HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Californians who don’t attend church are hearing the gospel in a cultural context this weekend that may be taking some off guard. That’s because Sherwood Baptist Church’s latest movie, Fireproof, had its Hollywood debut on Thursday night (Sept. 25) and presented the gospel in easy-to-understand terms in a format that the city understands well – the local Cineplex.

Fireproof will open on 73 screens today in California, slightly more than the 60 scheduled for Georgia. That is part of a larger rollout on 800 screens nationwide that is sending the message that marriages are worth saving and that Christ can provide the foundation against marital storms.

“I am praying that thousands of marriages will be turned around and homes will be strengthened because of this movie, but if only a handful are saved, every day’s hard work on this will be been well spent,” co-writer Alex Kendrick said. “I can sleep well at night knowing that I was faithful to the Lord for the vision he gave Stephen and me. We were obedient, and that’s what matters.”

 

Debut just two years after Facing the Giants

The movie was screened at the ArcLight Theater, which boasts a prestigious Sunset Avenue address and was the same location where Facing the Giants received its debut almost two years ago to the day.

Fireproof is the third release in a trilogy of sorts in cinematic story telling produced by the Albany church. While not connected by a shared storyline, the movies do share a common theme based loosely on morality plays. The Kendrick Brothers are showing they can showcase the best of Christianity against the worst of secular values. Flywheel dealt with morals as an automobile dealer was tempted with unscrupulous business practices; Giants dealt with issues of infertility and lack of a spiritual commitment. Fireproof follows along that line, adding a couple whose marriage is on the rocks and whose future looks grim.

Fireproof comes on the heels of the wildly popular “Facing the Giants,” which received its Hollywood debut at the same theatre. A lot has changed in that short span of time, Alex Kendrick says.

Two months after its Sept. 29, 2006 release, Giants was showing on 216 screens nationwide; this weekend Fireproof will open on 800 screens and could grow considerably in coming weeks. But the stakes are just as high for Fireproof and they were for “Giants.” Kendrick, he says as he encourages Georgians to attend this weekend’s showings.

Those sentiments are echoed by Kris Fuhr, vice president of Provident Films, which is distributing the movie.

 

Different ways of measuring a movie’s success

"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 said. "We are trusting that God will use “Fireproof to impact countless marriages on Opening Weekend ... and for years to come.”

"From a business perspective, the most obvious starting point for determining a film's success is the opening weekend box office. If you look at USA Today or your local paper on Mondays, they list the top 10movies 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.

"Combining the business and the ministry aspects, you realize that every person that sees the movie on opening weekend is someone whose relationships may be impacted by the story. And that's exciting."

A strong first weekend ensures a long-playing movie, which helps in other ways as well, he continued.

"With seven movies opening in wide release the week after we open, there is even more riding on our opening weekend. Hollywood looks at the success of ‘Facing the Giants’ as an anomaly. ‘Fireproof’ is flying under the Hollywood radar screen. 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."

Sherwood pastor Michel Catt, who shares the vision for a strong church-based media ministry, nurtured the brothers’ interest in making Hollywood-quality movies as an extension of the church’s ministry. The overarching goal: To impact the world from Albany.

John White, retired Los Angeles firefighter and current president/chaplain of Firefighters for Christ (FFC) International, was joined at the event by Jerry Sillcocks, president of the group’s New York chapter. White retired after 45 years of service with the Los Angeles Fire Department; Sillcocks serves as lieutenant with Engine 48 in the Bronx.

 

Accurate portrayal of firefighters

Both men applauded the film’s accurate portrayal of the difficulties a fireman has in his personal and professional life and how the strains can easily weaken a marriage. They expressed gratitude the way it will provide an avenue for those in similar high stress situations – whether on the professional or personal level – to work toward healing in their marriages.

“Before a Los Angeles fireman ever goes on the field he is put through 13 weeks of rigorous training – which is then reinforced regularly on the job – to maintain the highest professional standards. I would venture to say that 95 percent of men walk into one of the most important relationships of their lives with no training or safety net whatsoever.

Fireproof will help give those individuals the support they need, he added.

That’s the same theme that Kendrick was sharing with news reporters following the movie’s premier.

When asked what was his favorite scene, he said he could quickly say the action packed scenes with the train or the house fire. But to be honest, he said, it would have to be the scenes that dealt with the transformation of character.

“That’s really what this movie is all about,” he explained. In today’s world marriage has been so watered down, so redefined, that we hardly recognize it. Stephen and I and the 1,200 volunteers at Sherwood worked hard to give an example of two hard working spouses who drifted apart and who no longer loved each other. We wanted to show how it happened and then offer an option to divorce through a life changing personal encounter with Jesus Christ.

“There is not a marriage on this planet that could not be strengthened or improved by viewing this movie. This movie is not just about marriages that are falling apart and is not just for troubled couples. It’s for healthy as well as not-so-healthy marriages and the individuals who want to make their relationships even better.”

That theme may be catching on in the general population. The week leading up to the national release, ticket sales for Fireproof were the most requested of any other movie with 33 percent of its sales. And The Love Dare paperback book was number 23 with Amazon.com and was in the Top 50 with Wal-Mart stores.