THE STORY

At work, inside burning buildings, Capt. Caleb Holt lives by the old firefighter’s adage: Never leave your partner behind. At home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules.

After seven years of marriage, Caleb and Catherine Holt have drifted so far apart that Catherine wishes she had never married.

Neither one understands the pressures the other faces—as firefighter and she as the public relations director of a hospital. Regular arguments over jobs, finances, housework, and outside interests have readied them both to move on to something with more sparks.

As the couple prepares to enter divorce proceedings, Caleb’s father challenges his son to commit to a 40-day experiment he calls “The Love Dare.” Wondering if it’s even worth the effort, Caleb agrees, but more for his father’s sake than for his marriage. When Caleb discovers the book’s daily challenges are tied into his parents’ newfound faith, his already limited interest is further dampened.

While trying to stay true to his promise, Caleb becomes frustrated time and again. He finally asks his father, “How am I supposed to show love to somebody who constantly rejects me?”

When his father explains that this is the love God shows to us, Caleb makes a life-changing commitment to love God. And—with God’s help—he begins to understand what it means to truly love his wife.

But is it too late to fireproof his marriage? His job is to rescue others. Now Caleb Holt is ready to face his toughest job ever … rescuing his wife’s heart.

THE HEART

FIREPROOF is the third feature film from Sherwood Pictures—the creators of FACING THE GIANTS and FLYWHEEL. With hope-filled, heartfelt storytelling, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church continues to touch the world from Albany, Georgia.

Ministry will continue long after FIREPROOF opens this fall. Cast and crew understand they are ambassadors for the film’s message of hope. And, as with FACING THE GIANTS and FLYWHEEL, proceeds from the movie will help build Sherwood’s 82-acre public sports park in Albany—with walking trails, a fishing pond, horse stables and riding trails, tennis courts, baseball fields, and soccer fields. Albany residents already enjoy many of the amenities, with more on the way.

“I think there will be even more ministry opportunities with FIREPROOF than we saw with FACING THE GIANTS,” says Sherwood Senior Pastor Michael Catt. “We don’t do this so that people will pat us on the back. We do it for God’s glory.

“An action-packed love story, FIREPROOF will have audiences laughing, crying, and inching toward the edge of their seats as they are drawn into the world of a firefighter, his wife … and a marriage worth rescuing.

Moral Rating: Excellent
Primary Audience: Family, Adults, Teens
Genre: Drama, Christian, Sports
Length: 1 hr. 51 min.
Year of Release: 2006
USA Release: September 29, 2006 (limited)

Featuring: James Blackwell, Bailey Cave, Shannen Fields, Tracy Goode, Alex Kendrick, Jim McBride, Tommy McBride, Jason McLeod, Steve Williams, Chris Willis, Ray Wood
Director: Alex Kendrick
Producer: Michael Catt, Tracy Goode, Terry Hemmings, Alex Kendrick, Stephen Kendrick, Jim McBride, David Nixon, Brad Weston
Distributor: Carmel Entertainment Group

“Never give up. Never back down. Never lose faith.”

This movie was fantastic; it is a “must-see” for everyone. It had me hooked from the previews. I knew this was a Christian movie, written and produced by a church group, but I had not expected that even the previews would honor the Lord! That was so awesome; it completely caught me off-guard; and the movie was tremendous. I highly recommend it.

The movie starts with a high school football team that is losing very badly. They are finishing a losing season, and we hear the sports announcer saying that they will have to wait until next year for Coach Taylor to pull it up—as he covers the microphone and murmurs, “That is IF they let him come back next year.”

For Coach Taylor, everything in his life seems to be falling apart. He and his wife Brooke seem to be “barely getting by.” With a total combined income of $30,000/year, their car, along with many of their household appliances are broken or work intermittently; they have been trying for four years to have a baby, and as head coach of a losing football team, the parents and the community as a whole are ready to give up on him. Many want to bring in someone else who could “do the job better” or replace him with the assistant coach. “He’s a good guy and all, but let’s face it; he just can’t do that job…,” seems to be the general attitude. They are even meeting with one of his assistant coaches, trying to get him to align with them to remove Coach Taylor from his position. They want to put the assistant in charge, telling him that he will do a much better job, and that Coach Taylor is simply not cutting it—“He has had six years, after all.” “Students are quitting the team; we are losing booster support. Something has to be done, right?”

Aren’t you so glad that God never gives up on us? People may fail you. Men may turn their back on you; they may betray you. So many times in life, people act just like that group of parents and sponsors—the backbiting, the criticism, the power struggles seem never-ending at times. God does not need man’s help to bring results. As demonstrated in this movie, and throughout the Bible, prayer and faith take care of that matter—leave the results up to God. Imagine if Jeremiah had quit proclaiming the Word because of lack of results. He didn’t, because regardless of the results or lack, and regardless of what man saw, Jeremiah knew that He was exactly where God wanted Him.

As we’ve all had times where those who should have supported, helped or encouraged us have instead turned their backs, betrayed, criticized, or tried to take over, remember this: The Lord has promised never to leave you and never to forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)! He loves you as no one else ever could; He loved you enough to give up everything for you, even His life! When everyone else in the world seems to have turned their back on you, God loves you—and HE will ALWAYS be there. Remember that. HE will never leave you; He will never forsake you; He will never betray you. He will ALWAYS LOVE YOU, and He will always stand by you.

As things seem to be crashing down all around him, Coach Taylor is beginning to question his own abilities, and even asking “What’s God doing.” With everything in his life falling apart, he admits to his wife, “It must be me.” They lay their heads down and cry together as they seem to be, at that moment, completely defeated and without hope. However, there is ALWAYS HOPE IN CHRIST—ALWAYS!

Coach Taylor calls on the Lord, reading and quoting Psalm 18:1-3, and you begin to see a vast difference in his countenance and his demeanor. Giving the matter to the Lord, and trusting the Lord to protect and deliver him from the very pits of life that threaten to engulf them, both Brooke and Coach Taylor continue to trust in the Lord. They call on Him in prayer, pouring over His Word, vowing to trust in HIM no matter what. The Lord begins to strengthen his faith, reminding him that WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

That sets the scene for the movie. Watching how the Lord works in the lives of each of the characters in this movie is heartwarming, reminding us all that through GOD great things can and DO happen, if we’ll only trust in HIM!

I saw absolutely nothing offensive to mention. There is no violence at all, other than normal football play. I saw nothing of concern in that. One player was hurt in a game and helped off the field. There is no profanity, no sexual situations, and no scantily-clad or half-dressed people in the movie. It was a good, clean family film; and I recommend it for viewers of all ages.

The entire movie is FILLED with moral issues and with opportunities for Biblical discussions—how a situation ought to be handled Biblically; there were many such issues that would be great for youth group studies or any group seeking to draw nearer the Lord or those wanting to learn by example. I understand that there are even Bible study guides that go along with this movie, available for download on the movie Web site — http://facingthegiants.com

I believe that everyone will be able to relate to this movie. It addresses many issues that we have all had to deal with, from a Biblical stand. The movie will bring you from tears to laughter in a matter of seconds and is easily one of the best movies I have seen. I plan to see it again with my daughter over the weekend and encourage anyone who has not seen the movie to do so. I give it two thumbs up and look forward to seeing another production from this church group very soon!

I had planned to see the movie. However, God worked that out through some people in our community and I did not have to make that drive. Through the “Facing the Giants” Booster Club, you can help bring the movie to your community.

Violence: None / Profanity: None / Sex/Nudity: None

Production Status: Released
Logline: An epic adventure that follows a young Jewish orphan who rises from peasant to Queen of Persia only to face the annihilation of her people.
Genres: Drama, Romance and Adaptation
Running Time: 2 hrs. 2 min.
Release Date: October 13th, 2006 (wide)
MPAA Rating: PG for violence, some sensuality, and thematic elements.
Distributors: Gener8Xion Entertainment
Production Co.: Gener8Xion Entertainment
U.S. Box Office: $13,329,757
Filming Locations: India
Produced in: United States

The more I read my Bible, I can’t help but wonder what stories would work best on the silver screen. Retellings of Joshua, Daniel, Ruth … I’m still waiting on that epic, Braveheart-styled adaptation of the life of David that reduces the 1985 dud starring Richard Gere to a distant memory.

Esther wouldn’t necessarily be near the top of my list as an obvious choice. The biblical story behind the Jewish festival of Purim isn’t an overtly spiritual one on the surface, nor does it initially seem like it would translate well with the heavily historical exposition, building to an edict to wipe out God’s people in Persia, and then a climax that hinges on the pointing of a scepter. We tend to simplify Esther down to one courageous entrance, but there’s a lot more to her “call of destiny”—and perhaps too much more in the case of One Night with the King.

Based on Tommy Tenney’s novel Hadassah: One Night with the King, this film comes to us from Gener8xion Entertainment, which also brought us 1999’s The Omega Code. They’ve clearly learned a thing or two about production values since then, as One Night with the King may well be the best-looking movie from a Christian company to date, with sumptuous visuals that are both artistic and authentic.

Filmed in India, director Michael O. Sajbel and his team have recreated the Persian kingdom with the picturesque look of a fairy tale—or Naboo from the more recent Star Wars films. Sweeping camera work reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings trilogy gives us a bird’s eye view of the palace and the surrounding landscape. Beautiful costumes and set designs add to the look—Esther’s wedding day offers the same elegant pageantry that established Cecil B. DeMille during the golden age of Hollywood.

Praise is also deserved for the film’s impressive casting. Newcomer Tiffany Dupont is picture perfect as the female lead, exuding beauty, intelligence, and humility with a young woman’s charm that somehow seems sweetly appropriate for the biblical equivalent to Cinderella. Surrounding her is a strong and diverse array of male actors, none better than John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark) with his warm portrayal of Esther’s cousin Mordecai. Luke Goss (Blade II) brings hunky royalty to the part of Xerxes, John Noble (The Return of the King) makes Prince Admantha as conniving as Denethor was, and James Callis (TV’s new Battlestar Galactica) has a hateful glower that brings Haman close to Shakespearean villainy. There’s also Omar Sharif in a small part as another princely advisor, and Peter O’Toole in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo as the prophet Samuel.

But Samuel is actually part of the reason One Night falls short—he’s completely unnecessary! It’s important to remember that the movie is an adaptation of a novelization of the book of Esther. A common mistake made in adapting any book (e.g the Harry Potter movies) is the attempt to transfer everything on the written page to film. The Lord of the Rings trilogy succeeded because the filmmakers discerned the difference between developments vital to the storytelling and details incidental to it—the essential vs. the extraneous.

Stephen Blinn’s screenplay for One Night is as complicated as Shakespeare crossed with The History Channel, constantly trying to explain the cultural and historical points without allowing the audience to comfortably sit back and enjoy the storytelling. You know you’re in for it when the movie relies on both narration (by Mordecai) and exposition in the dialogue to try and offer an Old Testament crash course. It ends up trying to say too much in too little time.

Though it’s important to know why Xerxes sought a new queen, can we truly appreciate an overlong scene of Queen Vashti’s refusal to appear at his banquet without fully understanding Persian royalty and tradition? An explanation of Haman’s personal vendetta against the Jewish people is certainly warranted, but do we really need a tangential prologue that hastily summarizes King Saul’s disobedience in 1 Samuel 15? And while it’s vital to explain Haman’s rise to power, do the intricate details of Admantha’s assassination plot add to the intrigue, or confuse the filmgoer unnecessarily? The script spends too much time trying to account for every detail about Haman’s success and hatred. Then, in order to drive the point home none too subtly, he’s given some anti-Semitic rants that echo Hitler, as well as a tribal symbol reminiscent of a swastika that identifies him as a descendent of Agag.

Character introduction is also awkward and subtle, making it hard to discern who’s essential to the story and who’s not. Yes, we need to establish the loving bond between Mordecai and Hadassah. No, we don’t need a potential romance between her and his underwritten family servant Jesse (Jonah Lotan), who later becomes a palace eunuch and ends up becoming the go-between for the two cousins.

The tricky thing about Esther’s story is finding a balance between oversimplifying and overcomplicating. The first half of this movie is essentially The Bachelor, as Esther is gradually schooled and groomed to earn the king’s favor. She first does so when she’s requested one evening to read the daily news to Xerxes, but then decides to recite the story of Jacob and Rachel instead—so much for keeping her heritage a low profile, eh?

Once she’s earned his heart and become queen, the challenge of the second half is to build tension, not only between Esther’s attempts to conceal her identity from an unsuspecting Haman, but also to sow seeds of doubt between her and Xerxes. If they’re too much in love, then there’s no suspense of whether he’ll spare her life in the scene’s pivotal scene. This undermines the film’s romantic themes somewhat, but nevertheless creates an intriguing relationship—two people devoted to each other, yet unable to be completely open with their lives.

All building to the well-known finales set in the throne room and the private banquet, both of which feel overly dramatized. After Esther’s long processional to the king’s throne, Xerxes extends his scepter at the last second … to deflect the sword of one of his palace guards. Later, when Esther reveals her identity, Scripture depicts Haman as fearful, begging her for his life. Here, he sneeringly mocks Esther and threatens her life, before Xerxes finally intervenes like George McFly from Back to the Future. Dramatic license is all well and good, but not when it contradicts key plot points. Much of the film’s drama also hinges on the secret of Esther’s necklace, a nice device except it gets lost, then found … then lost and found again. It all rings a little false with the melodrama.

I don’t want to sound too down on the filmmakers, though. This is difficult source material to adapt, which might explain why previous attempts to film it (most notably 1960 and 1999) have never quite gotten it right either. With One Night, they’ve made a commendable attempt at telling the story of a young woman who takes a leap of faith for her God and her people, and giving it sweeping production values to match.

But a good film still needs to communicate its story effectively, even one as familiar as this one is to Christians and Jews. If those who were raised on the story of Esther have as much trouble keeping up with this as I suspect they will, imagine how muddled One Night with the King will seem to anyone without the personal interest or acumen to invest in it. A tighter script could have made this a classic Bible epic.
Click to see trailer of the Movies – One Night with the King