 RED does not mean "stop." GREEN does not mean "go." Click on the CAPCon Alert image for explanation |
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 MAR2011.125  (2011), PG [G-PG*] (1hr 47min) 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. |
 |
  (a PayPal account is NOT required). The CAP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Christian ministry. Donations are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE. |
on what Hollywood feeds your kids. SUBSCRIBE (or unsubscribe) to our FREE email version of these reports and our COMING SOON notices. |
  Christian Long Distance |
(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): Alcon Entertainment, PAradise F.X. Corp. Distribution (US): Warner Brothers Director(s): Charles Martin Smith Producer(s): Brad Arensman, Yolanda T. Cochran, Robert Engelman, Richard Ingber, Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Keith Melton, Carl Rogers, Steven P. Wegner, David Yates Written by: Karen Janzen, Naom Dromi Cinematography/Camera: Karl Walter Lindenlaub Music: Mark Isham Film Editing: Harvey Rosenstock Casting: Kerry Barden, Paul Schnee Production Design: Michael Corenblith Viewed at Showbiz Cinema 6, Granbury, TX  Dolphin Tale does not bear the typical earmarks of a PG film nor does it bear the quantity typically associated with "PG." With a final score of 92 it is every bit G-equivalent. Young Floridian Sawyer Nelson (Nathan Gamble) is failing to measure up. He is withdrawn and prefers tinkering with his gadgets rather than playing with kids his own age. His best friend is his cousin, Kyle (Austin Stowell), a champion swimmer who is only days away from leaving for his first Army deployment. Sawyer's father left him, now Kyle is leaving. Sawyer is, in his heart, all alone. Again. No matter how much Kyle assures Sawyer that he will be back there is little comfort in Kyle's assurances. The broken relationships that invaded Sawyer's life have left scars. On another unauthorized outing Sawyer happens upon a man fishing in the ocean. Sawyer notices what the fisherman notices - a beached dolphin with its tail trapped in a crab trap and severely injured. Sawyer is successful in freeing the dolphin's tail from the crab trap with a special multi-tool pocket knife set Kyle gave him but cannot get the dolphin completely free from all the ropes entangling the dolphin. Even if Sawyer does get the dolphin free, what can he do? Using Sawyer's cell phone the fisherman notifies someone who notifies the Clearwater Marine Hospital which sends a rescue team to retrieve the injured dolphin. At the hospital, Dr. Clay Haskett (Harry Connick, Jr.) must amputate the dolphin's tail to save its life. But save its life how? Without its tail the dolphin cannot survive in the ocean. Clay's daughter, Hazel (Cozi Zuehlsdorff) and Sawyer work uncommonly together with a team of adults to rehabilitate the dolphin and try to nurse it back to health. Successful they all are but now what? The dolphin, which is now named Winter, does not have a tail. Enters Dr. Cameron McCarthy (Morgan Freeman), a prosthetics expert for the injured military personnel. Together they all fit Winter with a prosthetic tail. There is one feature of this film I would like to bring out front before I get into revealing the content for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. Many films involving children place the children in roles much too worldly, bitter and arrogant to be representative of the typical adolescent and place the parents as bumbling idiots. This film does not do that. The kids are kids and the parents are parents. this film is a delightful watch. It is warm and funny, engrossing and heroic. But that is my subjective opinion. Soon I will get to the objective feature of the CAP analysis model. I have probably spoiled too much of this truly family film already. If you want to know more about the film story and plot there are probably a thousand websites which provide this sort of information, but only the CAP Ministry can give you the copyrighted comparative scoring information we provide below. Following are brief discussions of the content per individual CAP investigation area. As always the Findings section of this report is the best source for discovering the full accounting of the content of this film. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 94 out of 100 The only matters of violence in the entire 107 minutes of this film are storm peril with damage and family losses: abandonment by the father and a best friend/cousin leaving, causing heartache. Impudence/Hate (I) - 69 out of 100 Here is where the concentration of potentially counterproductive content occurs, and the reason for the yellow CAPCon Alert light (click on it for an explanation). All of the matters of impudence and/or hate are by an adolescent and each may serve to proselytize your youth. Sawyer is disrespectful to and defiant of his mother, Lorraine (Ashley Judd). He is also defiant of posted entry controls which he is quite capable of reading. Sawyer throws a storm-off, door-slam tantrum and plays hookey from summer school for a week. He also lies to his mom. While the typical adolescent might grow out of such an attitude, a noble destination does not excuse an ignoble path. God is adamant about haughtiness and arrogance. God names seven behaviors He hates in Prov. 6:16 - 19 and arrogance is the first of the seven (which happens to be the most prominent presence in modern entertainment - see our Investigation Area Scoring and Trend CAP Special Report for more information about the prominence of impudence in and as entertainment today). [Isa. 30:1] Sexual Immorality (S) - 86 out of 100 The only content which applies to this investigation area is the repeated display of below navel skin on male swimmers which threatens to expose that which follows. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 100 out of 100 There are no displays of or references to alcoholic beverages or drinking of them, to illegal drugs or consumption of them nor abuse of prescription drugs. Offense to God (O) - 100 out of 100 There are no uses of God's name in vain, no sorcery, no witchcraft, no occultism or demonism or anything of the kind. Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 there are no portrayals of murder or suicide. 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. |
 |
(The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)  Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 94 out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - 69 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 88 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 100 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 100 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. |
|
Thank you for visiting us and may God bless you. Prayerfully, we will provide you with some of the most revealing commentary and investigative reporting you have ever read. In the name of Jesus: Lord, Master, Teacher, Savior, God. Tom Carder Chaplain and President ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture 100% dependent on your tax-deductible financial support |  |
Christian Long Distance |
|
We exist only by your tax-deductible donations. PLEASE  Features PayPal! You do NOT need an account to donate. |
| 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 |