 RED does not mean "stop." GREEN does not mean "go." Click on the CAPCon Alert image for explanation |
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 MAR25019  (2005), PG-13 [R-13*]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. More than 900 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
"http://www.capalert.com/ now_playing.htm" Target="_Blank"  Click it to try it! |
  You DO NOT have to have a PayPal account. OR by US Mail (preferred - no service charges). |
on what Hollywood feeds your kids. SUBSCRIBE to our FREE text-only email version of these reports and our COMING SOON notices. |
  Christian Long Distance |
(This section may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Production: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Jersey Films, Double Feature Films Distribution: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corporation (MGM) Director(s): F. Gary Gray Novel: Elmore Leonard Screenplay: Peter Steinfeld Producer(s): Danny DeVito, Andy Gose, F. Gary Gray, Elmore Leonard, David Nicksay, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, Michael Siegel Music: Baby Bash, Frankie J., Happy Perez, John Powell Cinematography: Jeffrey L. Kimball Film Editing: Sheldon Kahn Casting: Sheila Jaffe Production Design: Michael Corenblith Art Direction: Lauren E. Polizzi, Dan Webster Viewed At: Driftwood Theater 6 I have alerted all to the impending shortening of this Summary/Commentary section to reduce costs to keep this ministry operating, but in this case I had to give full bore because of the significance of this film to our research to the coarsening of content of films rated above R -- and thus the significance to you as parents and grandparents, pastors, youth leaders, etc. While preparing the logs to compute the scoring of Be Cool I found it hard to believe that a PG-13 could have so many items of assault on morality and ethics and still be a PG-13. But as we proved four years before Harvard proved it, the "ratings creep" is alive and well. And since ours is an on-going study, we are showing the "ratings creep" is growing stronger ... and where it is growing stronger. As I type this paragraph, I have not completed the calculations but if I were a betting man I would bet that this film will get one of the lowest R-13 scores of all the R-13 we've revealed. We'll soon see. . . . I was right. R-rated films in the comparative baseline database earned final scores of 54 and below out of 100, the lower the score the worse the morality. Be Cool earned a final score of 20. That sounds like a big "Yes" that Be Cool is a R-13. Twenty is indeed one of the lowest scores of all the PG-13 movies in the CAP Reports index.htm file this date. Torque (PG-13, 2004) earned a CAP final score of 13! The verbally sexually vulgar PG-13 Jersey Girl (PG-13, 2005) was close with a final score of 26. Maybe Jersey Girl and one of the production companies for this film, Jersey Films are connected. That would explain a lot. And to fortify the R-13 finding for Be Cool, the range of influence density scores for R-rated films in the comparative baseline database is 0.89 to 2.04, the higher the score the more dense the assaults on morality. Be Cool earned an influence density score of 2.74, a full 34% more dense in assaults on decency and morality than the most dense in the comparative baseline database of R-rated movies. Please bear with me. There is a reason I am dumping all these analysis model operations on you. This is "Applied Statistics-401." The computer log we use to annotate findings and to compute scoring has six data entry blocks, one block each for the six CAP investigation areas (W, I, S, D, O, M). Each data entry block is provided with 60 individual data fields permitting annotation of a total of 60 items of aberrant behavior or imagery per investigation area. Sometimes there are more than 60 items of programming ignominy found by an investigation area. When this happens, the equations which calculate the investigation area score must be modified to accommodate the overflow. For the first time in our ten-year research history of nearly 1000 film analyses spanning all four MPAA ratings classifications, the sum/count equations in the Impudence/Hate and Sexual Immorality investigation areas had to be modified to accommodate overflow. This technique has been required a number of times for the Wanton Violence/Crime or for Impudence/Hate or for Sexual Immorality investigation areas for R-rated films and even a few PG-13 films, but never has modification of the equations for two investigation area data entry blocks for the same PG-13 film been required. Thus is more evidence of the "ratings creep." Again, to those who cried "lunatic" when we warned of the sliding standards of the MPAA back in 2000, 2001 and 2002 (and Harvard in 2004), we told you so. One more. The frequency per hour scoring. Of the 125 examples of Impudence/Hate this film presented, 95.2% were cussing including the most foul of the foul words -- 65.5 per hour, averaging more than once per minute. In the film John Travolta, playing the part of a movie producer, said that a PG-13 film could present the most foul of the foul words once to which he applied the most foul of the foul words. That was once. Be Cool presented it twice. More evidence of the "R" in this R-13? No? How about the use of God's name in vain with the four letter expletive 10 times? PG-13, eh? What does this say about the degree of respect the MPAA has for the moral and spiritual health of your 13 year old kids (and younger)? The reason I dumped all this on you was in hopes that it would finally sink in what Hollywood is doing, whether intentional, TO our youth. You cannot have better proof of the coarsening of the content of popular entertainment. And when that coarsening is unavoidably absorbed by the youthful viewer, it is inevitable that s/he will suffer what the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and others (1, 2) AND this ministry tell you. I hope all the above finally convinces yet many more of the problem at hand. Does the expression "stealing childhood from children" now have any meaning to you? Loan shark Chili Palmer (John Travolta) who found his way into producing movies moved his operations into promoting music after a disappointment with having to make a sequel. Linda Moon (Christina Milian) became the target of his ... er ... efforts. Palmer saw Moon as his chance to get solidly into promoting music. Also vying for promoting Moon was ruthless promoter Nick Carr (Harvey Keitel). Roger "Raji" Lowenthal (Vince Vaughn), whose body guard was the "gay" Eliot Wilhelm (The Rock), had a contract hold on Moon for five years but by the sharking Palmer was known for, the contract was not a problem. To help Palmer in his efforts to get Moon off the music ground was Edie Athens (Uma Thurman), wife of the very successful record company but murdered Tommy Athens (James Woods). Edie had an ace up her sleeve -- Aerosmith lead singer Steve Tylor (himself). From the remnants of a romance years ago, Edie convinced Tylor to help promote Moon in a duet performance at an Aerosmith concert (a real concert, by the way). And educated rap magnate gangsta Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer) gets in the act as he attempts to collect his due ... $300,000. And producer Danny DeVito as Martin Weir gets his face in the movie as well. A rather high wattage cast in a very low power film. Wanton Violence/Crime found programming thick with firearm threats, extortion, intimidation and assault. [Ps. 62:10, Jonah 3:8] Impudence/Hate found the film heavy with foul language in this film for young teens, 119 uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary to be exact. Now do you wonder from where your kids get the language? From other kids? Well? From where do you think they get it? [Prov. 8:13, Col. 3:8] Sexual Immorality found tons of dressing to maximize the human form and/or skin exposure, partial nudity (including of the female crotch), the use of women as toys, "gay" references and inferences as well as other instances of immoral behavior and imagery. [1John 2:16, 1 Thess. 4:1 - 5, Col. 3:5, 1 Cor. 8:9] Drugs/Alcohol found the bar/booze, drinking and smoking typically associated with R-rated films. To that, I would like to offer a cut-n-paste we use in email arguments:
Offense to God found little if any regard for misuse of our Lord's name. [Deut. 5:11] Among a number of gunfire murders, Murder/Suicide found Raji killing a man with a baseball bat. We saw none of the impacts on the victim, but we saw clearly bat swings and the face and expressions of Lowenthal as he enjoyed each swing of the bat. [Gal. 5:21] 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 ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry*** 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. |
 |
(The heart of the CAP Analysis Model)  Wanton Violence/Crime (W) Impudence/Hate (I) Sexual Immorality (S) Drugs/Alcohol (D): Offense to God (O) Murder/Suicide (M) |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
| 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 more than eight 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. |
| In the name of Jesus: Lord, Master, Teacher, Savior, God. Tom Carder President ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture 100% dependent on your tax-deductible financial support |  |
|
|
|
||
Christian Long Distance |
We exist only by your tax-deductible donations. PLEASE Features PayPal! You do NOT need an account to donate. |
