wife or kids come to realize the world doesn't blindly revolve around their needs any more than it does around Dad's, possibly having them cross the line before they do, which would probably bring down gross but at least be a critical success if done right).

I too feel divorce is far too prevelant in today's society, that no one seems to care to try anymore.  It should really be saved for events where one spouse is abusive either physically or verbally, or is dishonest with funds.  Or if the people are just so unhappy they'd be just happier seperately. 

That said, I have deep dislike of Hollywood's usual take on the matter of familial problems, being:  A) It's entirely the husband's fault for working too much even if they have no other discernable source of income; all problems can be traced to that, logically or not, B) conversely, the wife and children are right about everything he's wrong about, even if they are themselves hideously abusive towards him in word and in the worst situation with violence; we are not meant to question their logic on anything, even though a healthy relationship is supposed to be give and take equally from both parties, and C) thus, Dad stopping working and sentencing them to welfare or dirt poverty will act like the aforementioned magic wand, and all ills will be permanently forgotten until the sequel if there is one.  Never mind that for many people in the audience it will by that point have become clear the family is no true family and is better off seperate until they REALLY learn a TRUE lesson about love and partnership (if I make it big, I do intend to try something from this angle, where either the wife or kids come to realize the world doesn't blindly revolve around their needs any more than it does around Dad's, possibly having them cross the line before they do, which would probably bring down gross but at least be a critical success if done right). 

. . . or, instead of irony, it could be described as "bland and predictable" versus "Oh, man, this is bad!"

You think Tyler Perry is all that bad?  How about a Tyler Perry wannabe?  Forgive me for directing you to Cover.  It was released in theatres earlier this year, but it's not being considered either.  I'm guessing that's because nobody saw it and, most importantly, nobody cares. . . .

We seem once again to be straying off message on this Forum (I think we're meant to be discussing "Fireproof," a movie almost no one will go see) but after viewing the trailer for "Religulous," I gotta say it: It looks like Bill Maher may have made a "documentary" every bit as funny, biting and controversial as "Fahrenheit 911."

Maher's movie I definitely WILL go see... 

Originally posted by Michaels For a more enlightning and entertaining look at religion, may I recommend Bill Maher's upcoming film Religulous?

I found the Offical Site for Bill Maher Movie Religulous, and The Offical Site (which feature's Bill's image on a piece in a Toast):  http://lionsgate.com/religulous/

That's Benjamin Franklin, who said that in a letter to Humphry Marshall.  He was telling the United States it was time to prepare for war.

It is a true old saying, that make yourselves sheep and the wolves will eat you: to which I may add another, God helps them that help themselves.

Kirk Cameron has done nothing but faith-based movies since the "Growing Pains" series finale. I understand people hold their faith in high regards, but please movie studios, don't make movies that are nothing more than recruiting videos trying to pass themselves off as "family entertainment". I hate it when religious people try to sell you the idea that prayer is the answer to all of your troubles. Sorry to tell you folks, prayer doesn't fix all of life's problems. There's a reason why they say "God only helps those who help themselves", it's because if you want to change something in your life, you have to do it yourself, because talking to the sky isn't going to change it for you. I believe in George Carlin's unwritten Commandment of "Keep Thy Religion To Thy Self!".

PS: For a more enlightning and entertaining look at religion, may I recommand Bill Maher's upcoming film Religulous?  

I'd like to wave a magic wand and make everybody in a marriage get over themselves, get over any truly major problems, get over convincing themselves minor problems are major problems, and learn how to trust, compromise, accept, participate, cooperate and encourage.  In other words, to make divorce go away.

The makers of this film want to use a magic wand, too.  In their case, they're using Jesus Christ as their magic wand.  I'm not sure how Jesus would feel about that.

The divorce rate of people in Christian churches has been equal to the divorce rate of people outside of Christian churches for years.  I'm glad for those who find this works for them (and there are many), but it seems not many church people are availing themselves of the Jesus wand. . . .

All joking aside, I applaud the goal, but I cringe at what seems to be a subpar script, subpar acting and subpar moviemaking in general, and I disagree with the simplistic, faulty logic implied in the trailer.

But if this movie helps an otherwise good couple to avoid divorce, I'm glad for that couple.

So, anyone for a night of A Thief in the Night, The Cross and the Switchblade, Time to Run, Time Changer and The Omega Code? . . .

No?  Okay, how about Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter? . . .