Summary
Fireproof is a 2008 Christian movie directed by Alex Kendrick that revolves around conflict resolution in marriage. A young girl who has always dreamt of being married to a man like her father gets the shock of her life when she is married to a man who seems to care less about her needs. The man, a firefighter, is skillful in his work and could sacrifice anything to ensure his work is done well. He even advices his colleagues on the importance of working together and ensuring that no victim perishes in the fire. The dedication that he shows towards his work is contrary to what he is offering in his marriage. This hence makes his wife feel lonely to the point of proposing a divorce.
Blind to his actions, the man seems not to understand his action and in fact believes that his wife had issues. His addiction to pornography adds fire to their critical marriage and ultimately makes the wife emotionally detached from it. She starts flirting with her doctor and this brings some temporal relief to her hurting emotions. The man on the other hand is distressed about the whole situation and seeks advice from his father. The father recommends a 40-day love dear, which are guidelines that the man has to observe for forty days. The man accepts to follow the steps reluctantly just to please his father not knowing that such a period would revive the intimacy in his marriage (Gergen 266). Even though his wife is still flirting with the doctor and shows less concern about her changed husband, the man does not give up. As the events unfold, the man is born again, his wife confirms the change in his husband and they solemnize their marriage in a colorful wedding.
Analysis
The movie could not have come at a timely period where the solution to marital conflicts is divorce. in a world where couples are trying to balance between careers and family, it has become quite easy for them to concentrate on their work citing the high standards of living. Many of the issues that are taken for granted like simple communication end up complicating marriages with divorce being considered the ultimate solution. I sociology, the concept that has come up strongly in the movie is Social constructionism. The lady strongly believed that the best solution for her marital affairs is to divorce his husband. She finds solace in a doctor who is not aware of the conflict he has in her family. Conflict is a normal occurrence in relationships yet couples fail to realize the power of communication in the same.
We are living in a world where it is necessary to go so school and acquire specific skills that will perfect our careers. The education system has been made so rigid that those who go through it are well knowledge in their careers yet fail to apply similar skills to other social issues around them. A holistic education system, whereby students are not only taught business management but are also told how such knowledge could be applied to their day-to-day relationships (Rappleyea 92). The paradox of the education system has been revealed in the movie where the man is endowed with the skills to fight fire and even organize his colleagues yet he cannot apply similar skills to put off the fire in his marriage.
Social constructionism defines some of the complexities experienced in life to have been created by the prevailing systems. Since the movements that advocated for the rights of women, most of them have neglected their marital responsibilities as they concentrate in their careers. This has also made it easy for them to find solace elsewhere instead of finding solutions to their marital issues. For instance, if the lady was a housewife, she would have thought of other avenues to solve her marital issues but instead gave up easily on her marriage. This is because she found a male colleague who was willing to fill up the emotional gap she was facing. The issue of trying to equalize the roles of males and females in the society has complicated marital issues.
The pursuit of a divorce certificate from the lady was motivated by the fact that his husband was addicted to pornography. This has also been explained through Social constructionism where the current systems have made it possible to access pornographic materials through the internet. Despite the positive effects of an improved system of communication to business, it is also creating a social discomfort by making some dangerous materials such as pornography easily accessible. This hence implies that the constructions has already been done and also impossible to be revised. As people accept and appreciate the positive influences of development, there is also a need to know how to deal with the negatives. This will ensure that we are not faced with a scenario where we are creating solutions by causing more problems.
Crisis is part of our daily living whose extend of damage can be resolved before it is complex. The man understood the concepts of crisis management when it came to fighting fire. The constructionism of the situation required him to only apply the skills in his works place and not at home. He most probably failed to realize that he did not need any extra skills to solve the issue at home but simply apply what he knew to his marriage (Burr 39). The rigidity of his wide knowledge made him suffer a great deal before realizing that it could be simple only if he reflected on the same. Social constructionism also tends to explain the importance of experience in helping people deal with some of the common issues they face. For instance, the man’s father had a similar conflict in his marital wife of which the wife applied the love dare, which worked well for their relationship. With such prior experience, he was able to pass it on to his son and ultimately saved his marriage.
An important issue that has been addressed in the movie that is missing in the current generation is parental counsel. Most young people will seldom seek advice from their parents especially when it comes to marital issue. They assume that the problems the parents faced when they were young are different from what they are facing. They fail to recognize the fact that even if the issues are different, the concept of conflict management remains the same and only requires proper application. The man, though distressed was humble enough to not only share his issues with his dad but also put them into practice. The movie categorically states that the man was doing it not for his marriage but for the respect, he had for his dad. This is an important statement that proves that young people have not really deviated from parental guidance despite the negativity that has been noted.
There is also the issue of spirituality that ultimately crowned the movie. After going through the forty-day test, the dad finally challenges the man to accept Christ, which he did. The implication here is that there is a strong aspect of love and relationships that can only be learned when a person appreciates the position of God in his life. The other steps being taken to resolve their conflicts in marriage may only be temporal, but if the couple learns love God’s way, they will not have to struggle with the same issues (Catt 89). God’s love is unconditional, and learning to tolerate some of the negativities in a person as you appreciate and rely on the positives. The love of God has the ability to deliver one from the toughest bondage.
Conclusion
Despite much acting that is involved in movies, they have a special way through which they highlight societal issues with the aim of bringing in solutions. The movie is one of the movies that had numerous lessons especially to the young people who believe their marital issues are too complex to be resolved. Seeking council from those who have been before it and us remains crucial should never be assumed that they lack the skills to handle them. The need to also apply our school based skills to our daily life has been emphasized which will make us effective in our social lives just as we are in our careers. With the unfolding developments, there should be a realization that there are side effects that should be dealt with rather than being ignored.
Works cited
Burr, Vivien. Social constructionism. Routledge, 2003.
Catt, Michael. Fireproof Your Life: Building a Faith that Survives the Flames. CLC Publications, 2012.
Gergen, Kenneth J. "The social constructionist movement in modern psychology." American psychologist 40.3 (1985): 266.
Rappleyea, Damon L. "Fireproof; The Love Dare: Alex Kendrick (Director and Producer) and Stephen Kendrick (Producer).(2008). Albany, GA: Samuel Goldwyn Films and Sherwood Pictures, 122 minutes, 19.99(DVD);StephenKendrickandAlexKendrick.(2008).Nashville,TN:B&HPublishingGroup,213pp., 8.79 (paperback)." Journal of couple & relationship therapy 9.1 (2010): 91-92.
