We watched this movie last night for the first time. I have wanted to see it ever since it came out and even more so since my darling friend gave it to me for Christmas. I thought it was great!

The story is about fire-fighter Caleb Holt and his wife, Katherine. They have a crumbling relationship that is getting explosive. (Kirk Cameron throws a hissy fit with ease.) Caleb is a good firefighter who longs for 'respect' from his wife; but his actions often do not call for respect. Both parties in this marriage are in the wrong (Katherine is letting another man beguile her). Both are selfish, which causes great friction and discontent.

The side story is Katherine's great love for her parents and her desire to get her incapacitated mother new and better medical supplies. This aspect is cleaverly drawn into and helps decide the outcome of the film.

Caleb complains to his dad, who challenges him hold off on divorce for 40 days--to take the 'Love Dare'. Caleb agrees, more to please his dad (a Christian) than anything really--he does want to save his marriage, but for all the wrong reasons. Halfway through the 'Love Dare', which up to this point had been performed obligatorily, Caleb comes to see his sin, his fallenness, and his need for redemption. (I thought this scene well done and not too preachy nor sappy.) With his new understanding of love and what it really is, Caleb sets his face to defeat his selfishness and win back the heart of his wife. She continues to rebuff him.

I won't say how exactly it ends...other than there is eventual reconciliation and the ending is a beautiful picture of forgiveness and peace within.

This is a movie with very serious themes. They are handled with due seriousness. However, at the same time, there are moments of laugh out loud humor. Two side characters in particular provide comic relief to ease the rage and sorrow.  For an indie movie the acting is supurb (of course, if I remember correctly, Kirk Cameron is a professional actor.)

As just a insignifanct side note...I noticed that several times throughout the movie, there was the same piece of music that was in 'Facing the Giants'. Its a piece of music with a hymn (which I cannot remember the name of!) worked into it. It must be Sherwood Pictures theme music or some :)

5-Star

The subtitle is as follows: Florida's Contribution to the Confederacy. The author is Robert A. Taylor. As with a vast majority of books written on the 'Civil War', it has the usual slave-slant. I will freely admit that this aspect could have been worse and that he was right that slaves were laborer's for the South during the War. However, I won't go any farther into that subject. (At least he never claimed that slavery was the cause of the war--which it was not.)

Other than that, Mr. Taylor managed to come to his topic from a fairly neutral position. Starting with the economic boom of the 1850's, he sets the stage for the economic disaster of the 1860's. I learned that North Florida held fairly prosperous cotton and tabacco farms. Also, they exported lumber, turpentine, fish, and other natural resources both before and during the war.

After the start of the war, salt was the biggest export. By the end of the war, beef was second only to salt. Since I am doing a documentary on the Cow Cavalry, the beef part of the book was what I was most interested in. Mr. Taylor clearly outlined the immense need for beef, the Confederate struggle to provide enough, and the Yankee attempts to interupt the flow of the beef traffic (as well as all other goods going north into Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, and as far north as Virginia.)

He closes the book by talking about the Federal troops stationed in Florida and how they helped the Union victory. However, these troops never quite suceeded in obtaining their goal. For instance, almost as soon as they destroyed a salt-making camp, it would spring back up and continue operation. Or, they'd clean out a fishing camp only to have the fishermen return and go back to work.

Without Florida the Confederate States of America would  have had to capitulate long before they did--simply because they were starving. I also found it interesting that Andersonville Prison was supplied with Florida beef as well. Of course, they weren't the main priority, but in reality, they Federal troops imprisoned in Andersonville didn't really fare much worse than the common Confederate soldier. (Excepting of course the fact that they were incarcerated.)

Rebel Storehouse has as an appendix a circular prepared by Major Pleasant W. White, Florida's Chief Commissary Agent. I found this document to be of the utmost interest. In it he pleads for the people of Florida to rally around the cause, to look to the future. While he fully understood that times were tough and nearly everyone was in bad straights, he was asking for a further tightening of the belt for a future victory and prosperity. It was quite an interesting read.

One final note on the book...I kind of expected it to be rather dry. It wasn't. While certainly not exciting like a novel, Mr. Taylor has an engaging writing style that holds your attention (so long as you aren't hungry or really sleepy :) )

I give this book a 5-star rating.

I have never been very good at writing book or movie reviews, but I am going to attempt to give it a shot on this page. Of course, I won't review every book I read or every movie I see. I'll attempt to be clear without very many 'spoilers'. (I don't know about you, but I like suprises.) So, here goes!