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Entertainment Media Analysis Report
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MAR2011.086

(2011), PG-13 [R-13*] (1hr 45.75min)

Final Score
Analysis Date
Date Posted
Influence Density
MinMax
July 17, 2011
July 18, 2011
45
1.42
-100

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Christian Long Distance

SUMMARY / COMMENTARY:
(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)

If Scriptural references appear, the full text appears at the end of the Summary / Commentary.



(2011), PG-13 [R-13*] ... Vulgar sexual content


Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database
Production (US): Warner Bros.; Morra, Brezner, Steinberg and Tenenbaum Entertainment (MBST); BenderSpink; Langley Park Productions
Distribution (US): Warner Brothers Pictures
Director(s): Jason Winer
Producer(s): Chris Bender, Russell Brand, Larry Brezner, Scott Kroopf, Nik Linnen, Kevin McCormick, J.C. Spink, Michael Tadross
Screenplay: Peter Baynham
Story: Steve Gordon
Cinematography/Camera: Uta Briesewitz
Music: Theodore Shapiro
Film Editing: Brent White
Casting: Kathleen Chopin
Production Design: Sarah Knowles
Art Direction: Doug Huszti
Viewed on Warner Brothers Home Entertainment DVD



The video store manager brought this DVD to me with news that he has the original in stock as well in case I wanted to do a "time capsule" comparative: a "before and after" comparative. I said to myself "Self, it might be interesting to get more evidence of 30 years of moral decay in entertainment." But after seeing this 2011 version I am not so sure. If anyone asks for a comparative of this 2011 with the 1981 PG version I'll do it. If no one asks, I doubt I will.

Rich spoiled brat and womanizer Arthur Bach (Russell Brand), son of a dead billionaire, must marry Susan Johnson (Jennifer Garner) or lose millions. Arthur is about as frivolous and licentious as any rich guy can be. And he is a happy drunk. Arthur's mother, Vivienne (Geraldine James) has had enough and gives Arthur an ultimatum: marry Susan -- "she can shape you up" -- or be totally cut off from the family fortune. Hmmm? Not too bad a prospect since Arthur and Susan had already gotten to know each other ... intimately ... a few months earlier. And Susan is already rich so it is not for his money. As was revealed Susan wants to marry into the family just to get the name. She is tired of being an unknown rich chick. She wants to have the Bach name so people will take notice of her. Doesn't matter whether love ever comes into play.

But along comes a complication. Well, one more at least. To add to the misery of having to marry Susan and not wanting to, Naomi Quinn (Greta Gerwig) comes along, too. Spritely and perky "short dress" Naomi is an unofficial tour guide to New York City aspiring to be a writer of children's books. Arthur has become quite smitten with Naomi. And she with him But if Arthur does not marry Susan he will lose $950,000,000.

Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 81 out of 100
The only violence/crime content to speak of includes the failure to stop for police, reckless driving with property damage and reckless endangerment, a long sequence of bravado stupidity, a hit in the face (by Susan of Arthur) and some nailgun impalement injuries.

Impudence/Hate (I) - 37 out of 100
Profanity is used six times by adults and twice by adolescents. [Col. 3:8] The most foul of the foul words was not noted. While the profanity is bad enough, lies peppered the script. And marrying for gain smells of violating Hab. 2:9.

Sexual Immorality (S) - Zero out of 100
"PG-13 for alcohol use throughout, sexual content, language and some drug references." Yessir, there was "sexual content." Vulgar sexual content. One scene is of Arthur in a kilt, legs spread apart and wearing no underwear with just a thin out-of-focus masking bar that almost hides his genitalia. And that is not all. It is a rather lengthy list to try and summarize it here so please look to the listing in the Findings section for a full accounting of the sexually immoral content. [1 Thess. 4:1 - 7]

Drugs/Alcohol (D) - Zero out of 100
Yessir, there was "alcohol use throughout." At least 32 examples of booze, drinking and drunkenness in the 105.75 minutes of the film. And all of it presented in light-hearted humor with hints of scoldings for it but no honest consequences. If the American College of Physicians (ACP) is correct, this film is pure risk for the adolescent population at which it is targeted by the "PG-13" label. Remember mom/dad, to your 13 year old kids "PG-13" means it is okay for them, dontchaknow? Do you believe that? Neither do I. And neither does the ACP. By the way, whether a film is fit for your kids is not up to the dissonance-causing MPAA. It is up to you and you alone.

A 2002 study by the ACP revealed that adolescent exposure to drinking in and as entertainment undeniably leads to abuse of alcohol among underage viewers. 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% of the youths were under fourteen years old) only 16% were completely restricted in their entertainment diets. Within the ACP study population, the prevalence of having tried alcohol without parental knowledge was

  • 46% for those with no viewing restrictions
  • 16% for those with partial viewing restrictions
  • four percent for those with complete viewing restrictions. [Eph. 5:18]

    There is nothing to say that smoking in and as entertainment does not carry the same danger of influence.

    Offense to God (O) - 53 out of 100
    Eleven times someone utters God's name in vain without the four letter expletive and once with it. [Deut. 5:11]

    Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100
    There were no murders or suicides found.


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    SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S)
    If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ] or bold. 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.

    CHAPTER/VERSE

  • Col. 3:8 But now ye also put off [rid yourself of] all these; anger, wrath, malice [kakia: ill-will, desire to injure, wickedness, depravity, evil, trouble, not ashamed to break laws, etc.], blasphemy [blasphemia: impious and reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty], filthy communication [aischrologia:foul speaking, low and obscene speech] out of your mouth.
  • Hab. 2:9 Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin!
  • 1Ths. 4:1 - 7 (NIV) Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God's will that you should be sanctified [hagiasmos be kept or made pure]: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you [hekastos: each, every, whether male or female] should learn to control his [or her] own body [which includes control of drives, touching, seeking, exhibiting, lusting (even after images), promiscuity, etc.] in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; [Be master of your body and urges, not a slave to them.] and that in this matter no one should wrong his [autos: himself, herself, he, she, his, her] brother [adelphos: a fellow believer] or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish [unforgiven] men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you [humin: you, your, yourselves]. For God did not call us [hemas: us, we, our] to be impure, but to live a holy life. [All the gender-related definitions are included to show you this verse applies to women and youth as well as men. And "sexual immorality" (fornication - pornea), by definition, applies to all matters of sexual immorality, including incest, homosexuality, lesbianism, sex with animals and relatives, etc. All God's admonitions can be summed us as any sexual contact (including visual and audible), conduct or activity outside of a monogamous heterosexual marriage is sinful.]
  • Eph. 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. [Since "drunk" is methusko {meth-oos'-ko}: to intoxicate; make drunk; to get drunk; become intoxicated, "wine" can be any intoxicating substance including illegal drugs or abuse of prescription drugs. The issue is do not abuse the body by intoxicating it [1 Cor. 6:19]. Though it is not a sin to drink, it is a sin to get drunk OR to influence to get drunk OR to drink in defiance such as underage drinking.]
  • Deut. 5:11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. [Vain is shav {shawv}: emptiness, nothingness, vanity, such as an expletive. With or without the four letter expletive, the use of God's name in any way other than respect, reverence or responsible discussion and in praise and prayer is in vain. That includes the popular three syllable sentence with His name trailing it AND the misuse of Jesus' name or title. So, trying to excuse such expressions with "I was talking TO God/Jesus when I said that" or It's just words" or "I was acting" will not work with Him. Nor will "Everybody says that" excuse the sin of using His name in vain. If everyone on the planet who has ever drawn a breath used His name in vain, it would still be a sin to do so. If no one ever did, it would still be a sin to do so. Whether we believe it or not. Whether we like it or not. Whether we care or not.]

    ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry***
  • Jer. 37:9 This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, 'The Babylonians [the destroyers from within] will surely leave us.' They will not!
  • Ps. 12:8 The wicked freely strut about [e.g., create progressively vile/offensive entertainment with impunity and no consequences and present it to younger and younger audiences every year] when what is vile is honored among men [when enough people continue to defend it, embrace it, enjoy it, want it, submit to it. I call attention to Ps. 12:8 to warn of the creeping desensitizing power of "entertainment."]
  • Col. 2:8 Beware lest any man [by his influence] spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
  • 1 Cor. 15:33 Be not deceived: evil [kakov: of a bad nature, not such as it ought to be] communications corrupt good manners.
  • Rom. 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
  • Jude 1:4 For there are certain men* crept in unawares [secretly slipped in among us], who were before of old ordained to this condemnation [whose condemnation was written about long ago], ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [a license for immorality], and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. [*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 one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
  • Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. [Offend: skandalizo {skan-dal-id'-zo} - scandalize; to entice to sin; to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey; to cause to fall away.]
  • Ps. 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me [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. ["Evil" includes all things that are sinful.]


    ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


    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:
    (The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)


    Arthur (2011) CAP Thermometers

    Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 81 out of 100
  • failure to stop for police
  • reckless driving with property damage and reckless endangerment
  • impalement injuries
  • long sequence of bravado stupidity
  • hit to the face

    Impudence/Hate (I) - 37 out of 100
  • 8 uses of profanity, two of them by adolescents
  • lies, frequent
  • deceit
  • marrying for gain

    Sexual Immorality (S) - Zero out of 100
  • suggestive behavior
  • anatomically expressive statue of a bull with crude humor
  • anatomical reference
  • intercourse innuendo
  • long sequence of hangovers with sexual aftermaths
  • woman straddling man in bed
  • adult in underwear, extensive
  • man in bathtub, repeatedly
  • lesbian pair
  • admission of sexually immoral behaviors, repeatedly
  • inappropriate touch
  • vulgar pose, repeatedly
  • dressing to maximize the female form and/or skin exposure, frequent
  • "gay" reference, repeatedly
  • anatomical threat
  • stripping to underwear
  • camera angle/pose to force viewer on private parts, close up
  • below navel skin threatening toe expose that which follows

    Drugs/Alcohol (D) - Zero out of 100
  • booze, frequent
  • drinking, frequent
  • drunkenness, frequent

    Offense to God (O) - 53 out of 100
  • 10 abuses of God's name without the four letter expletive and once with it

    Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100
  • none noted















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    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 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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    * CAP Equivalence to MPAA Rating Scale:
    Please note our new manner of indicating a film's Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rating in comparison with the CAP equivalence such as "PG-13 [R-13]." The first term is the Motion Picture Association of America's (MPAA) rating. The second term [in brackets] indicates that which the film earned under the CAP analysis model. In the example, "PG-13 [R-13]" indicates the MPAA rated the film PG-13 but the film earned a CAP final score in the scoring range earned by R-rated movies in the comparative baseline database. Other comparative terms used might be "PG [13-PG]", "G [PG-G] or even 'PG-13 [PG]" as was the case for Alien vs Predator. I doubt there will ever be a "G [R]" used, but only time will tell. The CAP analysis model is Rock-solid. The MPAA is not.

    The current CAP to MPAA** nomenclature is:

    For G rated Films with
    G equivalence: G
    PG equivalence: PG-G
    PG-13 equivalence: 13-G
    R equivalence: R-G<
    For PG rated Films with
    G equivalence: G-PG
    PG equivalence: PG
    PG-13 equivalence: 13-PG
    R equivalence: R-PG
    For PG-13 rated Films with
    G equivalence: G-13
    PG equivalence: PG(13)
    PG-13 equivalence: PG-13
    R equivalence: R-13
    For R rated Films with
    G equivalence: G-R
    PG equivalence: PG-R
    PG-13 equivalence: 13-R
    R equivalence: R
    For NR rated Films with
    G equivalence: G-NR
    PG equivalence: PG-NR
    PG-13 equivalence: 13-NR
    R equivalence: R-NR
    ** G, PG, PG-13 and R are registered trademarks of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).




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