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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 MAR25047  (2005), PG-13 [PG-13*] (1hr 38min) 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. Nearly 1000 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
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(This section may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Bewitched, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Red Wagon Productions Distribution (US): Sony Pictures Entertainment, Columbia Pictures Director(s): Nora Ephron Producer(s): Bobby Cohen, Lucy Fisher, Penny Marshall, James W. Skotchdopole, Douglas Wick Written by: Delia Ephron, Adam McKay Screeplay: Nora Ephron Cinematography/Camera: John Lindley Music: George Fenton Film Editing: Tia Nolan, Stephen A. Rotter Casting: Francine Maisler Production Design: Neil Spisak Art Direction: Steve Arnold Viewed At: Driftwood Theater 6 Before you read the rest of this please understand the CAP Ministry is a Bible-believing, Jesus-loving Christian ministry. We honor He who spent three days in Hell so you and I would not have to spend one moment there. And we honor his Word. We will not situationally redefine, conditionally apply or counterfeit the Word of God to suit social or cultural ethics. As it was for Dr. Martin Luther 600 years ago, my conscience is captive by the Word of God. And I will not entertain that His Word is tainted by the social preferences and pressures of they who put pen to paper for God. If God can create the universe and all life in it, He can certainly "control" by holy inspiration that which is written by they who penned His Word which will impact the eternity of every man and woman who has ever drawn or ever will draw a breath. If all this makes me a "fundie," then so be it. Now that you know what you are getting ... While the sense given by the film was indeed light-hearted, frivolous and even warm-n-fuzzy, the practice of witchcraft is a sin. That a witch uses "magic" (or "magik" by some) for good is in violation of, among many other Scriptures, Isa. 5:20. The portrayal of magic in Bewitched is keenly akin to that in films such as Harry Potter.... Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a practicing clinical psychologist and licensed school counselor has this to say about "magic" in and as entertainment: "Kids who revere Harry can't help to notice their own impotence by comparison, and yearn for the antidote that having "magical powers" would provide." Such dissonance can and has caused children to dabble and experiment with dark matters. A word on "magic." If Jesus had thrown Himself off the pinnacle at Satan's tease would the angels in Matt. 4:5-6, who would have lifted Him up from being dashed on the rocks, have sinned with their "magic?" Did Jesus sin as He used His "magic" to cast out demons? Heal the sick? Raise Lazarus from the dead? Make the blind see and the lame walk? There is a great deal of difference between on screen "magic" and power from God. Angels and angel-possessed people use holy power from God. Witches, wizards and sorcerers use power from Satan, even if it is called "white magic." The source of the power determines the holiness or unholiness of it, not the user or the use. Through all my reporting of His Word making the practice of witchcraft sinful, I have never seen in action any of the "magic" Hollywood claims witches possess. But that I have never seen witchcraft in action does not make it unreal. God condemns witchcraft so it is real. [Gal. 5:19-21, Deut. 18:10, 2Chr. 33:6, Rev. 21:8] And while all of the "witchcraft" in Bewitched was, of course, fantasy, a bad influence does not have to be real to influence badly. I counted 46 uses of "magic" for purposes such as to do harm, to manipulate for unfair advantage, to deceive, to grow plants, to appear and disappear, for theft, to control time, to fly and levitate, to force performance of the victim(s) and many other things such as convenience manipulations like opening and closing doors and making an umbrella appear. That the MPAA says "partial" nudity is wrong. Will Ferrell is shown fully nude, head to toe, all sides, front and back in a long contact sequence with only same-tone defocusing such as in Cops hiding his genitalia. Cops does a better job of it. If there were any "drug references" in Bewitched, I didn't catch them unless it was the use of some powder in making a concoction to hex. That was incorporated into the Offense to God investigation area and our analysis model will not permit incorporating any one issue into more than one investigation area. No duplication is assured. Much to my disappointment, Bewitched earned a final score of 57. While the final score of 57 places Bewitched near the bottom of the scoring range (67 to 55 out of 100) earned by PG-13 movies in the comparative baseline database, it earned the very worst possible score of zero in the Offense to God (O) investigation area. I truly wanted this film to earn a much lower final score than 57 because of all the glorification of witchcraft and the desensitization to the sin of it and because of the full male nudity, but the CAP analysis model simply won't let me manipulate the scoring. Though Bewitched is not a "R-13" the score of 57 makes it a "hardcore" PG-13. With a score of 97 out of 100 in the Wanton Violence/Crime (W) investigation area, the applicable film content was easily equivalent to G-rated films in the comparative baseline database with only one instance of crime which was credit card theft. With an investigation area score of 49 out of 100 in Impudence/Hate (I) the applicable film content was easily equivalent to some R-rated films due to language. The content applicable to Sexual Immorality (S) earned an R-equivalent score of 35 out of 100 due not only to the full male nudity but the male-to-male inappropriate touching, anatomical references, sexual innuendo and comments, requests for sex and other sexually oriented matters. [Eph. 5:4] Yes, the display of nudity is sinful [**]. God even advised the priest to not climb the steps of an elevated altar so as to not expose them below to his nudity. [Ex. 20:26] The content found by the Drugs/Alcohol (D) investigation area earned an area score of 63 which was the only content found by the model to be equivalent to many PG-13 movies. [Eph. 5:18] However, the programming noted by the Offense to God (O) investigation area earned an area score of zero which was beyond any doubt equivalent to most related R-rated movies, not in a sinister sense but in the resultant magnitude of the sheer volume. The content of Bewitched applicable to the Murder/Suicide (M) investigation area was free of any such behaviors and earned the perfect score of 100. Will Ferrell plays Jack Wyatt, an arrogant no longer sought actor preparing to play the part of Darren Stevens in a remake of the original Bewitched TV series. Wyatt had just suffered two film failures and was groping for something to rebuild his crashed image. Looking for the "Samantha Stevens" for the new Bewitched TV series, after dozens of try-outs Wyatt finds Isabel Bigalow (Nicole Kidman) by spying her twitch her nose through shelves at a bookstore. She exudes that she has "that something" with nose twitching. Perfect! Bigalow has that look and is an unknown who would not likely be one to steal thespian thunder from Wyatt! Little does Wyatt know Isabel is a witch with a twitch and that her nose twitching is how she does magic. Isabel is trying her best to stop being a witch and be completely normal. By that, it sounds as though the writers are saying that being a witch is not good. If so, God agrees with them. Each time she slips into using her magic, she swears it will be the last. Isabel's womanizing father, Nigel Bigalow (Michael Caine) tries to tell her that she was born a witch and will always be a witch no matter what she tries. Isabel refuses to accept that father knows best. Now there is an idea! Bring back the Father Knows Best TV series. What a challenge! Use modern thespians to make a TV series with the values and ethics of 1950s with the father as the head of the house. If I were a betting man I would bet that it can't be done: that filmmakers are not that good anymore. And I suspect teen actors and actresses of today have too much of an attitude to play the Betty, Bud and Kathy of the Anderson household. Robert Muir's 2005 Father Knows Best appears to support my suspicions. Shirley MacLain lends her skills as Iris Smythson as Endora who does not play Samantha's mother in this modern version of Bewitched. It was not surprising that MacLain would get involved with a witchcraft movie since she can talk to spirit guides, trance channellers, past life practitioners, native healers ... and dogs. At least to her dog, Terry which can enter MacLain's dreams which convinced MacLain to leave Hollywood. If MacLain left Hollywood, why did she appear in Bewitched? The dog must not have been that convincing. 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. |
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(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) |
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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 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 |  |
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