Fireproof is a very Christian movie with very bad acting and a very bad script. The plot follows Caleb Holt (Cameron) and Catherine Holt (Bethea) as their marriage is falling apart. Divorce is imminent, but Caleb's father (Malcolm) wants him to wait 40 days before proceeding. He sends him a book called The Love Dare, which contains instructions and Bible verses for each of 40 days in order to save a failing marriage. Spoiler alert: it works!
The trailer looked bad, but I was unprepared for how disastrous everything about this movie turned out to be. I don't have a problem with Christian movies (in fact, I wish there were more good ones), but I do have a problem when the director uses a movie to lecture people. People were speaking to the audience about God instead of to each other. Nothing felt genuine. It was like watching a book being read to me with occasional snippets of religious ideas. I can't blame everything on the script, because the acting is equally amateurish and superficial (the best actor was the girl in a car accident screaming in fear). This was essentially a well-financed student film project with good equipment and poor talent. And an overabundance of firefighter metaphors.
Be that as it may, the movie somehow still manages to be inspirational. You wouldn't expect it, but some of the problems feel so down-to-earth and applicable compared to the melodrama you might see in other movies about marriage and divorce. Unfortunately, realism doesn't always make for a pleasant viewing experience. The only people I would recommend this movie to are Christians or people looking to save a marriage that is worth saving. Otherwise, pass on it.
IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1129423/