'Fireproof' Hits Theaters
The highly-anticipated pro-marriage movie "Fireproof" heads into theaters this weekend with the hope of making a big splash that will ripple across the nation.
Opening Friday in more than 800 theaters across America, "Fireproof" is the inspiring story of a fireman and his struggle to save his faltering marriage from ending with his newfound faith and with the help of the "Love Dare," a 40-day spiritual guide that utilizes Scripture to reveal what true love is.
"We are trusting that God will use Fireproof to impact countless marriages on Opening Weekend ... and for years to come," stated Kris Fuhr, vice president of Provident Films, the faith-based Sony Pictures subsidiary behind the movie's distribution.
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Fuhr and supporters of Sherwood Pictures, the church ministry responsible for "Fireproof" and the 2006 box office hit "Facing the Giants," have been emphasizing for the past several months the importance of the movie's opening weekend.
"There are all kinds of ways to measure a movie's success. With a movie made by a church, the first place to start is with the ministry impact," Fuhr wrote to supporters Wednesday.
"From a business perspective, the most obvious starting point for determining a film's success is the Opening Weekend box office," he continued. "If you look at USA Today or your local paper on Mondays, they list the top 10 movies from the previous weekend based on box office revenue. I heard one well-known Hollywood producer say that within 24 hours, he knew if the previous two years worth of work had been worthwhile."
And so the film's promoters and supporters are urging moviegoers, particularly Christians, to rally behind a film that could help countless marriages and reveal to believers and non-believers alike what true love is. The movie's release comes as married couples in the United States have become a minority, with studies showing that 50 percent of Americans – regardless of religious affiliation – will be divorced at least once in their lifetime.
"It (the movie) captures the real-life issues of marriage in a moving, emotional, and riveting way," stated Dr. Tony Evans, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, in a published endorsement. "It inspires you to put your faith in action and fight for your marriage. I encourage anyone who is married or even thinking about getting married to see this movie."
And, as Fuhr noted, there is even more riding on the opening weekend with seven movies opening in wide release the week after Fireproof's debut.
"Hollywood looks at the success of Facing the Giants as an anomaly," he wrote, recalling what happened to Sherwood Picture's second film, which became the surprise hit of 2006, touching the hearts of more than 1.5 million people in theaters nationwide.
"Fireproof is flying under the Hollywood radar screen," he added. "This is a wonderful opportunity to show that there is an audience for authentic, inspiring, and entertaining stories that are created by people of faith."
In the days leading up to the opening weekend, the people behind "Fireproof" have been making appearances on TV and radio shows including Focus on the Family, NBC's Today Show, and FamilyLife Today.
In addition to the grassroots support, the movie has also drawn the support of several national groups including Focus on the Family, Outreach, FamilyLife, The Marriage CoMission, America's Family Coaches, AMFM, Marriage Alive Communications, and MarriageToday. Influential figures such as marriage expert Gary Smalley and Bubba Cathy of Chick-fil-A are also working to spread the word.
"'Fireproof' is going to do more than entertain and stir hearts when it comes to movie theaters," expressed FamilyLife president Dennis Rainey in his endorsement of the film. "This is a movie that will impact couples in a profound way for decades to come."
Since a 2002 Barna Group survey revealed movies as one of the leading influencers in American society – while churches were found to have lost much of their influence – Sherwood Pictures has produced three films in hopes of reaching lives for Christ.
Starting with the low-budget film "Flywheel," Sherwood worked its way up to "Facing the Giants" and finally to "Fireproof," which had a budget that eclipsed the first movie 25-fold and the second by 5, though still considered tiny by Hollywood's standards.
The ministry is also preparing to release the book The Love Dare, based on the plot device for the upcoming movie. Weeks before The Love Dare hits bookstores to coincide with the theatrical premiere of "Fireproof," over 300,000 copies of the pro-marriage book had already been sold and a third round of printing was already underway.
Based on current pre-sale figures, The Love Dare could become the top-selling Christian book of 2008.
"['Fireproof'] is more than a movie; it is movement of God," observed Michael Lewis, pastor of Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, in his personal blog.
On the Web:
List of theaters showing "Fireproof" at fireproofthemovie.com/theaters.
