MAX KEEBLE'S BIG MOVE (PG): ChildCare Action Project (CAP) Media Analysis Report MAR21079

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Entertainment Media Analysis Report
A service to our youth though you,
their parents and grandparents, in His name by His Word

MAR21079
Max Keeble's Big Move (2001), PG
Analysis Date: October 5, 2001
CAP Score: 66
CAP Influence Density: 0.61

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NOTE: 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 purely objective and is the heart of the CAP Entertainment Media Analysis Model applied to this movie.

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.

MAX KEEBLE'S BIG MOVE (PG) -- kids are the smart ones and the adults are doddering idiots.

Max Keeble's Big Move is a general presentation of adolescent victory in confrontation with authority [Heb. 13:17]. In addition, it is a general portrayal that it is aceptable for kids to submit to and serve sexual interests; that sexual matters are to be nourished and celbrated rahter than controlled [1Ths. 4:3]. More theft of childhood from children. It is a smart alec movie combining toilet humor, sexual matters and a large dose of rebellion against authority [Is. 30:1]. In a nutshell, Max Keeble's Big Move is a battle of children "getting even" with authority, mainly by placing authority figures subordinate to children. That which has saturated teen movies has moved into the preteen movies. And this movie will probably be popular with the preteen age stratum. Even the anti-drug public service message writers have realized the draw and attraction of youth to the kiss-off attitude of rebellion and arrogance and inflated self importance (self esteem at the expense of self respect) [2Pet. 2:10; Rom. 1:30].

Max Keeble (Alex D. Linz) is starting the 7th grade this year. It is his year to become cool, to have an attitude. And to be a standard for all other kids by flipping off authority. Doesn't matter which authority. Any authority. Saying kids are the smart ones and the adults are doddering idiots.

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But then reality sets in when dad (Robert Carradine) announces the family is moving to Chicago for his new position with the company - that same week, Friday. Not wanting to leave his stomping grounds, Max decides he is going to take advantage of no one but he and his closets friends knowing about the upcoming move. Like the doddering idiot parents are not smart enough to figure out the school needs to be notified.

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One of his teachers challenges Max's arrogance with a 2,000 word essay that becomes 12,000 words by the time Max stops with the attitude. The essay is due Friday. Why should he care? Har, har! He'll be gone Friday, so what's she gonna do about it? By the way, the teacher is not only presented as an idiot, she is presented as extreme and abusive.

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As connective material, another teacher who is dipped in sex appeal teaches the class about sexual attraction by the opposite sex and that the key to such attraction is some special chemical which she conveniently had a bottle of for classroom use, of course. Remember, mom/dad. It is not your job to teach your kids about sexual matters anymore. It has become the school's job to teach sex ed beyond egg-sperm into sensuality education and sexual performance education. But that is another point of contention for a different sermon.

Part of Max's go-for-broke campaign in his last days to "live" is his attack of the planned destruction of a neighborhood petting zoo. The principal, Mr. Jindraike (Larry Miller) has swindled school funds to buy the property to build a new stadium to impress the Superintendent, a football hero of long ago.

And every school has a bully. The bully that torments Max and every other 7th grader (but not the 9th graders) is Troy McGinty (Noel Fisher). Fisher looks the part. And plays the part well. Starting out as a child afraid of a giant cartoon frog, McGinty compensates with antagonizing anyone who backs down. Max is one of them. In Terminator garb, McGinty "tars and feathers" Max with mud and garbage, dunks his head in a toilet bowl and likewise terrorizes the rest of the 7th grade population boys, giving ideas to the real bullies of the world. But isn't that what movies are for? Well? It worked for a boy in Paducah, KY who shot eight of his classmates emulating The Basketball Diaries. It worked for the older boys in Sweden who killed a two year old little girl by pretending to be Power Rangers(tm), kicking everything that could be perceived as a bad guy; lampposts, mailboxes, tires, little girls. It worked for.......

All along the way is an ice cream truck driver out to get Max. Max delivers newspapers in the neighborhood and has irked the ice cream man for some reason I do not remember as it is with much of this forgettable movie. What I do remember is the caliber of Max's planning and assault on the ice cream man being completely impossible for 12 year olds. Even the manner of enlistment of aid from his classmates would be highly improbable.

In this campaign of Max's was quite a bit of risky behavior and even violent as well as criminal behavior. Just because violence and crime involve cute 12 year olds does not make such risks safe if emulated by your kids. And that such is presented in a movie does not excuse the sin of it. Further, a 9th grade girl was presented clearly as a sex object to portray taunting the developing chemistry of anything male. And as if to redeem the invasions of proper and wholesome, in the end Max is reconciled with his friends who he tried to abandon, is victorious over the evil principal, has rehabilitated the school bully, destroyed the evil ice cream man's ability to harass him and saved the neighborhood petting zoo. And I think somewhere in there Max saved the word and made it a nicer place for truth, justice and the American way.

With a final score of 66, this movie is a great sample for revealing how the CAP entertainment analysis model can reveal and plot the relative movement of morality in movies. That score places this PG movie one point into the 12-point cell boundaries for PG-13 movies. Though this movie could be one in the lower third standard deviation (1.67%) from the norm in Gaussian distribution, I somehow more expect it is a credible sample of the way popular entertainment is moving. More theft of childhood from children.

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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.

Heb. 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you [your parents], and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account [report to God], that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. [This speaks about parents who are noble, righteous, honorable and just in God's eyes, not thier own or the child's.]

1Ths. 4:3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;

2Pet. 2:10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings;

Is. 30:1 Woe to the rebellious [carar {saw-rar'}: stubborn, revolters] children, saith the LORD, that take counsel [adopt ways, behavior], but not of me; and that cover with a covering [mask, hide], but not of my spirit [by vain and empty reasoning], that they may add sin to sin:

Rom. 1:30 ...slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents;

*******Food for Thought*******

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 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]
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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:

Max Keeble's Big Move (2001) CAP Thermometers

NOTE: Multiple occurrences of each item described below may be likely, definitely when plural.

Wanton Violence/Crime (W):

reckless driving - repeatedly

reckless endangerment - repeatedly

bully antics - repeatedly

aggression in anger by a child

reckless endangerment of a child - repeatedly

wanton damage to private property

theft - repeatedly

breaking and entering by children

spiking breath spray

manhandling of a child by an adult

principal imprisoning a child

Impudence/Hate (I)⁽¹⁾:

sound of flatulence with a picture of a commode

dunking in a commode

adolescent arrogance - repeatedly

planning vengeance and covering of lies

sneaking to avoid discovery

flatulence

crotch bite by a squirrel

food fight

general mischief - repeatedly

threats to harm for money

adolescent confrontation with school authority

Sex/Homosexuality (S):

crotch hit

dressing to maximize the female form and/or skin exposure - repeatedly

portrayal of sex appeal in junior high

sex ed beyond egg-sperm into sensuality education or sexual performance education

suggestive eye movements by adolescents

portrayal of sexual attraction - repeatedly

jock strap as memento

Drugs/Alcohol (D):

none noted

Offense to God (O)⁽²⁾:

none noted

Murder/Suicide (M)⁽³⁾:

none noted

NOTE: The CAP Analysis Model makes no scoring allowances for trumped-up "messages" to excuse or for manufacturing of justification for aberrant behavior or imagery, or for camouflaging such ignominy with "redeeming" programming. Disguising sinful behavior in a theme plot does not excuse the sinful behavior of either the one who is drawing pleasure from the sinful display or the practitioners demonstrating the sinful behavior. This is NOT a movie review service. It is a movie analysis service to parents and grandparents to tell them the truth about movies using the Truth.

"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 five-year 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.

(1) As noted in CAP Special Report-001, "Investigation Area and Scoring Trend," of the six CAP Investigation Areas, Impudence/Hate was the strongest presence in all four movie classifications. It has a strong revelation about the entertainment media.

(2) The use of the three/four letter word vocabulary without God's name in vain is incorporated into the Impudence/Hate Investigation Area. The use of God's name with or without the four letter expletive is incorporated into the Offense to God Investigation Area. There is no duplication.

(3) Only portrayal of successful murder or suicide are incorporated into Murder/Suicide. Portrayal of attempts to commit murder or suicide and deaths by police action or war are incorporated into Wanton Violence/Crime.

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