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Entertainment Media Analysis Report
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MAR2011.082.3

(2005), NR [PG-NR*] (1hr 22.8min)

Final Score
Analysis Date
Date Posted
Influence Density
MinMax
July 7, 2011
July 8, 2011
77
0.41
-76

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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.


Click on the poster to go to its site.

(2005), NR [PG-NR*] ... no profanity whatsoever


Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database
Production (US): Alpine Medien Productions, Hallmark Entertainment, Larry Levinson Productions
Distribution (US): The Hallmark Channel
Director(s): Michael Landon, Jr.
Producer(s): Brian Gordon, H. Daniel Gross, Robert Halmi Jr., Michael Landon Jr., Larry Levinson, Nick Lombardo, Michael Moran, Erik Olson Teleplay by: Douglas Lloyd Mcintosh, MIcheal Landon, Jr., Cindy Kelly
Novel: Jeanette Oke
Cinematography/Camera: Brian Shanley
Music: Kevin Kiner
Film Editing: Andrew Vona
Casting: Penny Perry
Production Design: Niko Vilaivongs
Art Direction: Laird Puliver
Viewed on Fox Home Entertainment DVD



Since 1995 we have been bringing you analyses of popular films. This analysis is number 1400! This analysis is of the third in Jeanette Oke's Love Comes Softly series.

After two years of marriage, it is 1879 and Missie (Erin Cottrell) and Willie LaHaye (Logan Bartholomew) figure it is time to plant their roots. After breaking away from the wagon train to claim their homestead, three bad guys: Mason (Jeff Kober); Trent (John Savage); Sonny (Richard Lee Jackson) pause and gaze upon Missie and Willie with ill intent ... until Willie straps on his gun. But that is not the end of the threats from the evil trio.

Upon arrival in Texford Junction Willie and Missie pick up the deed to their new homestead and in the middle of a promissory and thankful-to-be-here smooch, 12 year old chicken thief Jeff Huff interrupts them. Then Willie and Missie again run into the evil trio. Here we find out that young Jeff is the brother of one of the evil trio, Sonny.

A short time later Willie and Missie arrive at their new homestead. Well, "new" is not quite right. It is bright and shiny to them but is an old and dilapidated shack in a state of ruin and disrepair due to age and neglect. But that does not stop the pair. They see their homestead through the eyes of love. Willie promises to build Missie a house a lot better. After the front door falls off in Willie's hand exposing the open-air roof, Missie insists that Willie carry her over the threshold. And there begins the story. A story that defines love in hardship in many ways ... and presents some violence.

Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 19 out of 100
Maybe violence is necessary for the telling of the desired story but it is unfortunate for the scoring. This film displays quite a bit of violence, mostly in the form of firearms to control and gunfire to do harm. Whether, for example, a gun is pointed in someone's face is in a Christian film or a secular film makes no difference to the CAP Analysis Model. That which is communicated by such a display says the same thing to believer and non-believer alike. The same number of points are lost by such a demonstration whether in a Christian film or a secular film.

The violence in this film may not be a graphic as in most PG-13 and R-rated films but it is violence nonetheless and there is enough of it to make the violence/crime content of this film to be R-equivalent. See our R-13 publication for more information on this technique of loading a film with "lesser" examples of assault on morality and decency to achieve the same "feel" of a more severely rated film. Please inspect the listing in the Findings/Scoring section of this report before you decide for what age stratum this film is fit.

It seems advisable to alert parents to the Word of God about how He feels about violence. In Prov. 16:29 God warns us that violence is "catching" and can lead one into the "way that is not good." Further, four professional public health agencies have plagiarized God's Word by announcing their finding that "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence" and "Viewing violence can lead to emotional desensitization towards violence in real life."

Impudence/Hate (I) - 92 out of 100
Thankfully, as with the first two episodes of Jeanette Oke's Love Comes Softly series, this episode has no profanity whatsoever. But a couple items of impudence/hate are present, specifically a marital argument and some pursuit to do mischief.

Sexual Immorality (S) - 88 out of 100
While marriage is blessed as the two are one in the sight of God, Bartholomew and Cottrell are not married. Twice Bartholomew and Cottrell are shown snuggling in bed together. Things married folks do are private and not for public display. To put Bartholomew and Cottrell in a bed together snuggling as a married couple, even when clothed, is inappropriate. "Acting" does not excuse it. Though not likely in this setting, such display might invoke desire and desire gives birth to sin. [Hebr. 13:4, James 1:15]

Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 76 out of 100
A number of times drinking is desired and a saloon is shown with whiskey on the table. Granted, such is an icon of the Old West, the "justification" for such content is immaterial to the CAP Analysis Model. Please visit the BEFORE ... You Read On page for more information.

Part of our adamant opposition to alcohol (and tobacco) in and as entertainment is found in a 2002 study by the American College of Physicians (ACP). The study 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

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

Offense to God (O) - 96 out of 100
The only item that could be found applicable to this investigation area was the gambling.

Murder/Suicide (M) - 92 out of 100
Near the end of the show one murder by gunfire was found.


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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.]
  • Hebr. 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure [which includes before AND during marriage AND gender], for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
  • James 1:15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to [spiritual] death.
  • 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 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?

    ***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.]


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    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.)


    Love's Long Journey (2005) CAP Thermometers

    Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 19 out of 100
  • planning robbery
  • firearm for defense, offense and to control, repeatedly
  • firearm threat, repeatedly
  • armed robbery (off screen)
  • assault with injury, repeatedly
  • individual abduction and abduction of several, including child
  • gunfire to intimidate, repeatedly
  • firearm to face, repeatedly
  • defensive gunfire to injure
  • fight to escape
  • defensive gunfire injury

    Impudence/Hate (I) - 92 out of 100
  • pursuit to do mischief
  • martial argument

    Sexual Immorality (S) - 88 out of 100
  • planning rape
  • man and woman in bed together, twice

    Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 76 out of 100
  • talk of drinking, repeatedly
  • bar, repeatedly
  • booze, repeatedly

    Offense to God (O) - 96 out of 100
  • gambling

    Murder/Suicide (M) - 92 out of 100
  • one gunfire murder















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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 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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    * 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
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    PG-13 equivalence: 13-R
    R equivalence: R
    For NR rated Films with
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    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).




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