CAP Report MAR-0029, THE RIVER WILD (1994)

ChildCare Action Project:
Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP)

Entertainment Media Analysis Report

MAR-0029
The River Wild (1994)
PG-13
CAP Score: 63
CAP ID: 0.66

Thomas A. Carder
CAP President

ALERT: To fully understand this report you should first visit the topics suggested by
the CAP Home Page Table of Contents.

The River Wild was an action-packed movie embedded in terrorism by outlaws against a family of three (mother, father, son). There was a continuous theme of control by intimidation, coercion, and terror to force hostages to do the bidding of the terrorists.

Wanton Violence/Crime (W) lost points heavily because of the dark and violent theme of

kidnapping
a terrorist hitting a child and manhandling him
holding a family at gunpoint
threatening a child at knifepoint.

Impunity/Hate (I) dropped points due to, what else in a PG-13 movie, foul language.(1) Impunity/Hate also lost points due to

"I hate you!" from a son to his father
the mother feeding the son's hatred of the father
parents throwing verbal knives in front of the child
teasing and fascinating a child with a loaded gun, and letting him play with it

Sex/Homosexuality (S) sufferred due to a mother wearing outfits most boys never see on their mother, distant mother nudity, sexual innuendo, and undressing to the skin. Obvious camera angles also left no doubt on what the script writers were trying to get the viewer to focus.

The Drugs/Alcohol (D) score lost points due to only one instance of consumption of alcohol.

Offense to God (O) lost almost half its starting 100 points due, of course, to the frequent use of God's name in vain.(2)

The Murder/Suicide (M) score was etched by the presentation of one murder to gain progress during escape (unseen) and one graphic murder of a police officer.

In accordance with the comparative baseline database, The River Wild was equivalent to R-rated material in Wanton Violence/Crime and Impunity/Hate. The movie presented material equivalent to PG-13 material in Offense to God. The River WIld was equivalent to PG material in Sex/Homosexuality and Murder/Suicide. And the movie was equivalent to G material in Drugs/Alcohol. Thus, The River Wild was equivalent to the comparative baseline data corresponding to 33% R-rated material, 17% PG-13 material, 33% PG-rated material, and 17% G-rated material.

Below is the table showing the scoring in each of the Investigation Areas plus the Final Score drawn from the actual CAP Report. In addition, the number of examples per hour of unacceptable material in each of the Investigation Areas is provided.

The River Wild CAP Scorecard

(1) As noted in CAP Special Report-0001, "Investigation Area and Scoring Trend" Impunity/Hate was the strongest presence in all four movie classifications. I pray you will find time to read Special Report-0001. It has a strong revelation about the entertainment media.

(2) The use of the three/four letter word vocabulary is incorporated into the Impunity/Hate Investigation Area. The use of God's name in vain with and without the three/four letter word vocabulary is incorporated into the Offense to God Investigation Area.

Additional reviews of this movie may be located at "Movie Review Query Engine at Telerama."

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