An interesting but not altogether successful experiment, this Christian-slanted romantic drama was largely financed and acted by members of a church group. In fact, the only Hollywood pro in the cast is top-billed Kirk Cameron—who currently only makes faith-based movies—as firefighter Caleb Holt, whose marriage to hospital public-relations director Catherine (Erin Bethea) is crumbling after seven years due to financial pressures and the demands of their respective careers. With a divorce in the offing, Caleb undertakes a 40-day experiment called the “Love Dare,” which involves a life-changing commitment to love God as a prelude to recapturing his wife's heart. Co-writers Alex (who also directed) and Stephen Kendrick adeptly infuse this topical story with Christian teachings, and even though their commentary on contemporary society's rapidly eroding culture is often heavy-handed, Fireproof will appeal to those viewers who seek spiritual nourishment from their entertainment. Mainstream audiences accustomed to contemporary Hollywood fare, on the other hand, will likely find Fireproof to be both simplistic and even risible in spots, but the movie did well during its limited theatrical engagements, suggesting that there is indeed a thriving market for Christian feature films. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by writer/director Alex Kendrick and writer/producer Stephen Kendrick, a 23-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, 15 minutes of deleted scenes, “Firegoofs/Jokes and Pranks” outtakes (8 min.), a “Marriage Matters” featurette (8 min.), the “Love Dare” promo (6 min.), a “Wayne on Wayne” character featurette (4 min.), a two-minute summary of the film, and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a so-so film.] (E. Hulse)[Blu-ray Review—Sept. 15, 2009—Sony, 118 min., PG, $28.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2008's Fireproof sports a nice transfer with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by writer-director Alex Kendrick and writer-producer Stephen Kendrick, a behind-the-scenes featurette (23 min.), a “Filming a Movie in 30 Days” video blog (20 min.), deleted scenes (15 min.), “Firegoofs/Jokes and Pranks” outtakes (8 min.), a “Marriage Matters” featurette (8 min.), the “Love Dare” promo (6 min.), a “Wayne's Firehouse” featurette (6 min.), a “Wayne on Wayne” character featurette (4 min.), a summary of the film (2 min.), a brief “Fun with Mr. Rudolph” outtake, the music video for “Slow Fade” by Casting Crowns, and trailers. Bottom line: although the Blu-ray debut adds a few extras, this inspirational film is still a so-so cinematic effort.]
Fireproof
Sony, 118 min., PG, DVD: $28.99, Jan. 27 Volume 24, Issue 1
Fireproof
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