Arkansas churches ensure Fireproof is a hot ticket

BY FRANK LOCKWOOD

Posted on Saturday, October 4, 2008

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A low-budget pro-marriage Christian movie is making big bucks at the box office, thanks, in part, to an army of Arkansas volunteers.

Fireproof, which cost $ 500, 000 to make, raked in $ 6. 8 million dollars on its opening weekend. Its earnings ranked fourth in the nation the weekend of Sept. 26-28 despite showing on just 839 screens.

Churches across the state snapped up tickets, posted movie trailers on their Web sites and promoted the film in their bulletins.

First Baptist Church of Greenwood bought every seat for one Fort Smith screening, and urged its married couples to attend. To sweeten the deal, the congregation tossed in free child care.

“We didn’t think we’d get rid of 302 tickets, but we sold every one of them,” pastor Ronnie Deal said.

The movie, about a firefighter who turns to God after encountering marital difficulties, promises that faith and unconditional love can move mountains and save marriages.

Former Growing Pains star Kirk Cameron, an evangelical Christian, has the starring role.

In Siloam Springs, an Assembly of God church bought 100 Fireproof tickets and sold 99. “It was very crowded” inside the theater, says church receptionist Debby Niccum.

At Trinity Baptist Church in Blytheville, pastor Mike Welch scooped up 107 movie passes, but they didn’t last long. “We had about 70-something of our members that bought tickets. Then we gave tickets away to... the Fire Department and Police Department and other people we were trying to get to go,” the pastor said.

Welch, who had seen an advance screening of the movie at the Southern Baptist Convention this summer, did his part to boost its box office revenue. “I went Friday and Saturday nights. I’ll probably wind up going back again because it’s been held over another week in our city.”

Dr. Greg Smalley, director of marriage ministries at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, had already seen five advance screenings of the film by the time of its premiere.

He opted not to see it a sixth time, but he stopped by the theater and bought tickets anyway, for the sole purpose of driving up sales.

He’s encouraging people to watch the film, and even did a segment on “Fireproofing Your Marriage” for the campus radio station.

“I’ve loved it every time I’ve seen it,” he said. “I think it has such a positive message of hope, of reconciliation.”

The movie was created by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., the congregation responsible for Facing the Giants, a 2006 film that grossed $ 10. 2 million.

Fireproof is on pace to easily top that mark.

People who saw Facing the Giants and the church’s other low-budget film, Flywheel, were eager to help promote the newest release.

“The movies they’ve done thus far have really just lifted my spirits and they’ve been ones that all generations can enjoy,” said JoAnn Cross, pastor of Calvary Temple Pentecostal Church of God in Conway.

Cross promoted Fireproof on her church’s Web site, and said she’s glad to support “a good movie without violence and sex and [foul ] language.”

Kris Fuhr, vice president of Provident Films, says churches have had an “incredibly important” role in promoting the movie.

“We had done a year-long grass-roots marketing campaign... and it paid off because they turned out in droves opening day weekend.”

In Cabot, Searcy, Blytheville and Siloam Springs, religious leaders formed Fireproof “Action Squads,” agreeing to buy 1, 000 tickets per town ahead of the Sept. 26 release date.

As a result, the film fared particularly well in this state. “We had a good turnout in Arkansas. Lots of good folks down there,” Fuhr said.

The film will expand to more than 1, 000 screens by Friday, Fuhr said.

Provident Films expected Fireproof to be a hit, but the box office numbers surprised and delighted film promoters, Fuhr said.

She gives God credit for the success, saying He has done “exceedingly and abundantly more than we ever expected.”

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