CAPCon ALERT

RED does not mean "stop." GREEN does not mean "go." Click on the CAPCon Alert image for explanation
CAP Movie Ministry
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

MAR2011.092

(2010), PG-13 [R-13*] (1hr 23.8min)

Final Score
Analysis Date
Date Posted
Influence Density
MinMax
July 29,, 2011
July 30, 2011
48
1.09
-88

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.

PLEASE . . . . . . .


(a PayPal account is NOT required).
The CAP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian ministry.
Donations are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE.

Stay informed ...OBJECTIVELY...
on what Hollywood feeds your kids. SUBSCRIBE
(or unsubscribe) to our FREE email version of these reports and our COMING SOON notices.
Email this report to friends and
tell them about the CAP Ministry:






Christian Long Distance

SUMMARY / COMMENTARY:
(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)

If Scriptural references appear, the full text appears at the end of the Summary / Commentary.



(2010), PG-13 [R-13*] ... had many good things to say in spite of its R-equivalence.


Production (US): Upper Room Multimedia
Distribution (US): Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Director(s): John Ward
Producer(s): Aaron Breeden, Stefan Hajek, Christopher Marcus, Jeff Pries, John Ward, Todd Zeile
Written by: John Ward
Cinematography/Camera: Christopher Marcus
Music: Christian Lundberg
Film Editing: Christopher Marcus
Casting: Stephan Hajek. Maddy Curley
Production Design: Tina Treglia
Art Direction: Tina Treglia
Viewed on Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment DVD



You'll have to pay attention. This film is not a "check your brain at the ,door" movie. Its message -- the Ten Commandments -- is simple but its delivery is intricate. Even I, one who has been studying the Bible for years, leaned a thing or two as I viewed the film.

For example, one of the verses used was the eighth of the Ten Commandments: Exodus 20:15 "Thou shalt not steal." The film helps the viewer understand that "steal" is not limited to lifting something off the store shelves that does not belong to you or robbing a bank. In the film a rock legend capitalizes on the last song his son wrote before his death by performing it under his own name -- he stole his son's song.

Another eye-opening use of Scripture was the third Commandment, Exodus 20:7 "Thou shalt not take the name of they Lord thy God in vain." Certainly Exodus 20:7 applies to using God's name in vain with or without the four letter expletive and even to the use of His name in the three-syllable sentence with His name trailing it, but another perspective of using His name in vain was using His name to sell drinking water by calling it "God Water: Perfect Refreshment from the One Who Invented Perfection" with "the endorsement of the biggest celebrity in the world ... a figure who will never be involved in a scandal; whose reputation is perfect."

Many eyes will be opened to the meanings of the Ten Commandments by the wisdom expressed in this film. The writer eloquently expands the often minimized scope of the application of the Ten Commandments to ensure the viewer comes away with a deeper and richer understanding of them -- with a better grasp of just how far God meant them to reach. Good job, John Ward.

While viewing the film I was expecting to talk about how this PG-13 film really did not deserve the PG-13 label. But I was wrong. Not only is the film PG-13 caliber, it is R-equivalent, making it a R-13. Films rated R in our comparative baseline database earned final scores of 54 and below out of 100. I Am earned a final score of 48. That this film felt to me like maybe a hard PG, the finding of R-equivalence just goes to show you the objectivity of the CAP Analysis Model. The model does not depend on the opinions of the investigator, indeed the model is shielded from investigator opinions by using prescribed investigation standards built by His Word. Note that the R-equivalence of the content of this film is not due to the severity of individual instances of assault on morality and decency as might be expected in R-rated films but rather is due to the sheer number of "lesser" examples of moral assault which drove the total envelope or magnitude of assaults to equivalency with the typical content of R-rated films. Please visit our CAP Rule of 1000 publication for more information on this technique of loading the contents of a film (whether intentional) with tons of "lesser" assaults on morality to achieve the some "feel" of a film that uses fewer but more extreme or bold examples of assaults.

Many films, even bad films often have some good things to say. Indeed, I Am had many good things to say in spite of its R-equivalence. I will share a couple with you. One nugget of wisdom provided by the script was "If you want peace you have to make it [peace]." A way to view that is if you want peace with someone who has wronged you or whom you have wronged, you need to make peace with him to have peace. Another nugget of wisdom was provided by "In the end, the one thing you've always wanted was the only thing you've always had. For I am with you always."

While the film presented its fair share of violent/criminal matters, the contents earning the most serious point loss were applicable to the Impudence/Hate (I), Drugs/Alcohol (D) and Offense to God (O) investigation areas. Brief discussion of the content found by each investigation area is provided below. As always, the best accounting of the content of analyzed films is provided in the itemized listing in the Findings section.

Just another quick note. This film is a great example of how powerful a film can be without a single use of profanity.

Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 52 out of 100
The inheritance of a woman with terminal cancer was conditional upon her surviving beyond the age of 39. If she died before the age of 40 the entire inheritance of billions would all go to her brother whom she hated and would do anything to keep it from him, including hiding her death by going into cryogenic freeze, an illegal maneuver. She even extorted the doctor who could perform the freeze to ensure he did it. Other examples of violence/crime content included fraud, theft and firearm threats.

Violence, in whatever form, can be "catching." So sayeth God in Proverb 16:29. He warns us that violence can lead one "into the way that is not good." Since God told us this man has plagiarized God's Word about violence by four professional public health agencies jointly reporting that

  • Children who see a lot of violence are more likely to view violence as an effective way of settling conflicts. Children exposed to violence are more likely to assume the acts of violence are acceptable behavior.
  • Viewing violence can lead to emotional desensitization towards violence in real life. It can decease the likelihood that one will take action on behalf of a victim when violence occurs.
  • Entertainment violence feeds a perception that the world is a violent and mean place. Viewing violence increases fear of becoming a victim of violence, with a resultant increase in self-protective behavior and a mistrust of others.
  • Viewing violence may lead to real life violence. Children exposed to violent programming at a young age have a higher tendency for violent and aggressive behavior later in life than children who are not so exposed.

    But does anyone listen to these public health professionals? To God?

    Impudence/Hate (I) - 40 out of 100
    Hatred of relatives, fraudulent affairs and deceit were the engine for this story. Lying and coaching to lie, arrogance and extortion did not help the scoring any. [Rev. 21:8, Ezek. 22:12, Isa. 13:11]

    Sexual Immorality (S) - 68 out of 100
    While there is no nudity in the film and no one gets in bed with anyone else, there is more to sexually immoral behavior than those. Adultery, inappropriate touch and excessive cleavage were part of the sexual immorality envelope. [Gal. 5:19, Eph. 4:19]

    Drugs/Alcohol (D) - Zero out of 100
    Drinking of whiskey and other alcoholic beverages were rather frequent. Abuse of prescription drugs was also present. Such content is a danger to adolescents who view it. In a 2002 study 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

  • 46% for those with no viewing restrictions
  • 16% for those with partial viewing restrictions
  • four percent for those with complete viewing restrictions. [Eph. 5:18]

    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 influence applies to any behavior demonstrated in and as entertainment, including good behavior.

    Offense to God (O) - 36 out of 100
    Several script maneuvers to support the theme of the movie involved the demonstration of sin. Some of them included using God's name as a marketing gimmick, using science to replace God, using Scriptures as a weapon, seeking vengeance, adultery and others.

    Murder/Suicide (M) - 88 out of 100
    There was one murder -- murder of the self. Suicide. One of the perpetrators of sin in the story committed suicide by prescription drug overdose.


    ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo


    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

  • Prov. 16:29 A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good. [The issue is the violence, the 'way that is not good' no matter how "small" or "justified" the violence might seem, and its "leading" effect on the observer. "A violent man" can be any character of any age, any gender, human or not in the act of committing (demonstrating in the case of entertainment) violent behavior/action whether for good or evil OR the violent behaviors/actions themselves. Such exposure can and does embolden the viewer into aggression, especially youth. It took years for the American professional health community to finally affirm, probably without knowing it, that which God told us in 1 Cor. 15:33 below. See also Joint Statement on the Impact of Entertainment Violence on Children: Congressional Public Health Summit for more information. Further, God speaks darkly of violence 56 times in the Old and New Testament of the KJV.]
  • Rev. 21:8 But the [unforgiven] cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars -their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.
  • Ezek. 22:12 In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.
  • Isa. 13:11 I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.
  • Gal. 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
  • Eph. 4:19 Having lost all sensitivity, they [the sinful] have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
  • Eph. 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. [Since "drunk" is methusko {meth-oos'-ko}: to intoxicate; make drunk; to get drunk; become intoxicated, "wine" can be any intoxicating substance including illegal drugs or abuse of prescription drugs. The issue is do not abuse the body by intoxicating it [1 Cor. 6:19]. Though it is not a sin to drink, it is a sin to get drunk OR to influence to get drunk OR to drink in defiance such as underage drinking.]
  • 1 Cor. 6:19 - 20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

    ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry***
  • Jer. 37:9 This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, 'The Babylonians [the destroyers from within] will surely leave us.' They will not!
  • Ps. 12:8 The wicked freely strut about [e.g., create progressively vile/offensive entertainment with impunity and no consequences and present it to younger and younger audiences every year] when what is vile is honored among men [when enough people continue to defend it, embrace it, enjoy it, want it, submit to 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 Be not deceived: evil [kakov: of a bad nature, not such as it ought to be] communications corrupt good manners.
  • Rom. 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
  • Jude 1:4 For there are certain men* crept in unawares [secretly slipped in among us], who were before of old ordained to this condemnation [whose condemnation was written about long ago], ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [a license for immorality], and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. [*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 one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
  • Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. [Offend: skandalizo {skan-dal-id'-zo} - scandalize; to entice to sin; to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey; to cause to fall away.]
  • Ps. 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me [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. ["Evil" includes all things that are sinful.]


    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:
    (The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)


    I Am (2010) CAP Thermometers

    Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 52 out of 100
  • planning an illegal procedure
  • extortion to force performance
  • fraud
  • image of dead body
  • firearm, repeatedly
  • firearm to chest
  • firearm to own head
  • theft of intellectual property

    Impudence/Hate (I) - 40 out of 100
  • hatred of brother
  • fraudulent management of affairs
  • deceit
  • adolescent rudeness
  • father being "too busy" for son
  • tattoo
  • coaching to steal intellectual property
  • "I can make the sun rise in the West" arrogance
  • "I am in this for me"
  • coaching to lie
  • celebrating planned fraud
  • extortion
  • self absolution about lying and forcing others to lie
  • trying to bribe the police
  • hatred of father

    Sexual Immorality (S) - 64 out of 100
  • pregnancy through immoral sex
  • excessive cleavage, repeatedly
  • inappropriate touch
  • woman as a toy/ornament
  • man taking a shower

    Drugs/Alcohol (D) - Zero out of 100
  • booze, repeatedly
  • bar, repeatedly
  • drinking, frequent
  • abuse of prescription medication, repeatedly

    Offense to God (O) - 36 out of 100
  • using science to replace God
  • using the name of God as a marketing gimmick
  • aberration of dead patient, repeatedly
  • using Scripture as a weapon
  • "Some people don't have the freedom to forgive"
  • seeking and attaining vengeance
  • adultery

    Murder/Suicide (M) - 88 out of 100
  • suicide by prescription drug overdose















  • THIS E-X-P-A-N-D-A-B-L-E SPACE IS RESERVED FOR SPONSORS.
    Interested parties, send us your proposal. Your link will appear on each new analysis report prepared during the desired period and, once placed on a page, will not be removed.














    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.





    The ChildCare Action Project (CAP) is a nonprofit Christian ministry. We are 100% dependent on public support. If you wish to contribute to the CAP, please make your donations through


    Just enter "Donation" in the "Description" block and the amount in the "Unit Price" block. You DO NOT need to have a PayPal account. Note that PayPal cannot process your donations unless your browser is set to accept cookies.

    Your gifts are tax deductible in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Tax Codes.



    You are welcome to go to the
    CAP Reports page
    or go to the
    Top of the CAP Home Page
    or the
    CAP Site Map (Table of Contents)
    or leave me an email message or comment at
    cap@capalert.com



    Thank you for visiting us and may God bless you. Prayerfully, we will provide you with some of the most revealing commentary and investigative reporting you have ever read.

    In the name of Jesus:
    Lord, Master, Teacher, Savior, God.
    Tom Carder
    Chaplain and President
    ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture
    100% dependent on your tax-deductible financial support

    Copyright ChildCare Action Project (CAP) Ministry





    Since December 5, 2000



    Christian Long Distance
    The Fundamental Top 500

    We exist only by your tax-deductible donations. PLEASE


    Features PayPal! You do NOT need an account to donate.
    JCSM's Top 1000 Christian Sites - Free Traffic Sharing Service!




    * CAP Equivalence to MPAA Rating Scale:
    Please note our new manner of indicating a film's Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rating in comparison with the CAP equivalence such as "PG-13 [R-13]." The first term is the Motion Picture Association of America's (MPAA) rating. The second term [in brackets] indicates that which the film earned under the CAP analysis model. In the example, "PG-13 [R-13]" indicates the MPAA rated the film PG-13 but the film earned a CAP final score in the scoring range earned by R-rated movies in the comparative baseline database. Other comparative terms used might be "PG [13-PG]", "G [PG-G] or even 'PG-13 [PG]" as was the case for Alien vs Predator. I doubt there will ever be a "G [R]" used, but only time will tell. The CAP analysis model is Rock-solid. The MPAA is not.

    The current CAP to MPAA** nomenclature is:

    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
    ** G, PG, PG-13 and R are registered trademarks of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).




    Copyright ChildCare Action Project (CAP) Ministry
    A Nonprofit Christian Ministry

    CAP HOME PAGE