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ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry) www.capalert.com/ Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to His little ones (which includes at-home teens) through you, their parents and grandparents, in His name by His Word MAR23103 With ADDENDA, October 10, 21, 2003 (2003), PG Analysis Date CAP Final Score CAP Influence Density MinMax October 9, 2003 82 out of 100 0.29 -67

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ALERT: To fully understand this report you should first visit the topics suggested by the CAP Site Map (Table of Contents). Further, 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.

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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. (2003), PG -- ... if you ever wondered why a dog circles his bedding a few times ... Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Jim Henson Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Jim Henson Pictures Distribution (US): Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corporation, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corporation Director(s): John Robert Hoffman Producer(s): Stephanie Allain, Bill Bannerman, Kristine Belson, Peg Healey, Lisa Henson Screen Story: Zeke Richardson (Dogs from Outer Space), John Robert Hoffman Screenplay: John Robert Hoffman Cinematography/Camera: James Glennon Music: Mark Mothersbaugh Film Editing: Craig Herring Casting: Deborah Aquila, Mary Tricia Wood Production Design: Jerry Wanek Art Direction: John Marcynuk Viewed At: Driftwood Theater 6 Good Boy is Canid 3942 (the vocal dynamics of Matthew Broderick), special emissary from planet Sirius sent to Earth by the Greater Dane (the equally dynamic vocal talents of Vanessa Redgrave) to determine whether the dogs placed here thousands of years ago have kept their orders to dominate the Earth and control the human population. While dogs may have done a better job than we have, in this paragraph I will sound about as extreme as I ever have. But as Luther said, "My conscience is captive to the Word of God", so is mine and I will suffer the predictions of Luke 6:22 to honor His Word over man's. The concept of dogs as superior or even equal to man is in direct violation of God's Word that clearly directs that He gave us dominion over the animals. [Gen. 1:28] Further, dogs have no souls and there will be no dogs in heaven in spite of the once popular cartoon movie. [Rev. 22:15] So never shall dogs rule man and such a portrayal is contaminating to the youthful development of an understanding His Will, even if we as adults might feel it ridiculous to think so. If you choose to go to see this movie with your kids I ask that you make sure your young ones first understand God's Will regarding dogs. ADDENDUM: October 10, 2003 Already we have had someone argue with the above paragraph. So, I thought I would early on offer more information to help folks understand what is being said. I left out detailed discussion from the original report to keep the length of it to a minimum and evidently did not give enough substance to avoid such confusion. The emailer was apparently thinking with an adult mind, not how a child thinks. The child's world sometimes has little distinction between fantasy and reality which improves with age as s/he gains experiential maturity. Harvard educated child developmental expert Dr. Karen Nelson, Developmental Psychologist and Professor of Psychology and noted Counselor, Dr. Larry Gilliam agree with me that it would be unusual for even a 16 year old to be able to fully comprehend the consequences of his/her actions or to be able to fully separate fantasy from reality: that such capabilities do not typically plateau until the early 20s. My warning was pointed at this sort of movie giving ideas with which a child may have to do combat as s/he develops his/her understanding of God and His will for His creation, not his/her perception of world reality. Many children apparently leave Biblical reality in favor of a worldview based entirely on what they have seen and/or heard in entertainment. ALL children learn based on what they see and hear. It is unavoidable. It is our job to teach our children reality, right from wrong, etc. And to feed our children such seemingly innocuous contamination as dogs ruling man in the larger-than-life, popcorn flavored, comfy environment such as the movies in their most impressionable years, even in fantasy, may be yet another barrier with which some of them may have to overcome IF they overcome it and develop a solid faith as free as possible of corruptions based on distortions of his Will. Though the likelihood of such developmental contamination may be slim, it exists and it is my job to point out as many possibilities as I can. It is not my job to decide for you which possibilities you should know about and which you should not. Regarding no dogs will go to Heaven, Heaven is for the souls of the Saints - the ones who accepted Jesus as Lord and resurrected Savior. Animals cannot do that. Nor can they even sin because God gave no laws that animals must obey or can disobey. Besides, only man has a soul, animals have none. Upon arrival to Earth Canid 3942 inadvertently became involved with one of the lowly Earthlings called Owen Baker (Liam Aiken). Owen had been working hard for three months to earn a pet dog. After crash landing on the Earth, Canid 3942 tried to communicate with Sirius using his damaged Woofer (what a clever name for a communicator for dogs) and Owen, assuming the dog to be a stray and seeking to make the dog his, became entangled with the rays shooting from the damaged Woofer and was saturated with its rays along with Canid 3942. After a brief scuffle with some bullies and a dog catcher (Paul Vogt), Owen adopted Canid 3942 and named him "Hubble", a choice name obviously taken from the Hubble scientific telescope that has been piercing the night skies for years. That evening, with Canid 3942 snug in Owen's room, Owen found the rays enabled him to talk with Canid 3942 -- to talk with a dog! Then is when Hubble explained to Owen that he must grade the dogs on Earth to find out how well they had complied with their mission to dominate the human population and report back to the Greater Dane. From there, the antics start. I was somewhat surprised with Good Boy! I expected it to be another disappointment like Snow Dogs which billed its attraction on talking dogs. But it was definitely an entertainment cut above Snow Dogs. Unfortunately, Good Boy! is also apart from Snow Dogs in that Good Boy! held significantly more crude humor than Snow Dogs. And, as you might expect, most of the crude humor involved animal body exudates and anatomy. [Eph. 5:4] Further, there were several instances of adolescent arrogance toward and defiance of parental authority. [Exod. 20:12; Eph. 6:1; Col. 3:20] In Exodus 20:12 our Lord tells us to obey our parents that we may live longer. One of Owen's antics of disobedience nearly cost him his life and possibly the lives of others. And there was the portrayal of the child being so much more mature and worldly than the parent typical of modern "kids shows." Good Boy! earned a final score (84) just three notches below the CAP scoring range earned by G-rated movies in the comparative baseline database (100 to 87 out of 100) but the extent of arrogance and crude humor caused the movie to earn a significantly low score (33) in the Impudence/Hate Investigation Area, thus the reason for the red CAPCon Alert light. I have "bragged" on this feature before but this movie highlights one of the features of the CAP analysis model: to reveal where any concentration of ignominy, if any, lies. The set of six CAP Thermometers does that very nicely. I may be the engineer of the CAP analysis model but Jesus is the Designer. What else would we expect of His work? In addition to the quite frequent issues of crude humor, other than a single use of the popular word for flatulence [Eph. 5:4] and two uses of God's name in vain without the four letter expletive [Deut 5:11], there were no issues of what could be incorporated as foul language. There were no obvious issues of sexual immorality noted at all nor were there any instances of human exposure to intoxicating substances. The dogs were intoxicated with laughing gas, but no humans were. The movie was free of any murder/suicide or mention of them. Even the Greater Dane's henchman - err - henchdog (voice of Cheech Marin) refrained from such threats. One final note. I think we may be seeing another child star being born in Liam Aiken. He was that good in his vocal delivery as well as most of his expressions and mannerisms. Too bad Aiken's skills had to include demonstration of sinful arrogance and rebellion. I wonder if filmmakers and writers are no longer capable of making a film without such ignominies. By the way, if you ever wondered why a dog circles his bedding a few times, it is to build a mind fence to keep the bad dreams out of its sleep. Please consider reading the listing in the Findings/Scoring section before you decide whether to take your tykes to see Good Boy! ADDENDUM: October 21, 2003 I cannot remember the last time I wanted to avoid the bothersome tirades and diatribes of the homosexuality practitioners as much as I wanted to avoid them now by ignoring the following, but my integrity will not let me. Since at the viewing of Good Boy! I was cautious of mentioning the following due to its ambiguity which was obviously engineered , I did not report on it until I could find confirmation of it. Confirmation has been received from a reputable source. A number of times in Good Boy! two co-habitating men in a relationship clearly not something as simple two guys living together to share expenses appear in scenes subtly giving a strategically understated message that co-habitating practitioners of homosexuality are just like families with peaceful homes, pets and mortgages when quite the opposite appears to be true. Co-habitating homosexuality practitioners appear to pose a far greater threat to each other than do heterosexual practitioners: "The differences between alleged hate crimes committed by heterosexuals against homosexuals pales in comparison when contrasted with how may homosexuals physically or emotionally assault their "lovers" each year." One of the scenes was of the pair in a warmly lighted, evening tranquil scene in a modest middle class home showing one of the pair doing something in a cushy comfy chair and the other doing something at a table suggesting domesticity and domestic togetherness between same-gender participants, clearly trying to suggest a "husband and wife" image. What better way than in a "family film" targeted to toddlers to preteens to calmly and unobtrusively indoctrinate the target audience betimes into acceptance of the practice of homosexual behaviors? In view of 1) the trend of Hollywood to include in so many films (seemingly focusing on films targeted to youth) anything from at least a mention of practicing homosexuality behaviors to demonstrating them, 2) almost every public school in America, led by the National Education Association and the Federal government, endorsing the practice of homosexuality by including curricula teaching the practice of homosexuality as safe and acceptable and as an "alternate sexuality" (as if they have any business teaching sexuality at all to your kids), 3) the efforts of organizations such as the North American Man-Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) to abolish all age of consent laws, 4) the recent push to normalize "gay marriages" and 5) the study by Dr. Judith Reisman which found that the incidence of homosexual practitioners molesting children is up to 40 times greater than heterosexuals, it would be unwise to let this observation go untold. The Findings/Scoring section has been retrofitted to incorporate the matters of this addendum. I know how this really drains a lot of the fun out of films with such an intended family-friendly appearance as Good Boy!, but you need to know. If Hollywood wants to make family-friendly films, they need to make them FAMILY-friendly, not politically friendly or socially friendly or special interest group-friendly or ........ SPECIAL NOTE: We will be reducing the volume of coverage in the Summary/Commentary section of our reports and the number of reports generated in an effort to reduce costs until full funding can be achieved. The Findings/Scoring section of each report, the heart of the analysis model, will NOT be reduced in any way. Thank you for your patience as we diligently search for funding. Anyone who wishes to volunteer to help us locate 501(c)(3) nonprofit funding and sponsors is encouraged to notify me. ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 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. Luke 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Gen. 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Rev. 22:15 For without [outside of the "city", specifically, Heaven] are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Eph. 5:4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. Exod. 20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you. Eph. 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Col. 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. 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 thoughtful discussion is in vain. That includes the popular three syllable sentence with His name trailing it AND the misuse of Jesus' name.] ***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."] 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 (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, situationally redefine, counterfeit, conditionally apply] 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. 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: Wanton Violence/Crime (W) young boy in woods alone at night bully threats adolescent abduction of a pet child defying his fathers call resulting in endangerment himself and others subtle homosexuality suggetions Impudence/Hate (I) one use of the popular word for flatulence adolescent boy telling adolescent girl to get her posterior moving crude humor, repeatedly flatulence, repeatedly lie to father child portrayed as having far more experiential maturity than reasonable child speaking to his mother as if she were subordinate to him and she permitting it adolescent hiding something from his mother Sexual Immorality (S) none noted Drugs/Alcohol (D): none noted (dogs were intoxicated by laughing gas but no humans were) Offense to God (O) two uses of God's name in vain but without the four letter expletive "Zen" meditation dogs portrayed as superior to man Murder/Suicide (M) 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 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.

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