by Erika Washington

By definition, marriage is the union of two people–a union of a man and a woman, to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life. Most take these vows in sickness and in health, for better or for worse but they don’t really mean the worse part. Fireproof, a new Christian based drama starring Kirk Cameron tackles the good and the horrible aspects of marriage. Cameron, who plays Caleb Holt a hard working fireman in a small town, is coming to grips with the fact that his marriage is just not what he wants anymore. His wife, Katherine Holt, played by Erin Bethea is a hard working PR director who feels unloved and misunderstood by her husband of seven years.

Anger, frustration, guilt, and temptation, sometimes all at once, seems to take over this more than capable fireman. He is a hero at work and to the community but at home he is lost. His mother and father try to help the young couple out and offer him guidance and their faith, both of which he turns down flat. It isn’t until his father “dares” him to try and fix his marriage that Caleb begins to see the way.

The movie, produced by a Christian church, takes the time and teaches in a non-intrusive way how couples can fireproof their marriage. Solidifying that marriage is worth the fight and with God and an open heart it can be achieved. The movie touches on a number of outside influences that can damage a relationship. Addiction, friends with good intentions but bad advice, faithlessness—Caleb’s father says to him at one point “Son, the heart can be easily deceived so don’t follow it, lead with it.” He made it clear that the 40 day dare wasn’t a simple solution but a life changing exercise.

What I love about this movie but didn’t find out until afterward is that the producers of this film are so adamant about safe guarding marriage, that in the only romantic scene in the film Cameron is actually kissing his real life wife Chelsea Noble. They flew her out strictly for that scene because of a vow that the couple took many years ago to kiss no one but each other. Not a big deal for the average Dick and Jane but for a Hollywood type couple that truly says something about their faith.

Most newlyweds are told by veterans of marriage that marriage is hard, that the amount of work and the sacrifice that a couple puts in can sometimes seem daunting. Of course most newly weds, with their starry eyes and love on their minds take all this advice with the proverbial grain of salt. How could anything that makes you feel this good be considered work? Truth of the matter is most marriages don’t last simply because of that school of thought.  Knowing the ups and downs of marriage on a personal level, I urge all married, engaged, separated, and even dating couples to see this film, if only to understand what it means to fireproof your marriage. Because fireproof doesn’t mean the fire won’t come, just simply that the fire won’t destroy it.

Erika blogs about being a wife, mother, writer and knitter at Not Without My Coffee.