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A service to our youth through you, their parents and grandparents, in His name by His Word MAR2295 Swim Fan (2002), PG-13 Analysis Date: September 7, 2002 CAP Score: 40 CAP Influence Density: 1.20 MinMax: -88 |
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SWIM FAN (R) -- ...teenage version of Fatal Attraction. Production: Forrest Films, Further Films, GreeneStreet Films Inc. Distribution: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation Director(s): John Polson Producer(s): Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr., Marcy Drogin, Jamie Gordon, John Penotti, Courtney Potts, Allison Lyon Segan, Fisher Stevens, Tim Williams, Bradley Yonover Written by/Screenplay: Charles F. Bohl, Phillip Schneider Cinematography/Camera: Giles Nuttgens Music: John Debney. Louis Febre Film Editing: Sarah Flack Casting: Amanda Harding, Mindy Marin Production Design: Kalina Ivanov Art Direction: Frank White  I will never be able to figure out the MPAA and am no longer going to try. This movie is NOT fit for kids (or anybody else for that matter). It is every bit as "R" as any R-rated movie ever made. Yes, it is a "R-13" Ben Cronin (Jesse Bradford) is a high school varsity swim jock destined for greatness as soon as the scouts see him in action. Standing at his side is wholesome wannabe Amy ((Shiri Appleby). Along comes Madison Bell (Erika Christensen), the helpless southern belle. Conveniently being unable to get her book locker open while Ben is around, 'poor little ole me' Madison saunters up to Ben and convinces him to open it for her with a hair burette of her own. Successful, Ben becomes the gallant gentleman for the southern belle. And so is Madison successful -- at starting a relationship with Ben even if only in her mind. A relationship they both come to regret. Madison proceeds to plan and execute maneuvers to further her relationship with Ben. She even strips to her underwear to seduce Ben in the swimming pool. And there is nothing "artful" about it. It is pornographic. This is where Christensen portrays an almost nude teenage girl massaging the privates of a teenage boy to get her way with him after he resists all other attempts at seduction. After forcing Ben to tell her he loves her in the middle of her seduction of him, she takes it to have been sincere and demands that he reciprocate further. When sobriety returns and Ben tries to avoid her and let her down easily, she turns up the heat with just about every imaginable tactic and trickery to extort him emotionally and socially, irrespective of the human cost. As I warn everyone who reads our analyses, this service is for His little ones (which includes at-home teens) through their parents and grandparents in His name by His Word. To that end I will not be intimidated by concern for spoiling a movie when the truth about it must be known to mom/dad so they can make an informed decision on their own about whether a film is fit for their kids (or themselves) without having to sit through it to know. 
Bell continues to try her worst to manipulate everyone in Ben's life to effect her. She caused the wrong medication for an elderly man under Ben's care as a hospital worker and nearly cost the elderly man his life, just as a signal to Ben. While driving Ben's truck Bell hit Amy on her scooter and put her in the hospital. Bell killed one of Ben's swim teammates with a baseball bat and threw him in the pool Ben was using to implicate him. After this happened, Bell was discovered for what she really was and killed two police officers as they transported her to jail. Bell even handcuffed wheelchair-bound Amy to the wheelchair and shoved her into the swimming pool. Ben was successful at saving Amy but Bell got pulled into the pool by Ben as she tried to kill Ben and Amy with a long pole. Bell could not swim. Ben had time to save her too -- but did not. Another aberrant behavior template - vigilante justice. That is Ben and Amy looking at Bell's submerged body in the image to the right. This is an evil movie that can serve no other purpose for the young except to corrupt their decision-making processes and coping skills when confronted with anything that appears even close to similar on the surface, even if only imagined. This is the screen version of "Hell hath no fury like that of woman scorned." After your 13 year old (or younger) daughter sees this movie, will her sanity prevail in her first or next social jilting or will it be influenced to whatever degree by this warehouse of evil ideas? Even the county prosecutor after the Paducah, KY school shootings said "Kids don't think up these things on their own."Swim Fan earned a score of zero in each of Wanton Violence/Crime and Sex/Homosexuality and eight in Impudence/Hate. How in the world can there be so much corruptive behavior in a movie and the MPAA still give it a rating that is an open door to all ages? Just look at those CAP thermometers for this movie. Do you really want your kids to see this kind of "entertainment?" Necking in underwear. Stripping for sex in a truck. Teenage seduction [Eph. 4:19] and intercourse (teenage seduction cost John the Baptist his head [Matt. 14:1 - 11]). Teen drinking [**, Luke 1:15]. Sexual offers between teens. Planning cohabitation for sex by minors [1Cor. 7:2]. A teen holing a knife to another teen's throat. Teen murder and attempted murder. And more. Much more. All for your children. The listing in the Findings/Scoring section reveals all that was noted. SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ]. 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. *******Food for Daily Thought******* 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. |
 Wanton Violence/Crime (W): Impudence/Hate (I)(1): Sex/Homosexuality (S): Drugs/Alcohol (D): Offense to God (O)(2): Murder/Suicide (M)(3): |
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| NOTE: The CAP Analysis Model makes no scoring allowances for trumped-up "messages" to excuse or for manufacturing of justification for aberrant behavior or imagery, or for camouflaging such ignominy with "redeeming" programming. Disguising sinful behavior in a theme plot does not excuse the sinful behavior of either the one who is drawing pleasure or example from the sinful display or the practitioners demonstrating the sinful behavior. This is NOT a movie review service. It is a movie analysis service to parents and grandparents to tell them the truth about movies using the Truth. |
| "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 nearly seven 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. |
