Later that day, Frank is asked to leave the firm. That evening, we see a lot of men carrying cups of ice to the bedroom. It's very humorous and shows that first of all, the men wanted to try it even though they felt like they had to act disgusted by it, and also how they all missed the point of the story, which was to talk to their wives to find out what they wanted.

The movie was written and directed by Jay Floyd and won an award at Sundance in 2006. Although the film skewers a lot of the evangelical stereotypes, I never get the feeling that Floyd is saying Christianity is wrong. I felt Floyd was saying that the baggage caused by the apple, when removed, also removed the need to be judgmental and condescending. Betty and Frank accepted Brian and Caroline for who they are and cared deeply for them and their problems. They listened to them and offered real solutions to problems, not platitudes and clichés.

Removing the apple also removed Frank and Betty’s ability to relate to Peggy and the church although they didn’t stop trying. There was almost a childlike naiveté in their dealings with others that was refreshing because it was so open and honest. Others tended to treat it with suspicion because no one in this day and age can possibly be that open and honest with others, can they? In the end, it was this inability to relate that causes the most conflict and leads to the story's final solution.

The movie is an exercise in “What if?” as in “What if humans had the forbidden apple removed from their brains?” Would the world be better off without the apple? This could have easily devolved into a cheap comedy or porn. Instead the subject is treated thoughtfully and hilariously without being condescending to the born again Christian characters or the newly released Franklins.

When I watch a movie, I like to watch it while I ride my bike hooked up to a trainer. The measure of a truly good movie is that it makes me forget how long I’ve been on the trainer because I’ve just been riding away and lost in the story. When Forgiving The Franklins ended, I was shocked that it was over so quickly. This is my way of knowing that I really liked this movie.