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A ministry of the ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry) A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Christian Ministry. www.capalert.com/ Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to His little ones through you in His name by His Word MAR2011.106  (2011), PG-13 [R-13*] (1hr 25min) The #1 Christian entertainment media analysis service on the Internet. We give you OBJECTIVE tools NO ONE ELSE CAN to help YOU make an informed decision for yourself whether a film is fit for your family. Over 1300 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
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(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Production (US): Summit Entertainment, Participant Media, Imagenation - Abu Dhabi, Anonymous Content Distribution (US): Summit Entertainment Director(s): Jodi Foster Producer(s): Steve Golin, Keith Redmon, Ann Ruark, Jeff Skoll, Mohammed Mubarak, Al Mazrouei, Paul Green, Jonathan King Written by: Kyle Killen Cinematography/Camera: Hagen Bogdanski Music: Marcelo Zarvos Film Editing: Lynzee Klingman Casting: Avy Kaufman Production Design: Mark Friedberg Art Direction: Alex Digerlando, Kim Jennings Viewed on Summit Entertainment DVD  "...and Jerry Mathers as The Beaver!" Nope. When I first saw the title of this film I thought it was going to be a spoof of the 1957 to 1963 sitcom Leave it to Beaverª with Ward (Hugh Beaumont), June (Barbara Billingsly), Wally (Tony Dow) and Theodore "Beaver" (Jerry Mathers) Cleaver playing the ideal suburban family. But I thought wrong. There is absolutely no similarities, no connection whatsoever with Leave it to Beaverª. This movie really is about a beaver -- a stuffed beaver puppet that takes over a man's life and his very existence until the man cuts the beaver off. Literally. Successful business man and CEO of his father's JerryCo toy company, Walter Black (Mel Gibson) has become depressed. He is suffering anhedonia and can take no pleasure in things that used to be enjoyable for him. The family man he once was is gone: "It's as if he's died but hasn't had the good sense to take his body with him." He sleeps almost all the time. His company has hit bottom. His family -- wife Meredith (Jodie Foster) and sons Porter (Anton Yelchin) and Henry (Riley Thomas Stewart) -- seems to be in "perpetual mourning." Young Henry has become what his elementary school teachers call "solitary" because he feels unnoticed by his father. The eldest son, teenage Porter fears he might become just like his dad and is keeping notes of all the similarities between he and his father in hopes of preventing becoming like his father. Porter is a bright young lad who sells his talents to the highest bidder -- he cheats for money by writing papers for the other students at his high school. That is one way in which Porter is assuredly not like his father. Now for Meredith. Meredith is an engineer who is working on roller coaster designs. She has drowned herself in her work to compensate the bizarre life they must all lead since Walter has become an emotional desert and seems to sleep all the time. Meredith is portrayed as both a loving, supporting wife and society's reciprocal of that. She gets to the point where she can no longer take Walter's depression. Walter agrees to leave. On his way to his car after leaving a liquor store Walter finds there is no room in his car for his box of booze. He starts throwing things away to make room for his booze but notices a stuffed beaver hand puppet in the dumpster. At first Walter disregards the puppet and starts to leave but in moments he turns around and takes the puppet out of the dumpster. In his apartment during a drinking binge and with the puppet on his left hand, Walter tries to hang himself with his necktie from the shower curtain rod. Finding out that is not going to work he climbs on the balcony banister rail and contemplates jumping off. But in a startling moment the beaver puppet says "Oi" to Walter which causes Walter to fall back into his apartment and knock the TV off on him. When Walter wakes up the next morning the beaver starts talking to him ... using Walter's voice. That is how the movie starts. From there, Walter finds purpose again through the beaver. So, Walter wears the puppet all the time from then on (to the end of the show anyway). Walter directs everyone to address the puppet and not him. This plot is a unique approach to entertainment. Unique to me anyway and I have seen more than 1400 movies. I will not spoil any more of the story but I will address that for which most of you come to our pages: the content. This film is R-equivalent in nearly every way. All six of the CAP investigation areas except Murder/Suicide (M) found content to be R-equivalent, as usual for PG-13 films, not because of any particularly invasive or extreme examples of assault on morality and decency but because of so many of the "lesser" kind of assaults (see our R-13 publication for more information on this technique of loading the content of films). Both Mel Gibson and Jodi Foster performed in keeping with their award-winning high caliber but what they -- er, mostly the support cast -- performed was not of high moral caliber. With a final score of 42 out of 100 The Beaver will forever occupy space along side a plethora of other R-13 PG-13 films. Jerry Mathers' ears are probably burning. Following are brief discussions of the content per individual CAP investigation area. As always the Findings section of this report is the best source for discovering the full accounting of the content of this film. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 45 out of 100 Though there is no "R" gore in The Beaver there is enough of violence in it to be equivalent in magnitude to that of many R-rated films. Walter attempts suicide by hanging from the shower curtain rod. The only reason it fails is not because Walter did not try, it fails because of his weight being too much for the curtain rod. Walter further contemplates suicide by climbing on the banister of his balcony. Walter's son masochistically slams his head into the wall of their home. Repeatedly. In a long sequence Walter beats himself. At the end of the show Walter saws his left hand off. The act is unseen but it is heard and there is no doubt as to what he did. It is ill-advised to embrace violence let alone in and as entertainment. God warns of such exposure being "catching" in Proverbs 16:29 as one example. Proverbs 16:29 warns that violence can lead one "into the way that is not good." As if the proverbial snowball made it through the subterranean location of exceeding thermal energy, man has chimed in on God's wisdom by four professional public health agencies jointly publishing their findings which warn that youth may be lead into real life violence by viewing violence in and as entertainment and they may be proselytized by example to believe violence is an acceptable means of settling conflict. But do we listen? Apparently you who read our reports do. Some parents have reported that they will not let their youth watch a film until they've "seen the CAP on it." Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 Twenty-three times someone spews profanity of one form or another, 11 of them by teens. [Eph. 4:29] Teen defiance of and disrespect toward parents is thick at times. [Exod. 20:12] Failure of a marriage is portrayed. And cheating is thick at times as well. [2 Tim. 2:5] Sexual Immorality (S) - 29 out of 100 Adults appear in underwear a couple times. I ma going to take a moment or two and talk about that. "Adults in underwear? We see that even in TV commercials. What's the big deal?" How would you feel if your kids were taught by teachers in their underwear? Would you feel comfortable with a male teacher standing next to your daughter's desk in his briefs? What do you think the police would do? What would the police do if someone struts through the halls of a shopping mall in their underwear? Do you think a jury would listen to a lawyer in his/her underwear? I think the point is made. In addition, a heterosexual couple are seen in bed making out, in a shower making out (nude with no gender-specific parts seen) and so on. Maybe Walter and Meredith were marriage in the film but Mel and Jodi are not. There is more as identified in the Findings section. This film is true to "PG-13" in terms of sexual immorality. [1 Thess. 4:1 - 7] Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 41 out of 100 The PG-13 age stratum is particularly vulnerable (or embracing) of the influence of exposure to alcohol and drinking in and as entertainment. So sayeth the American College of Physicians (ACP). A 2002 study by the American College of Physicians (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 There is nothing to say that smoking in and as entertainment does not carry the same danger of influence as drinking. Actually, the same matter of behavior influence applies to any behavior demonstrated in and as entertainment, including good behavior. Offense to God (O) - 37 out of 100 There is no sanctity in this movie for the majesty of the One who spent three days in Hell so you and I would not have to spend one moment there. God's name is abused seven times. Once by and adult and three times by teens without the four letter expletive and three more with it. Whether we believe it or not, whether we like it or not or whether we care or not, God warns of consequences for abusing His name. [Deut. 5:11] Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 No murders are portrayed. Though Walter attempts and contemplates suicide, the CAP Analysis Model does not permit unsuccessful murder or suicide into this investigation area. Such attempts and/or contemplations are incorporated into the Wanton Violence/Crime (W) investigation area. 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 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. |
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(The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)  Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 45 out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 29 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 41 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 37 out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 |
| 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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| 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 |