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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 MAR2011.018  (2010), PG-13 [Very Lite R-13*] (1hr 30.5min) 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.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Arthur Cohn Productions Distribution (US): Samuel Goldwyn Films Director(s): Udayan Prasad Producer(s): Lillian Birnbaum, Arthur Cohn, Jeannette Eckenstein, Samuel Falk, Esther Grether, Annetta Grisard, Robert Ortiz Writing Credits: Pete Hamill (story), Erin Dignam (screenplay) Cinematography/Camera: Chris Menges Music: Jack Livesey Film Editing: Christopher Tellefsen Casting: Sharon Howard-Field Production Design: Monroe Kelly Viewed on ARC Entertainment DVD  A final score of 53 places this film at the top of the scoring range for R-rated films (54 and below out of 100) in the comparative baseline database. Earning but two more points would have placed this film above the R scoring range and at the bottom of the scoring range earned by PG-13 films (55 to 67 out of 100). That makes this film a "very lite R-13", meaning a film that earned a R-equivalent CAP final score but was rated PG-13 by the MPAA. It has all the earmarks of most PG-13 films, e.g., immoral sex, profanity, some degree of nudity and so on, just not as intense or as extreme. Brett Hanson (William Hurt) was released from prison today, August 5, 2007. He has spent six years in prison for involuntary manslaughter. As he walks down the prison corridors several of the inmates bid him farewell. When he gets outside to the visitor area he sees that other released inmates are greeted by their loved ones. But no one is there to greet Brett. Not even the love of his life, May (Maria Bello). The reason for the emptiness of the visitor's lot for Brett is revealed well but later in the film. The chemistry between Hurt and Bello is not as profound as one might expect of performers in a chick flick but the script makes up for the lack of chemistry. There are definitely some cinematic moments that are intended to be, and are, touching and warm moments that do not slap the face of wholesome morals. But some do. Such as the implied intercourse between Stewart and Redmayne. It rather has as much warmth as two dogs. Brett's first stop was at a diner on the road to somewhere. From the diner Brett watches some local teens doing what teens do when not in school. One of them is fifteen year old Martine (Kristen Stewart) who dumps what appeared to be her boyfriend because he got too friendly with another of the local girls. An unknown boy, Gordon, a.k.a., 'Gordy' (Eddie Redmayne) had unsuccessfully tried to strike up a conversation with Martine so Martine tried to shove the break up in her ex-boyfriend's face by asking Gordy if he would go with her ... while standing in front of her ex-boyfriend. This scene was awkward, shaky and rather out of place as a cinematic tool to introduce and bring together the three quintessential characters and in doing so bring Martine and Brett together for the rest of the show. And the next step in fortifying the bringing together was even more out of place, awkward and shaky. Brett had trekked to a ferry landing while Martine and Gordy tool around. While Brett is waiting at a ferry stop, Martine and Gordy pull up and strike up a conversation with Brett. After a few moments of picture-taking by Gordy, Martine asks Brett if he would go with her and Gordy because she wanted to go with Gordy but just not alone with him. A 15 year old girl with an older teen boy asking an almost middle-aged stranger to go with her because she did not want to go alone with the teen boy? Fortunately, this is where most of the script awkwardness and grasping ends. From there the story starts. A subplot of the story is Brett's relationship with May, a woman he worked for 6 years ago and had told her that he was going to ask her to marry him, which they did and whose unborn child miscarried due to damages from a previous abortion (before Brett). But then is when Brett caused the death of a local man and was sent to prison. From prison Brett decided to release May and divorce her since they could not be together for 6 years. Now he is out and is trying to find the courage to again contact May. I'll not spoil the film any further except to say it does provide some rather warm and touching moments plus a story though it is difficult to put into words (or maybe make sense of?) however mundane or boring it might seem. Unfortunately, being a PG-13 it has some moral nasties in it which will be addressed briefly in the individual investigation area discussions below and itemized in the Findings/Scoring section. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 78 out of 100 This film presents a touch of the horrors of prison life as Brett is released. Brett, in a tantrum at losing May, breaks one of her windows. On one the stops the trio make, Gordy bumps a dent into the door of a van that just pulled up and the young couple in the van react with hostility and the male assaults Gordy, to which Brett slugs the male of the couple to stop him from slapping Gordy around. Also, the mechanism of death of the man Brett accidentally kills is seen ... and heard. All might seem to be rather cinematically "tame" now that we have become so numbed by the narcotics of extremes in and as entertainment, but each little Hollywood snippet of violence and/or crime takes its toll. Think of each of the little snippets of violence and/or crime planted in you in and as entertainment as one of those little straight pins from the collars and cuffs of new dress shirts getting lost in the couch. Those little straight pins will stay in the couch until one or more gets provoked enough to work its way back to the surface of the cushion to make its point in your backside ... painfully. Likewise, each of those little snippets of violence you pick up (or any other negative behavior template) from entertainment might stay in your mind until one day someone or something provokes their return to the surface. Painfully. God knew what He was talking about when He advised us about "evil communications." [1 Cor. 15:33, Prov. 16:29] Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 Eighteen times someone utters some form of the three/four letter word vocabulary plus one use of the most foul of the foul words. [Col. 3:8] An aggressive attitude of a young mother causes reckless endangerment of her infant son. Martine is not respectful of her father whose attention is spent more on his new girlfriend than on Martine. Gordy is full of himself. A couple vulgar expressions and gestures flip up on the screen. But the most uncomfortable matter of impudence was the entire story involved a 15 year old girl traveling about with an older boy and an adult male. Sexual Immorality (S) - 30 out of 100 May (or her stand-in) lies on a bed nude with a sheet covering some of her but it is obvious she is nude. Brett and May are seen in a shower through a steamed door having sex. Some still photos of pornography infect the story as well. Twice a female is sexually assaulted. There is strong inference of intercourse between Martine and Gordy. [Col. 2:20 - 3:6, 1 Cor. 7:1 - 2, 1 Cor. 7:9, 1 Thess. 4:1 - 7] Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 45 out of 100 Teens admit to being drunk. Brett smokes cigarettes repeatedly. A bar. Drinking. Beer. It's all there for your 13 year old kids. As if 13 is magic and 13 year olds are mature enough to partake in such entertainment without being influenced by it. Well, the American College of Physicians say such trust is unfounded. A 2002 study by the American College of Physicians (ACP) revealed that adolescent exposure to drinking in and as entertainment undeniably leads to abuse of alcohol among underage viewers. The finding entitled Relation Between Parental Restrictions on Movies and Adolescent Use of Tobacco and Alcohol reports that of 4544 youths from grades 5 through 8 of fifteen Vermont and New Hampshire middle schools (90% of the youths were under fourteen years old) only 16% were completely restricted in their entertainment diets. Within the ACP study population, the prevalence of having tried alcohol without parental knowledge was In other words, if you think your teens are mature enough to not be influenced by the demonstration of consuming alcohol in and as entertainment, give some credit to other professionals who found, generally speaking, they are not. [Eph. 5:18] Offense to God (O) - 67 out of 100 God's name is abused 18 times through the 90.5 minutes of this movie, four of them by a teen. [Deut. 5:11, Luke 17:2] Divorce is part of the story. [Mal. 2:16] Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 There were no murders or suicides found in the entire 90.5 minutes of the story. 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) - 78 out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 30 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 45 out of 100 • admission of teen drunkenness, twice Offense to God (O) - 67 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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