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Reel World Reality 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 MAR2012.001  (2011), PG-13 [PG-13*] (90min) 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. |
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(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Production (US): Sony Pictures Classics, Mediapro, Versátil Cinema Gravier Productions, Pontchartrain Productions Distribution (US): Sony Director(s): Woody Allen Producer(s): Jack Rollins, Javier Méndez, Helen Robin, Raphaël Benoliel, Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, Jaume Roures Written by: Woody Allen Cinematography/Camera: Darius Khondji Film Editing: Alisa Lepselter Casting: Julet Taylpr, Patricia DiCerto, Stéphane Foenkinos Production Design: Anne Seibel Art Direction: Jean-Yves Rabier Viewed on Sony Pictures Home Entertainment DVD Odd. That is the most descriptive single-syllable word I can think of as the credits roll by. I will try to make sense of the story in a brief summary below. "Golden Age Thinking." As used in the film that term means thinking a different time period is better than the time one is living. That seems to be the common thread for Gil Pender (Owen Wilson) who hungers for the glitz and glamour of the 1920s Porter, Gauguin, Hemingway, Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, Fitzgerald and an army of other literary and artistic notables who, according to the movie, lived in that era. Gil's nostalgic hunger became so deep that one evening at midnight, in a drunken stupor as the clock pealed its 12th gong a cab from the 20s rolled up and took Gil to meet his literary army from the past. The opportunity to meet his artistic heroes became a delicious narcotic for Gil. Every night at midnight he returns to the 20s. Thus the name Midnight in Paris. I am not going to try to give you a relatively detailed summary which I typically build because even a summary of the wide span of famous people and connective choreography would make the length of it much too long. I will give you that which most of you come to visit our pages - a detailed accounting of the assaults on morality and decency. A final score of 56 out of 100 places the content of this film at the bottom of the range of scores earned by PG-13 films in the comparative baseline database (67 to 55 out of 100). Just two points out of 12 above the R-13 threshold of 54. So, Midnight in Paris is a "hardcore" PG-13. Mainly because of smoking, drinking, drunkenness and sexually immoral demonstrations. Following are brief discussions of the content per individual content investigation area. As always the Findings section of this report, the heart of the CAP Analysis Model, is the best source for discovering the full accounting of the content of this film. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 96 out of 100 The only content applicable to this content investigation area was the attempted suicide. Only completed suicides and murders are incorporated into the Murder/Suicide content investigation area. All attempted suicides and murders and deaths by police action, warfare or defensive killing are incorporated into this Wanton Violence/Crime content investigation area. Impudence/Hate (I) - 70 out of 100 Three times someone utters profanity. [Eph. 4:29] Three uses of profanity is immoral enough but this content investigation area found enough additional impudent content for the starting 100 points to be whittled down to 70, mainly due to lying [Rev 21:8]. Sexual Immorality (S) - 19 out of 100 Gil cohabitates with his fiancé, Inez (Rachel McAdams) and we see evidence of it several times. One of the songs used talks of sex and a number of conversations and references to sex are heard. McAdams is seen a couple times in a bath towel only and the pair engage in inappropriate touch a couple times. A number of other matters applicable to this content investigation area are present. Please look to the listing in the Findings section for a complete accounting of the Sexual Immorality content. [1 John 2:26] Drugs/Alcohol (D) - Zero out of 100 While the content found by the Sexual Immorality content investigation area found enough content for that area of content to be R-equivalent, so did this content investigation area. Drinking. Drunkenness. Smoking. Each repeatedly, some frequently. The content of this PG-13 film in this investigation area is of prime focus of the American College of Physicians (ACP). A 2002 study by the American College of Physicians 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 There is nothing to say that viewing smoking in and as entertainment does not carry the same danger of influence as viewing drinking. Actually, the same matter of behavior influence applies to any behavior demonstrated in and as entertainment, including good behavior. Offense to God (O) - 52 out of 100 As with Sexual Immorality and Drugs/Alcohol, the content found by this content investigation area also found enough content to lose enough points to be R-equivalent (54 and below out of 100), not as intensely R-equivalent as Sexual Immorality and Drugs/Alcohol but R-equivalent nonetheless and almost all of it due to abuse of God's name. [Deut. 5:11] Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 No murders or suicides were found in the entire 90 minutes of programming. Though there was an attempted suicide found, attempted suicides, attempted murders and deaths due to police action, warfare and defensive killing are not incorporated into this investigation area but are incorporated into the Wanton Violence/Crime investigation area. 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 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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(The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)   Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 96 out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - 70 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 19 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - Zero out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 52 out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 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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| 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 |
