Is it a miracle? A wonder? Or just a sign of the coming end of days? Experts both theological and box office-alistical have today been reading the entrails of new Christian flick Fireproof in the hope of working out quite why so many people went to see it at US cinemas this past weekend.
Costing $500,000 (just under £277,000) to make, Fireproof has been showing on just 839 screens in the past few days, but took over $2m (£1.1m) in receipts. This makes it the most financially successful movie to have originated from a studio run by a church in Albany, Georgia. Certainly in this calendar year.
So why is this? That the film is clear in its religious inclinations (the Hindu god Ganesh does not, at any point, make a cameo appearance dousing a warehouse blaze with the contents of his trunk) is apparent to all. But as Nikki Finke makes clear on her blog, not every Christian movie is guaranteed to get bible-thumping bums on seats (something Fireproof star Kirk Cameron can testify to, having also starred in evangelical flop Left Behind).
So what's the reason for this success? Fervent prayer? An advance ticketing drive? The accompanying Fireproof My Marriage campaign? Or, as some heretics have dared to observe, is it actually a not-half bad fireman movie?
We Brits may yet have to wait before offering our own infallible verdicts; as yet, Fireproof is not scheduled for a UK release.
