Watching Fireproof with children

[choirfarm]

Dh thought it would be good to watch this movie with the children, but after reading the thread below it looks like internet porn is talked about?? We have two boys 14 and 12 and a girl that is 7. I'm thinking it would be good for my 14yo, not sure about my 12yo and I would have my little girl watch a different movie in another room. What do you think? We have had some internet issues with the 14yo, so I thought it might be good for him to see some of the dangers even if it does talk about this subject.

 

Christine

[Kissy]

I think it is ok to watch with your kids. It never actually says porn but in the movie the wife says he is always turning to the computer and she will not compete with it so it does lead you to think it is porn without saying so. If you watch any primetime tv then in my opinion kids see more on there than in fireproof. Having said that I think you should watch it before allowing them because if there is ever a doubt then you should be judge for your family not me. It is Dove Family approved if that helps in any way.

[choirfarm]

My boys have seen Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones series, Star Wars, Spiderman series, etc. We don't watch network tv. They loved Flywheel and Facing the Giants. I think the older ones are ready for Return of the Titans ( title correct..one with Denzel that is about racism) . (They are sports nuts.) So we are not ultra-conservative. I don't mind talking about controversial things. I just wanted to double check what they see and if he is spending TONS of time on the computer, then that would be GREAT for my oldest to see. Before he got his computer privileges yanked for a month, he was on it ALL the time (not on the internet) and we have talked about how his relationship with his siblings and us as parents got so much better over the month. However, he wants to go into a computer field as a profession, so... I'm just not sure what to do. We are getting a new filter, but in 4 years he will be out on his own able to do whatever he wants.. So he has to WANT to limit the time and his exposure to bad things out there. ( he didn't do anything terrible, but violated our rules, changed parental controls, was on a website we probably wouldn't have approved..) The computer is in the family room. They have to ask to get on the internet, but we have satelite so it is always on if that makes sense. So he has just recently been allowed back on that computer ONLY if I or his brother are sitting right there with him. Otherwise he must use the old computer. So this movie sounds like it would be a good example of overuse of computer..

 

Christine

[Nestof3]

The internet porn is spoken of so discretely that I cannot imagine a young child really understanding what the man's issue is. But, there is so much arguing and tension, that I personally would not have my two youngest boys watch it.

 

14 and 12, yes I would let them watch. We have been very open with our oldest during his puberty years about controlling his eyes and thoughts and where dangers exist.

[Tree House Academy]

Personally, I think this would BORE children. I don't even mind that internet porn is talked about personally. I just think that a man struggling to know God and save his marriage is a bit above what a child understands/grasps being as they have never been married. This movie speaks to adults. While kids can surely watch it with no harm done, I just think it would be boring and over a child's head.

[coralloyd]

I definately would not let your 7 yr.old, (possibly 12 yr. old also) watch. There is a part where it shows a girl pop up on his screen inviting him to come look, it shows his stuggle in choosing to not click on it.Then, if I recall correctly, in the journal his father writes it mentions porn. This stops him from clicking on the image of the girl, he then takes the computer outside and destroys it with a baseball bat. These are all things that would cause many ?'s from my kids.

[Angel]

We watched Fireproof with our jr. high/high school classes at church a couple weeks ago. With all the parents permission. Youngest in the class will be 13 in 2.5 months. It was very intense. They all seemed to like it and we had discussion later. I know my 14yo dd and her friend discussed it for some time.

 

I would not allow my 8yo to watch it. Too intense on many levels. Beyond the internet issues, there are two intense scenes with a car wreck and a house on fire. She will be waiting a while.

 

I think 14 is a fine age. Your 12yo may or may not get what all's going on.

[GreenKitty]

I personally would not let young children watch it, I don't even think they would be interested. Teenage is dif, if they have an interest, then I would let them.

[Rebecca in VA]

It didn't bother my 11-year-old at all. There were a lot of comic and dramatic scenes with the firemen, the elderly neighbor, and the wife's co-workers that kept the movie from being too heavily focused on the marriage issue.

 

I think the wife mentioned that the husband looked at "trash" on the computer. That went right over my daughter's head. The pop-up of the girl on the computer wasn't very revealing; she was fully clothed, and it only showed her head and upper body. I think if I'd asked her, my daughter would have said that the husband was spending more time with the computer than his wife and that the wife was jealous (a real issue even when porn isn't involved).

 

What bothered me were the fight scenes where the husband and wife were yelling at each other and the husband was really losing his temper. Those were downright scary, but at least they were brief.