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Entertainment Media Analysis Report
A service to our youth through you,
their parents and grandparents, in His name by His Word


MAR22122
Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights (2002), PG-13
Analysis Date: November 27, 2002
CAP Score: 50
CAP Influence Density: 1.52

MinMax: -100

8 Crazy Nights (2002) CAP Mini-thermometers




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NOTE: If you do not want the plot, ending, or "secrets" of a movie spoiled for you, skip the Summary/Commentary. In any case, be sure to visit the Findings/Scoring section -- it is completely objective to His Word and is the heart of the CAP Entertainment Media Analysis Model applied to this movie.






SUMMARY / COMMENTARY:


If Scriptural references appear, the full text appears at the end of the Summary / Commentary likely using a mix of KJV and NIV.


ADAM SANDLER'S EIGHT CRAZY NIGHTS (PG-13) -- Davey was always in trouble with the law...

Production: Happy Madison, Meatball Animation
Distribution: Columbia Pictures, Columbia TriStar
Director(s): Seth Kearsley
Producer(s): Brooks Arthur, Allen Covertm Jack Giarraputom Denise Pleunemm Adam Sandler, Ken Tsumura
Written by/Screenplay: Brooks Arthur, Allen Covert, Brad Isaacs, Adam Sandler (story)
Music: Teddy Castellucci, Marc Ellis, Ray Ellis
Film Editing: Amy Budden
Casting: Elizabeth Boykewich, Roger Mussenden
Production Design: Perry Andelin Blake
Art Direction: Philip A. Cruden


Do NOT be fooled by the boxart. This is NOT a family film. With the entirety of this show focused around impudence, hate and sex it will, however, be a hit among the hate-mailers we get.

The only things I can say good about this 73-minute film is the finale, some of the music was great and that it was a respectable mixture of the Jewish faith (Sandler's own faith) and Christianity with inclusion of both the Hanukkah and Christmas. And this Christmas was with Jesus - as a baby in the Nativity. While I can respect the inclusion of the Jewish faith, I cannot serve the Jewish faith since our Jewish friends reject Jesus as the Messiah, thus another issue of dissonance within the family of God. Jesus spent three days in Hell so we would not have to spend one moment there. I am not about to reject Him.

The fascination Hollywood has with body functions, fluids and excrements is astounding. This movie is South Park and Jacka: The Movie toned down. The lead character, chief of the nasties 33 year old Jewish Davey Stone (voice of Adam Sandler playing himself) threw diminutive gentle 80 year old Whitey Duvall (voice of Adam Sandler) into a portable outhouse then kicks it down a hill. Whitey emerges half-alive and covered in feces. Stone arrogantly sprays him with a garden hose to clean off the feces but instead of being cleaned off, Whitey becomes frozen in the wintry winds becoming what Stone called a "poop-cicle." A herd of deer come to lick the ice off, then smile for the camera to show off the feces dripping off and running between their teeth. That is just one example of the crudeness of this entire show. The same deer are seen later defecating with their posteriors raised high as the viewer must watch the feces exit the anus.

Davey Stone is clearly the "Scrooge" in this "Christmas Carol" and the crotchety guy in countless other holiday stories of hate and bitterness being evaporated by the love shared during the holidays. There are no three ghosts of Christmas to visit him but the small but courageous Whitey Duvall and his same-aged sister Eleanore Duvall (also the voice of Sandler) serve to start breaking down the hatred and bitterness Stone has harbored since the death of his parents some 20 years earlier.

Davey used to be a great guy and a good athlete, destined for greatness. Jennifer (voice of Jackie Titone)was his sweetheart Then one day while on the basketball court, wrapping up yet another hard-earned victory, the police show up and speak to Davey's coach. It was bad news. For Davey. His parents were dead. Jennifer tried her best to comfort Davey but he wouldn't have it. From that moment, Davey went downhill with no bottom in sight and the relationship between Davey and Jennifer went on ice.

Davey was always in trouble with the law and always on the bad side of everyone he met. Everyone bent over backwards to try to overlook Davey's constant and relentless mischief and crimes until one day Davey finally laid the straw that broke the camel's back. Davey was given one more chance to change himself and get his attitude to catch up with his 33 year old frame else he would spend 10 years in prison. Maybe there is something being unintentionally said in all the second chances Davey got? [Eccl. 8:11].

But with the attitude Davey had there was little hope of staying out of prison. Enters little Whitey Duvall, the recreation coach of basketball for 35 years. Whitey asked the judge to sentence Davey to being his assistant coach. The judge agreed with the condition that if Davey gets in trouble one more time, the sentence would begin.

Davey forces himself to clean up his act -- a little. Just enough to keep out of jail. But his mouth remains as vulgar as ever. A father of one of the basketball team members was particularly angered by Stone's excessive and unreasonable hate talk to the kids and burned down Stone's mini-trailer residence. Now Stone has nowhere to live. Enters again the small but big-hearted Whitey Duvall offering Stone a place to live -- with him. Now Stone has to not only adapt to live with Whitey and his ways, Stone has to adapt to become compatible with Eleanor's ways as well. The fur flies.

While there are no ghosts of Christmas in this mockery of the "Christmas Carol", there is a Tiny Tim in Benjamin (voice of Austin Stout), son of Jennifer, a childhood sweetheart of Stone. Benjamin is not very confident and feels he is a loser at basketball. Stone, sensing Benjamin's desperation, takes Benjamin under his wing to encourage him. And that Stone does. Now Stone is starting to feel for someone besides himself. If there is a Tiny Tim to this story, it is Benjamin. And Benjamin's single-mom mother is Jennifer, Stone's long lost love from childhood. The presses to squeeze the hatred and bitterness out of Stone are gathering. But that is all I will tell you of the story and plot. Let me now tell you of our findings.

Some of the crude and vulgar humor in the Sandler brainchild include a three breasted woman breast feeding three babies and rocking her breasts side to side in dance until they nearly flop out of her low-cut dress. Stone is seen trying to have intercourse with the rear of a car. A boy is seen wearing a girl's underwear. [1 Cor. 6:18] Flatulence is used as a weapon. The movie is filled with such snicker-giggle crowd fodder. [Prov. 8:13, Prov. 17:20, Eph. 5:4, Ps. 12:8] Also available for your 13 year olds and younger are examples of drunkenness [1Cor. 6:9-10], sex talk between children [Rom. 5:19, 1Tim. 6:11]. I will leave the rest of the examples of offensive programming to the listing in the Findings/Scoring section.

Regarding drunkenness in entertainment, let me close with the following finding by the American College of Physicians.

A recent study revealed that adolescent exposure to drinking and smoking in entertainment leads to an undeniable increase in alcohol and tobacco abuse. The finding entitled Relation Between Parental Restrictions on Movies and Adolescent Use of Tobacco and Alcohol reports that of 4544 youths from grades 5 through 8 of fifteen Vermont and New Hampshire middle schools (90% were under fourteen years old) only 16% were completely restricted from viewing R-rated movies. The report further states the prevalence of having tried smoking without parental knowledge was 35% for those with no restrictions on viewing R-rated movies, 12% for those with partial restrictions, and two percent for those with complete restrictions. The prevalence of having tried alcohol without parental knowledge was 46% for those with no restrictions, 16% for those with partial restrictions and four percent for those with complete restrictions. Rather revealing of the influences of the entertainment industry wouldn't you say? Especially since attendance to PG-13 movies by the target audience of the finding report is assuredly going to be greater than to R-rated movies. Something to think about, mom/dad.


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SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S)
If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ]. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page.

  • Eccl. 8:11 When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. 1Cor. 6:18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
  • Prov. 8:13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
  • Prov. 17:20 He that hath a froward [iqqesh {ik-kashe'}:twisted, distorted, crooked, perverse, perverted] heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse [haphak {haw-fak'}: to turn, overthrow, overturn; obstinate in opposing the norm or the accepted] tongue falleth into mischief.
  • Eph. 5:4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. [I call attention to Ps. 12:8 and Eph. 5:4 to warn of the creeping desensitizing power of this sort of "entertainment" and just to let you know that God knows about "vulgar" and "obscene."]
  • 1Cor. 6:9-10 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the ... nor drunkards ... will inherit the kingdom of God.
  • Rom. 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners,...
  • 1Tim. 6:11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

    ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry***
  • Ps. 12:8 The wicked freely strut about [e.g., create progressively vile/offensive entertainment with impunity and no consequences to younger and younger audiences every year] when what is vile is honored among men [when enough people continue to defend it, embrace it, pay for it, enjoy it, want it]. [I call attention to Ps. 12:8 to warn of the creeping desensitizing power of "entertainment."]
  • 1 Cor. 15:33 (KJV) Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. (NIV) Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.
  • Jude 4 For certain men* whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change [warp, distort, falsely represent] the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. [*men: anthropos {anth'-ro-pos}, generic, a human being, whether male or female]
  • Matt. 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto [or for] one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto [or for] me.
  • Luke 17:2 It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin. [cause by teaching or example]
  • Ps. 119:133 Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.
  • John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
  • 1 Thess. 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.


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    As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie.
  • FINDINGS / SCORING:


    8 Crazy Nights (2002) CAP Thermometers



    Wanton Violence/Crime (W):
  • refusal to pay restaurant bill
  • illegal flight to avoid lawful prosecution
  • vandalism mischief
  • additional mischief
  • kicking an outhouse down a hill with an old man in it
  • arson
  • evading arrest
  • breaking and entering
  • violence for revenge
  • masochism, repeatedly

    Impudence/Hate (I)(1):
  • 15 uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary, once by a minor
  • toilet humor, repeatedly
  • licking a dog's tongue
  • flatulence as a weapon
  • song of hate
  • episodes of hatefulness, many, some very bitter
  • lie to discredit
  • "He's just having fun" by an adult about a child using foul language
  • sick humor
  • urination in a flower pot
  • girl in boys locker room

    Sex/Homosexuality (S):
  • crude sexual humor, many, some perverse
  • vulgar humor, many
  • rear nudity, repeatedly
  • vulgar gestures, repeatedly
  • vulgar insults
  • boy wearing girl's underwear
  • a woman with three breasts feeding three babies
  • transvestism
  • adolescent speaking toilet humor
  • sex talk, innuendo, comments
  • inappropriate touch

    Drugs/Alcohol (D):
  • drunkenness

    Offense to God (O)(2):
  • holding off punishment, encouraging more aberrant behavior

    Murder/Suicide (M)(3):
    LIST



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    NOTE: The CAP Analysis Model makes no scoring allowances for trumped-up "messages" to excuse or for manufacturing of justification for aberrant behavior or imagery, or for camouflaging such ignominy with "redeeming" programming. Disguising sinful behavior in a theme plot does not excuse the sinful behavior of either the one who is drawing pleasure or example from the sinful display or the practitioners demonstrating the sinful behavior. This is NOT a movie review service. It is a movie analysis service to parents and grandparents to tell them the truth about movies using the Truth.


    "There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our nearly seven years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings.





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    (1) As noted in CAP Special Report-001, "Investigation Area and Scoring Trend," of the six CAP Investigation Areas, Impudence/Hate was the strongest presence in all four movie classifications. It has a strong revelation about the entertainment media.

    (2) The use of the three/four letter word vocabulary without God's name in vain is incorporated into the Impudence/Hate Investigation Area. The use of God's name with or without the four letter expletive is incorporated into the Offense to God Investigation Area. There is no duplication.

    (3) Only portrayal of successful murder or suicide are incorporated into Murder/Suicide. Portrayal of attempts to commit murder or suicide and deaths by police action or war are incorporated into Wanton Violence/Crime.





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