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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 MAR28022  (2008), R [13-R*] (2hr 03min) 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 1200 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.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Barry Mendel Productions. Blinding Edge Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, UTV Motion Pictures, UTV Distribution (US): Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation Director(s): M. Night Shyamalan Producer(s): Barry Mendel, Sam Mercer, Jose L. Rodriguez, John Rusk, M. Night Shyamalan Written by: M. Night Shyamalan Cinematography/Camera: Tak Fujimoto Music: James Newton Howard Film Editing: Conrad Buff IV Casting: Douglas Aibel, Stephanie Holbrook Production Design: Jeannine Claudia Oppewall Art Direction: Anthony Dunne Viewed on Fox Home Entertainment DVD This analysis is sponsored by E&HP and DC. Unfortunately, since donations and funding have evaporated to very little, I can only give you analyses of films that have made it to video. The Happening is one. At least it has been released on video just a few days ago. So, though this analysis is rather useless to moviegoers, it may be of use at least to they who wait until a film comes out on video. Surprisingly enough, the PG-13 master M. Night Shyamalan (The Village, Lady in the Water, Signs) did it again. But not by the faulty and continuously flittering standards of the MPAA. The Happening is indeed R-equivalent in Wanton Violence/Crime with and area score of 30 and deeply equivalent to R-rated films in Murder/Suicide with an area score of zero. But it is PG-equivalent in Impudence/Hate, PG-13 equivalent in Offense to God and G-equivalent in Sexual Immorality and Drugs/ Alcohol. There is one of the most useful tools the CAP analysis model -- specification of where the ignominy lies. The "big picture" magnitude of the content of this film, the "macroscopics" of it, is actually a middle-of-the-road PG-13 but the intensity and concentration in Wanton Violence/Crime and Murder/Suicide, the microscopics, are clearly R-equivalent. And this is one of the reasons why we occasionally do an analysis of R-rated films. In addition, the model is built to include the four MPAA classifications of R, PG-13, PG and G. An occasional analysis of R-rated films is necessary to maintain the mathematical integrity of the CAP analysis model. How could we say a PG-13 or PG-rated film is equivalent to R-rated films and where they are equivalent if we did not do an occasional analysis of R-rated films? However, we will not do an analysis of any X or NC-17 film. They never have been part of the comparative baseline database and never will be. The CAP analysis model is the only one on the planet that gives you so much useful data -- and objectively. The plant life of the world is rebelling against man. They are apparently fed up with man's abuse of the Earth and are striking back. The plants appear to have banded together and created a gas that causes suicide. One Tuesday morning at 8:33 AM a number of people in Central Park begin to act strange. As the trees and other plant life stir in the wind, one woman (Alison Folland) commits suicide by skewering herself with a large hair pin through her own neck. At least it looked like a hair pin, a very large hair pin. Large enough to probably be a defensive weapon used as a hair pin. The story moves to a high school science classroom taught by Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) as he is interrupted by the Vice Principal (Kathy Lee Hart). Led to the auditorium, Elliot is told along with the rest of the staff by the Principal (Alan Ruck) that some "terrorist attack" has happened in Central park: that some airborne chemical neurotoxin has been released in the Park; that the stages of the manifestation of the toxin are confused speech, physical disorientation then fatality. Advised by the Principal, all students and teachers are released. Now Elliot and his wife, Alma (Zooey Deschannel) become the focal characters of the story. New York is to be evacuated. As Elliot and Alma proceed to leave NYC for Philadelphia. Elliot hooks up with Jullian (John Leguizamo), the math teacher since Jullian invited Elliot and Alma to go to Philly with him and Jessica (Ashlyn Sanchez), Jullian's daughter, to stay with his mother. Jess's mom got sidetracked by traffic and will take a later train. But little did Elliot know that Philadelphia has become "Killadelphia." As Elliot and company board the train and embark for Philly, a traffic cop blows a hole in his head with his own gun. A man picks up the cop's gun and blows a hole in his head. A woman picks up the gun and kills herself. On their way to Philadelphia, Elliot and Alma learn of "Killadelphia." Serendipitously, the train stops at Filbert, PA where nothing happens. The train staff have lost all contact "with everyone." While everyone lounges at the Filbert restaurant they learn "If we stay here, we're gonna die here." They also learn the airborne "attack" that covers the Northeastern seaboard is not occurring 90 miles from Filbert. Jullian has had it with his wife not being with he and Jess. His wife apparently took a bus to Princeton from New York. Catching a ride with the only Filbrert Restaurant customer seemingly willing to help anyone in this time of peril, Jullian leaves Jess with Elliot and Alma. On their way, Jullian and his benefactor plus three others witness four people hanging by the neck in Princeton. Slowly the "gas" invades the ragtop Jeep they are riding in through a small rip in the ragtop. Soon all in the Jeep become overcome with the effects of the "gas." Within moments the driver (Brian O'Halloran) speeds into a tree ... intentionally. That is just about the "rest of the story" since the rest of the story is also filled with suicides. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 30 out of 100 Content this investigation area found consisted mostly of views of dead bodies, some quite graphic. Other matters of the violent nature included demonstration of hysteria, zombie-like behaviors, screaming and talk of people clawing themselves with a witness asking "Is that blood?" Jullian tried to kill himself by slashing his wrists but it was not seen as fatal so this attempted suicide was incorporated into Wanton Violence/Crime rather than Murder/Suicide (as an ex-medic I can tell you slashing the wrists is typically not likely to cause death). Only successful acts of murder and/or suicide are incorporated into Murder/Suicide. One other attempt to kill one's self was old Mrs. Jones (Betty Buckley) banging her head against the outside wall of her home then crashing her head, face first, graphically through a glass window. Though she died later off screen her death was not seen and was thus considered violence rather than suicide. [Ex 20:13] Impudence/Hate (I) - 76 out of 100 Surprisingly enough for a R-rated film, the profanity was kept down to five uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary. [2 Tim. 2:16 - 17, Col. 3:8] The atypically light profanity, Alma's lie to cover up her adulterous relationship with Joey and two adolescents asking nosy questions of Elliot about Alma were all that could be found applicable to the Impudence/Hate investigation area. About Alma's lie. So many of us seem to think a little white lie is okay every once and again. Like, what's the harm? Everyone does it! Well, Jesus didn't. And God is rather harsh in His Word about lying. He warns that "all liars", unforgiven liars anyway, will not make it to Heaven. [Rev. 21:8] Sexual Immorality (S) - 97 out of 100 Sexually suggestive content was limited to short skirts and dresses worn by high school adolescents. "What!? A short skirt/dress is in violation of Scripture?" Yes. Such attire is only to increase the amount of skin displayed, especially when sitting down or crossing the legs. A young girl was able to get John the Baptist's head in a charger by showing some skin. [Mark 6:22] Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 100 out of 100 There were no noted uses of illegal drugs, alcoholic beverages, tobacco or abuse of prescription drugs. Offense to God (O) - 59 out of 100 The content applicable to the Offense to God investigation area included five uses of God's name in vain six times without the four letter expletive plus once with it. Also applicable to this investigation area includes the beginnings of an adulterous relationship Alma had with Joey (the voice of M. Night Shyamalan himself). The story boasts a fantastically extreme reasoning about plant life being able to selectively launch attacks on mankind. God did not give us this planet to serve or to be subordinate to, but to use as we need. That, of course, does not include abuse of it as is mentioned in the film. He gave the Earth to us to be good stewards of it and its resources, for which we indeed are failing. [Gen. 1:27 - 30] In addition, as is typical of Hollywood, faith in Jesus is vilified by portraying a "crazy woman" repeating a fragment of a Bible verse while walking backwards like a zombie. [Luke 6:22] Murder/Suicide (M) - Zero out of 100 If someone kills others as he kills himself is it murder of the others? We think so. Therefore, the deaths of the three passengers caused by the Jeep driver killing himself is considered murder. There were at least 37 suicides in this 127-minute film. Some were very graphic and some were off screen but many were dangerously realistic. The first was the young lady as she impaled her own neck with the hair pin with the viewer witnessing the pin piercing her neck. Four were seen hanging by the neck. One rigged a large lawn tractor to chop himself up. One case was a murder/suicide as a driver slammed his Jeep into a tree with four others in the car with him. One guy committed suicide by letting a lion attack him as the viewer watches the lion rip the man's arms off. As I said, "... deeply equivalent to R-rated films in Murder/Suicide." Though this film is equivalent to some PG-13 films in the comparative baseline database does not mean PG-13 films are acceptable. [Ex 20:13] 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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 Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - SCORE out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - SCORE out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - SCORE out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - SCORE out of 100 Offense to God (O) - SCORE out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - SCORE 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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