On Fire

Grade: B

On Fire belongs to a subset of inspirational based-on-a-true-story Christian movies. It’s cut from the same cloth as The Hill, On a Wing and a Prayer, and Jesus Revolution – and I think it’s the best of the lot. Unfortunately, some language would prevent it (this version, anyway) from being a staple in churches and Christian schools. A character screams the famous two-word phrase to the fire. It might cause unintended laughter from the audience, but I bet it’s consistent with how everyone onscreen is feeling by that point. I also thought of Sound of Freedom, which ended with its lead actor speaking to us during the end credits – seemingly implying that if more and more people see the movie, it will reduce the amount of child sex trafficking. Not sure how that would work. I’m glad On Fire doesn’t end with Peter Facinelli saying we could stop wildfires by seeing this.

I first became acquainted with Facinelli’s work 23 years ago in The Big Kahuna. Originally conceived as a play, it became essentially a three-person movie, with Facinelli as the third guy, opposite Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito. Hell of a gig. Then he rode the Twilight gravy train as Carlisle, the patriarch of the Cullen family. For On Fire, he took over directing duties when the original director, Nick Lyon, came down with Covid – and he stars as Dave Laughlin. He lives up in the mountains in a trailer home, with his 8-months-pregnant wife Sarah, teenage son Clay, and elderly father George. This is one of those small towns where you’re on a first name basis with the local hardware store owner.

Warnings of wildfires pop up throughout various regions. Some townspeople shrug them off with a “that’s not my county” or “that’s all the way on the other side of the gorge from me.” It’s an amusing and timely social observation of how quick we can be to dismiss alerts we receive on our electronics. But one thing leads to another, and the expression “spreading like wildfire” exists for a reason.

For me, The Impossible is the gold standard of disaster movies. I would have nominated it for the Best Picture Oscar. On Fire is another one like it, with close calls, near misses, and exhausting unrelenting tension. The locations are beautiful, the fire looks appropriately threatening, and the performances are believable. Facinelli has always been such a charming presence; it’s been fun to see him, and his various characters, grow up. It’s nice to see Lance Henriksen again, as aliling octogenarian widower George. Asher Angel, from the Shazam movies, makes an impression as Clay. But the two film-stealers are Ashlei Foushee as a helpful, sympathetic 911 operator, and Brad Dourif’s daughter Fiona Dourif as Sarah.

Remember how I said that Sarah is pregnant? In case you couldn’t predict it, that comes into play. I shook my head as that plot development inevitably emerged amidst the action. The score is a bit much. No points for guessing what film it tries to emulate in the opening scene with Clay’s high school track team. I give the movie credit for avoiding another specific reveal I thought was coming. It involves the name of Foushee’s character. But there aren’t too many “don’t do that” or “why didn’t you just” moments, and the hour 20 minute run time goes by fast. On Fire is an exciting, uplifting disaster movie. I’m glad I saw it.

Grade: B