Fireproof is a movie I have seen several times.; however, I never watched it with interpersonal communication in mind. As I was watching the film, there were several interpersonal communication concepts I identified. The first concept I observed in the film was the “flat-brain syndrome, which is when a person who is flat-brained can’t hear well, see accurately, think straight, or act sensibly” (Petersen, 2007, p. 23). In the beginning of the film, Caleb and Catherine Holt only thought about their own wants and desires. For example, Caleb and Catherine have their first argument (Kendrick, 2008). In this argument, they are only concerned about material possessions, such as food, landscaping, closet shelves, and saving for a boat (Kendrick, 2008). Neither Catherine or Caleb are concerned about each other. Both of them leave unhappy with one another.
The second concept I observed was the “flat-brain tango, which is like escalation between countries” (Petersen, 2007, p. 34). Petersen (2007) goes onto say that, “another name for the flat-brain tango might be ‘courtroom’ and creeps into how we relate and turns…show more content… The final interpersonal communication concept I observed in the movie Fireproof was identity (Stewart, Zediker, & Witteborn, 2012, pp. 77-83). At the end of the movie, both Caleb and Catherine find their identities in the Lord Jesus Christ, which has a drastic effect on their relationship (Kendrick, 2008). 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (ESV). When a person finds their identity in Christ, they will see others more significant than themselves (Philippians 2:3, ESV). Effective communication will occur when all individuals view each other with respect, compassion, understanding, and empathy. All four occur at the end of the movie,
