Fireproof is a 2008 chef-d’oeuvre film directed by Stephen Kendrick. The movie explores different family attributes, but the overriding theme is on marriage and divorce. The contemporary marriage institution is constantly faced with numerous challenges, which ultimately lead to divorce. In the movie, Fireproof, Caleb’s marriage is replete with conflict as he barely agrees on anything with his wife, Catherine. This paper describes the movie, Fireproof, while discussing its portrayal of marriage and divorce in regards to the different forms of families described in the study module.
As the movie opens, Catherine is a naïve young girl without any clue on what makes a marriage. She even wonders whether she can marry her father, but her mother is quick to point out that she cannot do such a thing, as the father is already married (Kendrick, 2008). However, Catherine’s mother promises her that she can be happily married forever if she finds the right man. The scene shifts to 25 years later where Catherine is Caleb’s wife. At this point, the roles have changed from childhood fantasies on marriage to the real experience of what marriage entails.
Unfortunately, Catherine does not live to her mother’s words of forever happily married. Whilst Caleb is excellent at his work and his team looks up to him given that he is the captain, his family is falling apart. He cannot hold a mature conversation with his wife, Catherine, and thus any attempt to communicate ends up in an intense argument replete with verbal abuse and humiliation. This aspect underscores the dark side of marriage as discussed in the learning module.
According to Catherine, Caleb is mean, bigoted, and senseless. For instance, he is working hard to purchase an expensive boat, while Catherine’s mother is in dire need of medical care after suffering from a stroke. On the other side, Caleb thinks that Catherine is ungrateful and dumb as she cannot get her priorities right. According to Caleb, Catherine cannot differentiate between needs and wants on top of being unable to appreciate help extended to other people by her husband. Therefore, the couple ends up blaming each other and the blame game culminates in divorce threats.
Catherine is tired of the marriage and she wants a divorce. Similarly, Caleb is also tired and when Catherine introduces the divorce issue, he consents, but after humiliating her with hurting words. However, Caleb’s father, John, thinks that Caleb can salvage his marriage by implementing the rich advice laid out in the Love Dare, which is a guideline for healing and reconciliation in marriages that are falling apart. Even though the module holds that nuclear families are most common in the United States, the role of the extended family comes into play in this scenario. John plays a key role in the reconciliation journey between Catherine and Caleb.
Caleb embarks on the turbulent journey of implementing the Love Dare principles, which are supposed to take 40 days. Unfortunately, Catherine does not appreciate any kind gesture from Caleb and she falls for Dr. Kevin Keller. By the nineteenth day, Caleb is supposed to organize a candle-lit dinner for Catherine according to the Love Dare manual. Unfortunately, on the same day, Catherine blurts that she no longer loves Caleb and their marriage is over regardless of how Caleb tries. At this point, Caleb is on the verge of giving up, but John notes that quitting is not an option. He tells Caleb to try Christ by becoming born again.
Caleb heeds this advice, becomes born again, and the true healing starts (Bowles, 2008). He forgives Catherine and uses his entire savings to buy Catherine’s mother an electric wheelchair. Meanwhile, Dr. Kevin Keller breaks his romantic escapades with Catherine. Later, Catherine discovers the Love Dare manual and falls sick few days later. Caleb takes care of her and posits that he is past the 40th day of the Love Dare manual and he cannot stop loving and caring for Catherine. They ultimately renew their vows as the movie ends.
References
Bowles, S. (2008). ‘Fireproof’ Marries God, Filmmaking’.
Kendrick, A. (Director). (2008). Fireproof [Film]. Los Angeles, CA: Samuel Goldwyn Films.