Earlier I recommended Syd Field with the qualification that he does not write from a Christian world view. I really should have finished the book before noting it, as I would have withheld my recommendation because he graphically describes the details of rated R films.
Last night I portrayed The Good Shepherd and Joyce preached on John 10 for the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship ( http://www.intervarsity.org ) at Cooper Union. In the documentary Changing Lives: The Peter Cooper Story I got to do the voice of Peter Cooper, who founded the school. It continues to operate on his principal that the college should be free. I'm sorry to say they don't offer a degree in theatre! So that students appreciate the value of their education, they are each awarded a full scholarship, which declares it's value at $30,000.
What a great group of students we met! Their worship and fellowship was so heartwarming. It made me wish I would have attended a student fellowship when I was in school. I remember making the choice not to attend because I was so busy, and because I had my own church. But the value of knowing some fellow Christians on campus, worshiping with them and lifting each other up in prayer would have been so valuable.
Should I ever be called to another degree at a secular school, I'll know what to do!
This group was started by a young man from our church. It started last year as six students in his living room, and now they've already divided into two groups to accommodate schedules, and the one we attended had over thirty!
If your school doesn't have one, consider starting one. Joy Freschly can help. Her email is on the Contact page of http://MasterWorksFestival.org
Variety called it "The biggest surprise" of the week.
In their first seven days they made $8.4M. That put them at a respectable #4 at the B.O., but with $10,039 per theatre they were less than $500/screen off of #1 for that category. Not bad for a $500k budget!
If you've got a good marriage this film will inspire you to make it better. If you're engaged or newly married you've got to see this film. If your marriage isn't as good as you want it to be you MUST see this film. If you're a teenager this film will give you a vision of how to build a solid marriage.
But Fireproof isn't just a theatrical marriage seminar. It's entertaining! For a cast made up mostly of amateurs this is truly remarkable film making. The makers of Facing the Giants are improving on their craft. The car on the track scene (I'm not giving too much away since it's glimpsed in the trailer) is so gripping because you know they didn't have the budget for CGI (which the credits confirmed). Our theatre on Times Square was packed, and people laughed so loud at the humor I've got to see it again because I missed so many lines! And on the other side of things I was moved to tears again and again.
Were there some holes? For what they paid and the experience they had you have to expect that. Was it an enjoyable, entertaining film. Absolutely!
See it soon to cast your vote for more films like it.
