Chick-fil-a + Fireproof = Date Night!

[loveandwar]

Mmm. I love Chick-Fil-A. It's the only fast food I will eat. I refuse to eat McD's or Burger King after reading "Fast Food Nation". I would just go for the food and skip the movie, lol!

[demgirl]

Mmm. I love Chick-Fil-A. It's the only fast food I will eat. I refuse to eat McD's or Burger King after reading "Fast Food Nation". I would just go for the food and skip the movie, lol!

Meh. I hear what you're saying, but supporting Chick-a-Fila is just supporting one kind of evil over supporting another kind (McD's/BK). I'm not judging -- I refuse to go to Walmart but that's pretty much where my stand ends, especially if I'm low on money, time, etc. I really admire people who have taken stands on these corporations and do not patronize them at all. I try to patronize them less than average people do, but I fail at that all the time too.

[Rosa]

If my boyfriend could keep his voice down a little so as not to offend other patrons, that sounds like our ideal movie night. Fireproof sounds HILARIOUSLY bad and I've never had Chik-fila, so it would be like a snarkalicious anthropology.

Though, nothing will ever top The Butterfly Effect for sheer unintended awfulness, i think. I still only have to say "it flaps its little wings..." and my boyfriend cracks up.

[formergothardite]

I have to strongly disagree with your opinion that their food sucks. Frankly, their chicken sandwiches blow away any other fast food of the same type. Of course you pay more for it though. I will admit some Chick-Fil-A's have creepy employees, but I've never had one say "God bless you" to me. Something fun I always do with their employees is to see how many times I can make them say "My pleasure". They are trained to say this whenever you say thank you.

Yeah, they say "My Pleasure" here too. I've not heard any mention of "God bless you". I like Chick-Fil-a because they carry my tray to the table for me and come and refill my drink.

[GeoBQn]

Besides the fact that the movie is not interesting or believable, I think it sends a terrible message both to women in abusive marriages and to men who may be struggling with anger and/or porn issues. Basically, I hate it with the fire of a thousand suns and do not for the life of me understand why people think it's good in any way at all.

As the AV Club said in their grade F review, "Basically, the problem with Cameron and Bethea's marriage is that he's pissed off because his wife actually expects something from him, like extending a little kindness to her or washing a dish every once in awhile. He's like a gardener who never supplies a drop of water to a plant, then rages petulantly when the plant wilts."

$30 per couple is such a ripoff for fast food and tickets to a movie that's several years old. To satisfy my curiosity about the movie without paying to see it, I checked it out from my local library.

[Grace]

I don't care for the regular chicken sandwiches but give me a chicken biscuit or chicken minis ANY day for breakfast. And the sweet tea is great! I heard the president/founder speak at an event once and he was not particularly impressive. Although I did get free Chik-fil-a lunch and a screener of the first movie that company made called FlyWheel. I never have been able to watch the whole thing. Just know that the quality of Fireproof's production is about 10 times that of their first movie. But they did a decent job on it I guess for as cheap as they made it and considering the actors are just people they knew from church.

[liltwinstar]

Rosa, just get take out and watch it on YouTube. It is good for snarking, although by the end I was so mad I couldn't snark any more and wanted to beat my head against the wall instead.

[selkie]

Chick-fil-A's fried chicken spcie mix is essentially salt + MSG, so if you're sensitive to MSG like my husband it, it's a place to avoid at all costs.

[GenerationCedarchip]

As the AV Club said in their grade F review, "Basically, the problem with Cameron and Bethea's marriage is that he's pissed off because his wife actually expects something from him, like extending a little kindness to her or washing a dish every once in awhile. He's like a gardener who never supplies a drop of water to a plant, then rages petulantly when the plant wilts."

$30 per couple is such a ripoff for fast food and tickets to a movie that's several years old. To satisfy my curiosity about the movie without paying to see it, I checked it out from my local library.

Oh, that movie sounds AWFUL. I haven't seen it, but almost want to just so that I can determine for once and for all which is worse - Kirk Cameron in Fireproof or Kirk Cameron playing the lead in Left Below. I was subjected to the latter movie while visiting my family and the old fundie church and it was so bad that even the hardcore Titus 2 crowd mocked it.

Edited to add - The Cameron movie should have been called Left Behind. I get the real LaHaye book/movie and the Simpsons parody mixed up!

[Mompom]

Okay. I love Chik Fil A. Love it. I love their Diet Lemonade. I never get a God Bless you, but I do get free refills all the way across the entire humongous food court! They actually come out and ask if you want refills. At a food court. Fireproof was alright I guess for a Christian movie. It certainly beats, "Hell's Bells: The Dangers of Rock and Roll" and "Thief in the Night".

In fact, tonight is date night. I might just have to go there without the movie of course.

Chik Fil A is fab.

[tehgoobster]

He was wearing a "Couragous" T-shirt (from the makers of Fireproof). That is the movie the Duggar boys were extras in a while back. They were in the marathon run scene. I saw a pre-screening of this movie recently and the marathon scene was literally less than 10 seconds long.

Was it any better than Fireproof, or was it just as cheesy?

[kpmom]

That was my thought too.

On another note, if one were to turn Fireproof into a drinking game, what would the rules be?

[jericho]

Was it any better than Fireproof, or was it just as cheesy?

It was a little better production (as each consecutive Sherwood Picture is) but probably just as cheesy. This one is about encouraging dad's to be a better parent. Stylistically the movie was all over the map. At times it was like a feel good Hallmark movie, and then a goofy church comedy, and later it turned into an action police shoot out. Overall I think you will have plenty to snark at.

[ladypuglover]

The chicken sandwiches are steam cooked, which in my opinion is part of why they taste so much better. (that and the breading done daily in store and made with spices that are better than KFC's secret recipe)

Hmmm, maybe the next time we are at the mall I might try them but the breading could be the deal breaker. Stomach issues stuck.

[lilwriter85]

The Sherwood Baptist Church/Chick-Fil-A and a lot of Christian movies are awful for various reasons. Often times the screenplays are written poorly with no consultation from people that have experience in the entertainment industry. The Kendrick Brothers who have written and directed the movies had strict rules during casting as another person mentioned they cast mostly out of their church. I have heard that Courageous is the first SBC movie to get a pretty decent budget. Lyndsie's blog also showed pictures of the Duggar boys on the movie set of Courageous and she met them there.

The production quality of Flywheel and Facing the Giants were awful. Fireproof seemed a bit better when it came to production. Some Christians dislike Fireproof and some of these other movies for different reasons. I have heard some Christian say that the storytelling in some of these movies is too fairy-tale like. I have watched these movies a few times and I can see why some Christians dislike these movies. FTG and Fireproof both had fairy-tale miracle moments that I rolled my eyes at. The acting is pretty awful in these movies. The people featured in these movies make some of the worst TV and movie actors/actresses look like Oscar winners.

But Christian movies like Fireproof pretty much serve some of intended audiences well. The people that do like these movies usually only watch shows or movies that tend to be very wholesome and a have a religious slant(i.e. 7th Heaven). Also I wouldn't be surprised if the fans of these movies are the types of people who avoid R rated movies and don't watch current TV. I read blog yesterday from a Mormon woman who went to see Super 8 and she said that she hates how movies have curse words and that it brings the quality down. I rolled my eyes at that. In real life in tense situations people tend to curse out of frustration so it makes sense curse words are often in movies.

Some Christians have written about Christian movies that suck.

http://www.shrinkthechurch.com/2010/07/ ... vies-suck/

http://shapingwater.wordpress.dotcom/20 ... mply-suck/

The Friedly Atheist also wrote about it and referenced a Salon article

http://friendlyatheist.com/2011/04/16/a ... ovies-bad/

[PBrooke]

I attended a college that did not have a huge food court, unlike most big universities today. However, one day a week we had the option to buy Chik-fil-a food. The sandwiches and salads were meh, but the little nuggets were good. But the FRIES! People at school called the waffle fries "crack fries" because they were so addictive. On that one day a week, when the 10 and 11am classes got out, the cafeteria was flooded.

[jericho]

I have heard some Christian say that the storytelling in some of these movies is too fairy-tale like. I have watched these movies a few times and I can see why some Christians dislike these movies. FTG and Fireproof both had fairy-tale miracle moments that I rolled my eyes at. The acting is pretty awful in these movies. The people featured in these movies make some of the worst TV and movie actors/actresses look like Oscar winners.

Courageous probably spent most of their money on the high speed chase and police shootout scenes. The acting was a little better this time. There wasn't any one person I could point out as an obvious church member "bad actor" as in the other movies. The gang members were most impressive. I don't know where they got those actors, but they seemed very "real". Also, maybe Sherwood Pictures have been listening to their criticisms because this one did not come out all fairy-tale ending like the rest. I won't spoil what happened though.

[lilwriter85]

Courageous probably spent most of their money on the high speed chase and police shootout scenes. The acting was a little better this time. There wasn't any one person I could point out as an obvious church member "bad actor" as in the other movies. The gang members were most impressive. I don't know where they got those actors, but they seemed very "real". Also, maybe Sherwood Pictures have been listening to their criticisms because this one did not come out all fairy-tale ending like the rest. I won't spoil what happened though.

Courageous sounds better than the previous movies. I might watch it. I think Sherwood Pictures probably decided to listen to the criticisms of their movies. I know many churches and Christians have stated publicly that they didn't like the previous movies.

[Olivia]

Fireproof is a great date night idea. I don't know what y'all are talking about. My husband and I watched it on DVD and laughed all the way through.

[mirele]

Fireproof is a great date night idea. I don't know what y'all are talking about. My husband and I watched it on DVD and laughed all the way through.

I don't know if the other audience members would appreciate the laughter. :twisted:

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm Canadian, so the first I read about this chain my first thought was "WTF, what a stupid name." That's still my thought, even though I now know it's not pronounced "chick filla". Didn't this movie come out years ago? Why is it still in theaters? The more I read FJ, the more I deeply feel for you Americans. It seems as though you have the bible and Christianity shoved down your throats everywhere you turn. In my neck of the woods, this kind of stuff would make the vast majority of people seriously uncomfortable and probably lead to boycotts. It definitely wouldn't fly.

[FundiesInMyFamily]

I'm ashamed to admit I had chick-fil-a for lunch today! Their chicken sandwich is, dare I say, heavenly! I do get free entertainment every time I go there, watching all those super-friendly, super-white faces passing out the "my pleasure's". If you go in and eat there, there's also a super friendly guy who walks around with a basket passing out mints and good wishes!

I have always wondered where they bus the employees in from and what they put in the water there.... if you stop in a mcdonald's or wendy's, its a nice mix of teenage to 20somthing kids that are white, brown, black, purple, ect, and they are all running around filling orders and a bit sweaty and harried looking during busy times. Jump over to Chick-fil-a, and its all these pristine white absolutely smiling faces who seem to enjoy their work very passionately. No one's hair is mussed, no sweat to be seen, just happy smiling faces pleased to be able to serve me chicken.

[lilwriter85]

I'm Canadian, so the first I read about this chain my first thought was "WTF, what a stupid name." That's still my thought, even though I now know it's not pronounced "chick filla". Didn't this movie come out years ago? Why is it still in theaters? The more I read FJ, the more I deeply feel for you Americans. It seems as though you have the bible and Christianity shoved down your throats everywhere you turn. In my neck of the woods, this kind of stuff would make the vast majority of people seriously uncomfortable and probably lead to boycotts. It definitely wouldn't fly.

This movie was first released back in 2008. Some theaters still show Fireproof for events like this. I think here in the U.S. some people who aren't fundie Christians, non-Christians or non theists learn to ignore when stuff like this is put out. I know some Christians who loathe these movies, but they simply don't watch them more than once and they don't attend events like this. I know a few people who have see Fireproof and the other Sherwood movies at church events and they didn't care for the movies so they never go to Christian movie nights again. I know people that are Jewish or Muslim that tend to ignore stuff like this in the media and in public. I'm an atheist and a majority of my relatives are Catholic and some of them are very devout, but I learn to co-exist with them and respect them and some of them in turn in respect me.

Also locations in the U.S. sometimes play into how much a Christian event would be publicized or tolerated. In the South things like this would be accepted by a lot of people while in areas outside of the South some people might not like this. An event like this doesn't bother me because there are private business involved. I do think the movie and idea are both lame. Praying at public high school graduations is the type of religious shoving that bothers me.

[Patsy]

Wait, how is it pronounced? ... chick feeler? ...

[JesusFightClub]

I was wondering how it was pronounced too.

Chicken and pickles sounds great. Has anyone here been to the Japanese chain Lotteria (gardenvarietycitizen maybe?) I miss Lotteria in a crazy way, KFC isn't a patch on it. If chick fil a is like that, you'd have to prise my cold dead arse away from the counter with a crowbar.