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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 MAR26084  (2006), PG-13 ["Hard" R-13*] (1hr 19min) 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 1100 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): Rosey Film Productions LLC, Biscayne Pictures, Intrepid Pictures, Raygun Productions, Rogue Pictures Distribution (US): Rogue Pictures, Focus Features Director(s): Asif Kapadia Producer(s): Marc D. Evans, Steve Gaub, Trevor Macy, Aaron Ryder, Ron Schmidt, Jeffrey Silver Written by: Adam Sussman Cinematography/Camera: Roman Osin Music: Dario Marianelli Film Editing: Claire Simpson Casting: Avy Kaufman Production Design: Thérèse DePrez Art Direction: Steve Joyner, Jeff Knipp Viewed At: Driftwood Theater 6 As Terry Stahl (Peter O'Brien) speeds to the hospital in LaSalle, Texas with his wife who was brutally assaulted, Terry crashes into a parked station wagon with 11 year old Joanna Mills (Darrian McClanahan) and her father, Ed (Sam Shepard) as Ed tries to comfort young Joanna at the roadside. This collision forms a mystic connection which will haunt Joanna for years. At 25 tears old Joanna (Sarah Michelle Gellar) travels the Midwest as a saleswoman for a trucking company. And she is good at it. Eventually, her travels bring her to Texas where she feels strangely drawn to the small torn of LaSalle, like there is something there from her past. It is not a matter of simple deja vu -- there is something very important to Joanna in LaSalle. Joanna's nightmares repeatedly thrust her into a morbid scene of a young woman at the doors of a barn being brutalized by a man. Somehow Joanna knows she is connected to the woman in her nightmares. Somehow LaSalle has the answers to Joanna's mental torture. Somehow Joanna knows she has returned to the place where it all began ... to where the connection was made ... to she with whom Joanna is connected. This film is a difficult story to follow to provide any more of a Summary/Commentary of the plot/story. It seems the only way to make sense of the story is to have written it. So I will end the Summary/Commentary here and move into the main reason for this service. But let me preface that with this. The caliber of a film might be measured by the caliber of the audience drawn by it, right? Theater security told me they had to eject about 40 teens from a showing of this PG-13 film. Bad influences do corrupt good manners, eh? [1 Cor. 15:33] Maybe this was an isolated incident. Or maybe it wasn't. At the age when it is cool to be bad*, maybe one of the "cool to be bad" kids set the rest of them off? Or maybe the content of the film did? * Karan Omidvari at St. Michael's Medical Center in Newark reveals that "impressionable adolescents" (she was speaking of teenagers) are at the age when its good to be "bad." Wanton Violence/Crime (W) The lowest possible score in any one investigation area is zero. The Return earned a score of zero in the Wanton Violence/Crime investigation area. [Prov. 16:29] This film is easily as violent and with as much demonstration of criminal behavior as many R-rated films. Criminal behaviors portrayed center around sexual assault, including the stalking, luring and baiting of a little girl. Some of the matters of sexual assault were incorporated into this Wanton Violence/Crime investigation area rather than the Sexual Immorality investigation area since in some portrayals of sexual assault the degree of violence overshadowed the sexual content. Though demonstrations of sexual assault would fit into either the Wanton Violence/Crime or Sexual Immorality investigation area, the CAP analysis model will not permit incorporation of any one instance of ignominy into more than one investigation area. Thus no duplication of scoring loss is assured. While the scoring distribution across the six CAP investigation areas is affected by the placement of items of scoring loss, the final score is not. Impudence/Hate (I) The Return is exceptionally light for the typical PG-13 film in profanity. But what was there is vile enough. While the three/four letter word vocabulary was used only three times, one of them was the most foul of the foul words. [Col. 3:8, Eph. 4:29] Sexual Immorality (S) As explained above in Wanton Violence/Crime, some of the issues of sexual brutality found by this investigation area were incorporated into the Wanton Violence/Crime investigation area. However, additional issues of sexually immoral behavior such as a man and a woman making out while lying down were incorporated into this Sexual Immorality investigation area. As explained above, it doesn't matter much into which investigation area individual issues of ignominy are captured and revealed as long as they get captured and revealed. The bottom line is that there are several demonstrations of sexually immoral as well as sexually heinous behavior in this film. [1Ths. 4:1 - 7] Besides, when entertainment includes matters of sexual violence, it is still sexual. We don't concern ourselves with "context" (see the BEFORE You Read On... link) God is quite stern about sexually immoral behaviors. Revelation 22:15 is just one example. Just one. Drugs/Alcohol (D) While no drunkenness was noted in the entire 79 minutes of this film, there are a number of examples of booze and drinking plus one instance of abuse of prescription drugs. Since and especially because this is a teen film, the issue cries out to Eph. 5:18. 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. A study by the American College of Physicians (ACP) has found an undeniable link between the presentation of alcoholic beverages (and tobacco) in and as entertainment and arrogance/defiance with them by adolescents. And teaching/causing youth to abuse inebriating substances by emboldening youth with them in and as entertainment invokes Luke 17:2. If alcoholic beverages in entertainment were not a problem for our young, why is there and why has there been such a push to get and keep booze commercials off prime time broadcast TV? Even the University of Connecticut corroborates the ACP finding. Offense to God (O) God warns us of using His name in vain. Any use of His name in any way other than in respect, reverence or thoughtful discussion and the like is in vain. A couple of the performers in this film are guilty. "Vain" is shav' {shawv}: emptiness, nothingness, vanity, such as an expletive. With or without the four letter expletive, the use of God's name in any way other than respect, reverence or thoughtful discussion/teaching is in vain. That includes the popular three syllable sentence with His name trailing it AND the misuse of Jesus' name. [Deut. 5:11] Murder/Suicide (M) There were no murders or suicides noted in this film. The behaviors which led to the death of Terry's wife were 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 ***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) Impudence/Hate (I) Sexual Immorality (S) Drugs/Alcohol (D): Offense to God (O) Murder/Suicide (M) |
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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 more than eight 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. |
| In the name of Jesus: 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. Lord, Master, Teacher, Savior, God. Tom Carder President ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture 100% dependent on your tax-deductible financial support |  |
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