Marriage is hard. No doubt about it. When two individuals with individual expectations come into a relationship, something's got to give. Anyone who has walked the aisle and donned the ring knows that the idyllic dreams of marital bliss get swept away with the day-to-day routine of committing to another person.
This past year, you might have gone to see what happened to the the Holt's and the Wheeler's at your local theater. The tragedy that had become the Holt's marriage came packaged as Fireproof (FP). You can find the story of the Wheeler's train wreck in Revolutionary Road (RR). Both films expose marital misery, but more than that, they expose the enormous chasm between what Hollywood thinks of marriage in America and what God thinks.
Hollywood loved RR (the review by Focus on the Family (not so much in love) is here). They loved Dicaprio and Winslet. Oscars. Golden Globes. Rave reviews. What is the message of RR? Suburban marriage is a dead end. In fact, it's lethal in the most abominable way imaginable. Escape, according to the sage west coast, is the only hope for suburban marriage. Even Rupert Holmes came to that dismal conclusion in the 1970's song, Escape/Pina Colada. Why does Hollywood love RR? It ends in abortion and death.
Critics loathed FP (Focus' review is here). It's not Casablanca, but it is a film of reasonable quality, moderate acting, but outstanding in story. Hollywood and film critics dismissed it as trite. Why? Kirk Cameron (of Growing Pains --scoff--titter) and his relationship with Jesus. They dismissed it because Holt (Cameron's character) determines to put aside his selfishness and strive to honor the commitment he mad to his wife. They dismissed it because along the way, he learns about the ultimate love, the love that God has for his creatures in Jesus Christ (there's that name again), and because Holt takes that love and begins to lavish it upon his bride.Why does Hollywood hate FP? It ends with a marriage healed and the relationship between one man, one woman, and their Father in heaven healed because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.
The story of the Wheeler's marriage ends with death and despair, and it will probably take home a troves of Oscars. The story of the Holt's marriage ends with hope and joy, and has earned no secular awards. But it has had a hand in forcing men and women across the country to get serious about their relationships with God and with one another. One of these rewards will find its way to the trash heap; the other will ripple through eternity.
Just another reason the Academy Award has slipped into utter irrelevance.
Bless your marriage and go buy Fireproof. Great flick to see and see again.
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2 comments:
Amen! All of those involved in the making of Fireproof will receive their reward from the only One that really matters but if opinion matters at all...I loved it!
I'd never seen it before today. Rented it after reading this. Did cringe in certain areas at the acting, but all in all, a far better product than I expected, and the story was deeply moving. Definitely one I'd like to own.
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