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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 MAR25055  (2005), PG-13 [R-13*] (1hr 48min) 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 1000 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
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(This section may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Geyer Kosinski Distribution (US): Paramount Pictures Director(s): Richard Linklater Producer(s): Adam Ellison, Sara Greene, Bruce Heller, Geyer Kosinsk, Richard Linklater, Brad Marks, Marcus Viscidi Screenplay by: 1976 - Bill Lancaster. 2005 - Bill Lancaster, Glenn Ficarra, John Requa Cinematography/Camera: Rogier Stoffers Music: Ed Shearmur Film Editing: Sandra Adair Casting: Joseph Middleton Production Design: Bruce Curtis Art Direction: David Lazan Viewed At: Driftwood Theater 6 I am so sorry I could not have gotten this report to you sooner. You'll soon see why. Bad News Bears is indeed bad news. Very bad news. But that's just my opinion. What is not my opinion is the 128 uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary saturate the script of this PG-13, err, R-13, 42 of the uses by children. Plus two uses of God's name in vain with the four letter expletive by an adolescent. I can hear it now. "So what? That's the way kids talk at school." Well? From where do you think they get it? From you? "They get it from other kids!" From where do you think they get it? No matter from where children get the arrogance to use such language if not by the influence of films such as this, it is sinful to use such language. And it is sinful for they who give children such an example [Col. 3:8]. Did you read that, Mr. Linklater? While acting on the emboldenment to use foul language this and other such films gives is likely but not certain, such saturation of entertainment with foul language, especially by children with no consequences at all, WILL embolden your children to speak likewise [1 Cor. 15:33]. And if you take your children to see this cinematic cyanide it will tend to give them your non-empirical or implied approval of such behavior, no matter what your words say, especially when you are not present. After more than 1000 films over more than ten years, I suspect the CAP Analysis Model can be claimed to be credible. Films rated R in the comparative baseline database earned final scores of 54 and below out of 100 (the higher the better) and influence density figures of 0.89 to 2.04 (the lower the better). Bad News Bears earned a final score of 30 (44% lower than the R threshold of 54) and an influence density figure of 3.75 (184% more dense than the most dense R-rated movies in the baseline). Of the 128 uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary, 24 were spoken adult to adult, which is bad enough when such chosen behavior is demonstrated before an audience of preteens and early teens. Sixty-two uses are spoken by an adult before and/or to children. Of ultra-significance is the 42 words of profanity spoken by the children themselves. [Luke 17:2, 2 Tim. 2:16 - 17, Matt. 25:40] Of the four uses of God's name in vain with the four letter expletive, one was adult to adult, one was by an adult before children and two were by a child. Of the seven uses of God's or Jesus' name in vain without the four letter expletive, five were adult to adult, one was by a adult before children and one was by a child. [Deut. 5:11] Granted, the use of God's or Jesus' name without the four letter expletive is not typically considered profanity, but it is sin nonetheless. It may be a hard pill to swallow folks, but using God's name at the end of the highly popular three-syllable sentence is using His name in vain. All in all, 33% of the saturation of this film with profanity is performed and therefore demonstrated and example set by the "just-like-me" camaraderie of adolescents at the direction of adult filmmakers manipulating impressionable children into sin. Almost all of the rest of the profanity is before children. [Again, Luke 17:2] In addition to the tons of profanity, Bad News Bears presents an adult making lewd sexual comments about a girl on the baseball team, vulgar talk by adolescents, adolescents throwing homosexual insults, sex talk by an adolescent and adults cohabitating for sex overnight with the young son discovering the male perpetrator early in the morning closing the door of what was likely the boy's mother's bedroom. [Gal. 5:19, Eph. 5:4] This film could well have been titled "Violations of Luke 17:2" or "The Millstone About My Neck." Also prevalent in the film was drinking, smoking and bar scenes. Again Luke 17:2 is violated by the filmmakers presenting drinking and smoking in and as entertainment for children since an undeniable link between the presentation of alcoholic beverages and tobacco in and as entertainment and abuse of them by adolescents has been proven by the American College of Physicians (ACP). Of the six CAP investigation areas (W, I, S, D, O, M), four (I, S, D, O) found programming to cause the loss of all of the starting 100 points in each, yielding a score of zero in each. Wanton Violence/Crime earned a score of 81 which is equivalent to most PG movies and Murder/Suicide was free of any instance of such behavior, earning a score of 100, the best possible score. Billy Bob Thornton (Bad Santa and Friday Night Lights) plays rat killer and drunkard womanizer Morris Buttermaker. While Thornton does well in bringing along his drunkard womanizer from Bad Santa, his ethics portrayed in Friday Night Lights seemed to have escaped him. Attorney Liz Whitewood (Marcia Gay Harden) levels a lawsuit at the Little League for discriminating against underachievers and ne'er-do-wells. The lawsuit demanded the Little League accept all who want to play. Her son Toby (Ridge Canipe) is one of them. So a team is put together with the underachievers and ne'er-do-wells. This is the Bad News Bears. Non-English speakers. A boy in a wheelchair. A small boy not big enough to even hold the bat. One boy is on the team only because his father wants him there. All are just about equal regarding sporting skills ... and attitude. The team exists only because the lawsuit settlement agreed with Whitewood. Buttermaker is the one who gets to coach the Bad News Bears ... at the expense of Whitewood. If player performance is a reflection of coaching, the Bad News Bears have a good reason to be apathetic and play pitifully. Until, at least, Buttermaker begins a change of heart and recruits his 12 year old daughter, ace pitcher Amanda Whurlitzer (Sammi Kraft) from a failed marriage and a local "hoodlum" Kelly Leak (Jeff Davies) who has an eye and an arm for baseball -- and Amanda. The poster art does a better job of depicting Leak's caliber of character than Davies does. That is all the time I am going to spend on this film. Please read carefully the listing in the Findings/Scoring section before you decide whether to take your kids to see this film or let them see it on their own. May Heaven help the writers of this film just on the other side of their last breath. 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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(The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary/ Commentary section.)  Wanton Violence/Crime (W) Impudence/Hate (I) Sexual Immorality (S) Drugs/Alcohol (D): Offense to God (O) Murder/Suicide (M) |
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| 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 more than eight 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. |
| In the name of Jesus: Lord, Master, Teacher, Savior, God. Tom Carder President ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture 100% dependent on your tax-deductible financial support |  |
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