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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 MAR2011.094  (2011), PG [PG*] (1hr 42.5min) 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): Tri-Star Pictures, Filmdistrict, Enticing Entertainment, Mandalay Vision, Brookwell McNamara Entertainment, Island Film Group, Affirm Films, Life's a Beach Entertainment Distribution (US): Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Director(s): Sean McNamara Producer(s): Noah Hamilton, Becky Hamilton, Shelley Trotter, Christina Lambert, Ron Bass, Jennifer Smolka, Joey Paul Jensen, Susie Singer Carter, Corey Schwartz, Ricardos, S. Galindex, Roy J. Tjioe, David Tice, Dominic Ianno, David Zelon, Douglass Schwartz, Dutch Hofstetter, Sean McNamara, David Brookwell Screen Story by: Sean McNamara, Deborah Schwartz, Douglas Schwartz, Michael Berk, Matt R. Allen, Caleb Wilson, Brad Gann Screenplay by: Sean McNamara, Deborah Schwartz, Douglas Schwartz, Michael Berk Based on book Soul Surfer by Bethany Hamilton with Sheryl Berk and Rick Bundschuh Cinematography/Camera: John R. Leonetti Music: Marco Beltrami Film Editing: Jeff W. Canavan Casting: Joey Paul Jensen, Niner Parikh Production Design: Rusty Smith Art Direction: Rosario Provenza Viewed on Sony Pictures Home Entertainment DVD  Wow! I don't think I have ever seen in any of the over 1400 films I've analyzed any special photography as fine as in Soul Surfer. Incredible photography! Incredible indeed. If I didn't know otherwise I would believe AnnaSophia Robb has only one arm. One has to look v-e-r-y closely and only at certain times such as a left-side shot while she wears a tank top to even get a hint that AnnaSophia Robb actually has two arms. And the "trick photography" (I think it is her wearing a green sleeve and is electronically edited out) is perfect. Hats off to the filmmakers. And hats off to the writers. In two aspects anyway. No one is afraid to admit and express their faith in God. Much credit is given to the One who gives us life (and Life). God is never blamed for Bethany Hamilton's misery and misfortune. Bethany once wonders why such terrible things happen but she does not blame God. Hats off also to the writers for proving a film can be just as powerful without profanity. I found not a single utterance of any form of profanity or euphemisms of it. It would have been nice if the filmmakers had not depended so much on female skin and the female body (see the Sexual Immorality investigation area discussion below). Now a little to the caliber of performances. AnnaSophia Robb as Bethany Hamilton was not nearly as cardboard as she seemed to be in performances such as Because of Winn-Dixie and Bridge Over Terabithia. AnnaSophia actually seemed perfect for the part and was good at it. Academy award winners Helen Hunt as Cheri Hamilton and Dennis Quaid as Tom Hamilton, Bethany's parents, were the perfect parents. Helen has that mother look in some of the scenes while Dennis portrayed very well the supportive father, maybe too supportive. Bethany says she thinks she spent more time wet than dry. Her love is surfing. She is good at it and is getting better. So much better she is good enough to try professional surfing. That is what she is going to do. One day as Bethany and posse, including her surfing coach Holt Blanchard (Kevin Sorbo), her BFF Alana Blanchard (Lorraine Nicholson) and Alana's brother, Byron (Jeremy Sumpter), tried to catch an early couple hours of surfing practice in an inlet when a shark took a piece of Bethany's surfboard ... her left arm with it. And almost her life. Bethany quickly succumbs to hypovolemia (low blood volume) and then cardiac arrest. Bethany was close to death for a time. The medics keep her alive until Dr. David Rovinsky (Craig T. Nelson) can save her life with surgery who said "She is a living miracle." Now itis time to relearn life. Everything she did with two hands must now be done with one hand -- or not done at all. But was surfing one of the two-handed activities she was going to give up? No way. Bethany said one of the most courageous things I have ever heard anyone under disability say: "I don't need easy. I just need possible." Is Bethany successful in her quest to continue surfing? Can she compete with only one arm? What Bethany does is up to your discovery. I do not want to spoil the film any further. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 77 out of 100 This is not a violent film ... except for the tragedy to Bethany. The shark attack and the loss of her arm to the shark is the gist of the violence content. There is no portrayal of criminal matters noted. While the violence in this film is not violence perpetrated by man, it is still violence and God warns us in many ways, particularly in Prov. 16:29, that violence may be "catching" and may lead us into "a way that is not good." Man has even plagiarized God's Word by four professional public health agencies jointly publishing their findings which state "viewing violence may lead to real life violence", "children who see a lot of violence are more likely to view violence as an effective way of settling conflicts" plus other warnings about viewing violence in and as entertainment. Impudence/Hate (I) - 67 out of 100 Matters of the impudent and/or hateful nature include two teen girls sneaking out at night, deceiving their parents. It also includes a son's arrogance toward his father and defiance of his father's authority. [Deut. 5:16] There is an episode of a mother glaring at the father who was upset at his son's arrogance and defiance to imply the friction was the father's fault and a couple instances of poor sportsmanship [2Tim. 2:5]. Those matters are the most of the impudence and/or hateful content. Not one use of profanity was found. Sexual Immorality (S) - Zero out of 100 I may as well get this next part over with. Be patient with me. I sound as though I am defending my position when it is not my position. Before I started watching the DVD, one of our "congregation" wrote me with a comment about Soul Surfer who said "I've heard too much skin." I didn't recognize the gentleman and suspected he was just one of those Bible-thumpin' types. I thought to myself "How could what I understand to be a 'good Christian film' display too much skin?" Well, after watching it I found he was right. The film has a strong and dynamic basis in the Christian faith and boundless courage but it also has a strong basis in skin. Female skin, of course. The issue is best revealed by noting that the male characters mostly wear tee shirts or sweaters and long shorts even when surfing but the quintessential female characters wear less, much less. And the camera focuses the viewer on it a lot. Granted, the setting is in Hawaii. And granted it is summertime. And granted it is surfing. And granted -yada yada yada. But why still did the girls not wear as much as the boys? Though I may risk copyright infringement, this aspect of the film could have easily been titled "Soul Surfer: Swimsuit Edition" and with the same focus. (No, I've never bought a Swimsuit Edition magazine but I've seen their commercials.) And from another perspective, why in one scene of two girls setting on their surf boards in the water did the boards float atop the water placing their open legs above the water line when in another scene of them setting on their boards in the water did the boards sink to where the water line was at their waists? There are other examples of subliminal posing (such as on the back of the DVD case insert) but I suspect you .. er ... get the picture. What do you suppose the film's strong content of skin/body will do to its strong message in faith? The content of this film is G- or PG-equivalent in four of the six CAP investigation areas, one point under PG barely into PG-13 equivalent in one investigation area but R-equivalent in Sexual Immorality. There, it is clearly R-equivalent and only because of all the filmmaker maneuvers to have a camera angle and/or pose to force the viewer on private parts, the dressing to maximize the female form and/or skin exposure and swimwear that exposes lower glutei and below navel skin that threatens to expose that which follows. The R-equivalence in this investigation area is clearly not due to any one or a few individual displays or acts of extreme sexual immorality as may be typical of many R-rated films, rather because there are s-o-o many "lesser" instances of pushing the sexual humility envelope that they all add up to create a combined magnitude equivalent to many R-rated films. For more information about such loading of the content of films (whether intentional) please see our CAP Rule of 1000 publication. While Soul Surfer is indeed a great film in many ways, it is not a great film in terms of skin/body exposure. The file footage of Bethany and her life at the end of the movie does not support such an extent of exposure to skin as is presented in the film. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 100 out of 100 While there is a toast with the lifting of glasses at a Thanksgiving feast, there is no evidence it is an alcoholic toast. I could have been cranberry juice for all we could tell. Offense to God (O) - 93 out of 100 God's name is used in vain twice. Each time is without the four letter expletive. But does leaving off the four letter expletive make the sin of abusing His name any less? I doubt it. [Deut. 5:11] But there were no examples found of any witchcraft, voodoo, satanism, demonism, occultism or anything even approaching them. Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 There are no murders or suicides noted. 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) - 77 out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - 67 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - Zero out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 100 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 93 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 |