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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 MAR2011.003  (2010), PG-13 [Hard R-13*] (1hr 55.25min) 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): Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, Michael De Luca Productions, Scott Rudin Productions, Trigger Street Productions Distribution (US): Columbia Pictures Director(s): David Fincher Producer(s): Dana Brunetti, Ceán Chaffin, Jim Davidson, Michael De Luca, Scott Rudin, Aaron Sorkin, Kevin Spacey Writing Credits: Aaron Sorkin (screenplay), Ben Mezrich (book) Cinematography/Camera: Jeff Cronenweth Music: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross Film Editing: Kirk Baxter, Angus Wall Casting: Laray Mayfield Production Design: Donald Graham Burt Art Direction: Curt Beech, Keith P. Cunningham, Robyn Paiba Viewed on Sony Home Entertainment DVD  This is the third PG-13 I've analyzed this year so far and two of them earned R-13 final scores. That fits with the 2004 trend proven of about two thirds of all PG-13s earning R-13 CAP final scores. I have not had the funding to update the 2004 finding to 2010 but I feel confident the trend has not improved. We'll see. Harvard genius and computer revolutionary Mark Zuckerberg makes it B-I-G. This is a telling of the Facebook phenomenon: of how Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg), founder and inventor of Facebook, made it B-I-G. Twenty-five billion dollars big. Zuckerberg, with a SAT score of 1600 (the highest possible), is the youngest billionaire on the planet. And is now short at least one BFF -- Eduardo "Wardo" Saverin (Andrew Garfield). Wardo was the co-founder of and provider of seed money for the world-changing venture. This is a computer application version of the Steve Jobs and Bill Gates stories. Jobs and Gates made their big bucks building and selling innovative personal computers. Zuckerberg made it big inventing an Internet application. A short lecture session in the film by Bill Gates is portrayed but Steve Jobs' Apple Computers (Macintosh) are well represented in the film. Now there is a story! While Zuckerberg started his project from his dormitory room, Jobs started building and selling computers, Macintosh computers, out of his garage. Jobs developed the now universal pull-down menu and object oriented drag-n-drop, click-to-select, double-click operating system that all computer makers have "plagiarized" replacing the once-famous DOS operating system. Now Jobs is the "A" in Apple, Inc. and CEO of Pixar. The computer you are using likely comes from either Jobs or Gates. The way I like to describe the computer market is this. There are two basic types of computers: Macintosh and Miscellaneous. As you probably have guessed, I am a Mac user. And have been for over 20 years. It was fortunate that I chose Macintosh when I started in computers because all of the other computers have, as I called it, "plagiarized' the Mac operating system. Without owning or working with to any great extent the PC/Windows computers I can, because of my experience with Macs, use just about any other computer ... because they all mimic Jobs' original [Macintosh] operating system. And I have not had any formal computer training except a class of FORTRAN in the previous century. That says something about Jobs' intellect in developing a user-friendly operating system. If the content of The Social Network is true to the caliber of Zuckerberg's life during the period of the story, that time of his life was R-equivalent in profanity, drugs/alcohol and sexual immorality. The Social Network is a standard formula film for telling the story of rags-to-riches for a computer geek. It is more of a gossip film than an informative film. It is the story of how what started as a Harvard-only (spelled e-x-c-l-u-s-i-v-e) social network website which brothers Cameron and Tyler Winkelvoss ( Armie Hammer and Josh Pence) along with Divya Narendra (Max Minghella) -- all fellow Harvards -- "hired" Zuckerberg to develop, was secretly developed into "The Facebook" which is now just "Facebook™." Though Zuckerberg claimed not one line of code developed for the "Winklevi" (Zuckerberg's plural for Winkelvoss) was used in Facebook -- a curiously similar concept to the Winkelvi's Harvard social networking website. So similar that the "Winklevi" actively sought intellectual property rights ownership of Zuckerberg's Facebook. Zuckerberg's intent was to extend the reach of his social networking outside the realm of Harvard into many schools. And that it did. Facebook started out as a "who's hot" networking website which invited users to select from two on-campus females displayed onscreen which was "hottest." With more than 22,000 hits in four hours, it was obvious to Zuckerberg that the networking idea with member photos and profiles was a very good idea. A very good idea indeed. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 86 out of 100 This is not a violent film at all but it contains matters of the violent nature such as threats plus one instance of attempted arson. Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 While this film is not violent it is filled with profanity. Thirty-eight uses of profanity plus three uses of the most foul of the foul words through the 115.25 minutes of screen time. [Col. 3:8] Vulgar name calling, a vulgar gesture, coaching to lie and underhanded business ethics top off the loss of all the starting 100 points in this investigation area. Sexual Immorality (S) - 7 out of 100 Sexually immodest demonstrations freckle the script from "front to back." Attention to girls breasts size. Sex games (including with illegal drugs). Stripping to underwear. Motions of oral sex. Strip poker. An unmarried couple in bed. Cohabitation. Two girls snuggling on a couch. More. This is not a sexually humble film. [Col. 2:20 - 3:6] Granted, it may be a re-telling of the life of someone, but it is still a film. Nothing more. Nothing less. That others sin does not excuse yours (or mine). That performers sin seemingly without consequence does not protect you. Indeed, that others (e.g. filmmakers, performers) entice some to sin with sin IS sin, as much as it is sin for you to sin as they sin. The bottom line is that His Word regarding sexual immorality may be summed up as any sexual contact (including visual), conduct or activity outside of a monogamous heterosexual marriage. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - Zero out of 100 The American College of Physicians (ACP) found an irrefutable link between presentation of alcohol and tobacco in and as entertainment and adolescent abuse of them. The ACP found that of the study population (4544 New Hampshire middle school youths) the following percentages of youths tried alcohol without parental knowledge: • 46% for those with no viewing restrictions • 16% for those with partial viewing restrictions • four percent for those with complete viewing restrictions. There is no reason to doubt that the same link exists between entertainment demonstrations of illegal drugs and adolescent abuse of them. This film presents all but tobacco. [Eph. 5:18] And it has long since been accepted that the influence of sexually immoral demonstrations in and as entertainment has caused youth, by their own admission, to try what they see onscreen. Offense to God (O) - 16 out of 100 God's name is abused 15 times without the four letter expletive and twice with it. God is adamant about abuse of His name, enough so to warn they who abuse His name that He "will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain." [Deut. 5:11] Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 There were no murders or suicides noted in this 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) - 86 out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 7 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - Zero out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 16 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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