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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 MAR2010.006  (2009), PG-13 [R-13*] (1hr 24min) 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): John Wells Productions, Killer Films, iDeal Partners Film Fund Distribution (US): National Entertainment Media Director(s): Katherine Dieckmann Producer(s): Yee Yeo Chang, Rachel Cohen, Daniel Crown, Jana Edelbaum, Peter M. Graham II, Stephen Hays, Pamela Koffler, Michael Lesser, Robin Sweet, Christine Vachon, John Wells Screenplay by: Katherine Dieckmann Cinematography/Camera: Nancy Schreiber Music: Joe Henry Film Editing: Michael R. Miller Casting: Ali Farrell, Laura Rosenthal Production Design: Debbie DeVilla Art Direction: Charles Kulsziski Viewed on National Entertainment Media DVD  This analysis is sponsored by the generosity of E&HP. Comedy? Gimmie a break! It may be because of the late hour but there was little if anything funny about this film. It might also have been funny if the four uses of the most foul of the foul words were left out ... if the 25 three/four letter words were left out ... if the sneaking adultery was left out ... if the talk of using a child's toy as a dildo were left out, if the ... Yes, this is a modern PG-13, folks, made acceptable for your 13 year olds kids through the dissonance created by that "PG-13" label. I do not like to report such ugly things as the use of a child's toy as a sex tool above but if you and/or your kids watch this movie you and/or they will hear it from the larger-than-life 60-foot screen under 2000 watts audio power. Isn't it better to be armed with the truth about the content here, in controllable text, rather than discovering it onscreen when you can do nothing about it? There is not much to tell about the story or plot -- if there was one. I suspect you as a parent are aware enough and can construct a rather accurate picture of the movie from what we reveal regarding its content. At any rate, let me say a few things about the story. NYC residents Eliza Kendall Welch (Uma Thurman) and her husband Avery (Anthony Edwards) have two children, 5 year old Clara (Daisy Taman) who will be six tomorrow and toddler Lucas (David Schallipp and Matthew Schallipp). The film begins with Eliza getting up from bed first and readying the family for another day. Another morning of the typical rush-rush frenzy, mostly by herself without Avery's help. After buzzing about with daily get-going tasks and an argument between Clara and the daughter of French neighbor Sandrine Dumas (Stephanie Szostak) about who has the best of anything, mom finally returns to the apartment and tries to return to writing. She finds nine minutes to post a blog online to express initial throes against motherhood. After posting her blog Eliza gets a popup screen from Lunchbox magazine that invites her to write about motherhood: to speak her mind and become a resident "momologist" with 500 words telling what it means to be a mom and earn up to $3000. Bingo! But the work must be submitted by 12 Midnight the next day. Eliza has birthday party stuff to get for Clara's birthday tomorrow and throw the birthday party plus a to-do list that would tire a 20 year old mom. Eliza boasts her first headline will be "To thine own self be true: Don't Breed." Talk about the "I want it all and I want it now!" syndrome. If everyone followed Eliza's dogma there would not be ......... The entire planet would be void of people in two generations. To counter Eiza's selfishness, there are a couple skits of Eliza's doting love for Clara. But there are also skits of her hatred of Avery, her near-miss with adultery, her threat of divorce and her leaving him and the kids -- all of it shrouded in the "It ain't good enough no matter what 'it' is" attitude. That is the flavor of the entire show and I am not going to spend any more of my time or yours summarizing any more of it. My subjective opinion of this movie is that it is more emboldenment for mothers to think lowly of the most important job on the planet because it takes sacrifice, just like soap operas: that there is "something validating about having a real job" as if motherhood is not a real job. Granted it is nearly impossible for a family to financially survive nowadays without both parents working but let's get real and understand that motherhood is probably the most real job a mother could have. I am sure I sound one-sided but I have an excuse. My wife and I have been parents to 39 children (two biological and 37 foster kids). From the foster kids we have adopted eight. I do not like to see or hear anyone mean-mouthing (so to speak) motherhood. Kids are not an obstruction nor an obstacle. If it were not for "kids" you would not be here. Let me get to the main reason most of the more than 11,000,000 folks have visited us. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 96 out of 100 The only issue of violence/crime is reckless driving. This film is G-equivalent in violence and/or crime. Impudence/Hate (S) - Zero out of 100 Twenty five times someone spews some form of the three/four letter word vocabulary, once by a child. Four times someone utters the most foul of the foul words. A malcontent painter utters the European equivalent of the most foul of the foul words. [Col. 3:8, Eph. 4:29] Rudeness rears its ugly head a number of times, even behind the wheel of a car. A store clerk is dressed in punk and has a nose ring. [Prov. 8:13, Mal. 4:1] Plus a few lies [Rev. 21:8] and comments such as "Work keeps mommies from being mean, nasty mommies." Not at all a good image of "motherhood." There are so many little (and not so little) snippets of "It ain't good enough no matter what 'it' is" that they drained the starting 100 points of this investigation area to zero. This relatively new technique of loading or weighting movies with tons of "lesser" assaults on morality and decency to achieve the feel of movies of a more severe nature is explained in our publication CAP Rule of 1000. Sexual Immorality (S) - Zero out of 100 Here is yet another example of the loading and/or weighting described in our CAP Rule of 1000 publication. There is no nudity nor any one atop anyone else but there are s-o m-a-n-y sexually oriented snippets and innuendo [Eph. 5:4, Eph. 4:29 (again), Prov. 15: 4] of the "lesser" kind (see CAP Rule of 1000) that the magnitude or "feel" of all those little digs and jabs at wholesome morality are truly equivalent to the harsher and more extreme assaults on sexual humility typically found in R-rated films. Indeed, a thousand little jabs in and as entertainment can be and often is more morally damaging than 100 more extreme jabs. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 68 out of 100 This film presents no alcoholic beverages whatsoever, at last none I found. But it does demonstrate smoking cigarettes. Seven times. The American College of Physicians (ACP) warns that such exposure of the middle school aged stratum to such content is inarguably a bad influence, leading many to practice the bad habit that destroys their bodies (which are not their own [1 Cor. 6:19 - 20]). And Jesus Himself warns us that s/he who teaches and/or causes our youth to sin would be better off if a millstone were tied about his/her neck then cast into the sea. [Luke 17:2] Offense to God (O) - 9 out of 100 Twelve times someone uses God's name in vain without the four letter expletive and three times with it. God does not like that. He says so in Deut. 5:11. Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 There are no suicides or murders in the entire 84 minutes of the film. 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) - 96 out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - Zero out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 68 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 9 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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