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Entertainment Media Analysis Report
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MAR2011.082.1

(2003), NR [Solid G*] (1hr 25.3min)

Final Score
Analysis Date
Date Posted
Influence Density
MinMax
July 4, 2011
Jult 5, 2011
95
0.09
-12

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SUMMARY / COMMENTARY:
(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)

If Scriptural references appear, the full text appears at the end of the Summary / Commentary.


Click on the poster to go to its site.

(2003), NR [Solid G*] ... Do their losses turn to love or to something else?


Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database
Production (US): Alpine Medien Productions, Faith & Values Media, Hallmark Entertainment, Larry Levinson Productions
Distribution (US): 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Director(s): Michael Landon, Jr.
Producer(s): Kevin Bocarde, Kyle A. Clark, Brian Gordon, H. Daniel Gross, Robert Halmi Jr., Michael Landon Jr., Larry Levinson, Nick Lombardo, Michael Moran, William Spencer Reilly, Faye Schwab. Steven Squillante
Written by: (Teleplay) Cindy Kelley, Michael Landon Jr. (Book) Janette Oke
Cinematography/Camera: James W. Wrenn
Music: William Ashford, Ken Thorne
Film Editing: Colleen Halsey
Casting: Penny Perry
Production Design: John F. Brown
Art Direction: Mark Stezaker
Viewed on Fox Home Entertainment DVD



A story of the true meaning of love, not the typical Hollywood version of it. This film earned the rare green CAPCon Alert light. Green means that routine but mature attention should be given to the findings in the report.

A young married couple, Marty (Katherine Heigl) and Aaron Claridge (Oliver Macready), had just arrived at the place they wanted to make their home in the Old West frontier when Aaron met with death while chasing after an escaped horse. Now Marty is alone in the wilderness.

In the middle of a rainstorm widower Clark Davis (Dale Midkiff) approached Marty with a proposal that would change Marty's world ... and his. Clark asked Marty to marry him because they both had needs only marriage could meet. Clark had a nine year old daughter Missie (Skye McCole Bartusiak) that needed a mother, even if only until Spring, and Marty needed a roof over her head - the harsh mountain winter was on its way and all she had was a small covered wagon. Reluctantly Marty agreed to join in a platonic, hands-off marriage to Clark with the intent to claim Clark's promise to send her back home in the Spring.

Do their losses turn to love or to something else?

Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 88 out of 100
The only issues of violence/crime found were a fatal head injury, a marital argument and severe weather rescue peril.

Impudence/Hate (I) - 88 out of 100
Missie lashes out at Marty yelling that she hates Marty. Adolescent outbursts at caregivers might be expected in situations such as portrayed in this film and Marty may not have been Missie's "real mother" but each time an adolescent sees such an outburst onscreen it may embolden him/her to do likewise in the same, similar or even manufactured situations. Hate is a powerful and addictive emotion (and spawns of hate such as arrogance/rebellion) of which Jesus wants us to rid ourselves. [Col. 3:8, 1 Pet. 2:1]

In addition to the above, Missie lied twice. [Prov. 19:5] While such may also be typical of adolescents under the same conditions, such conditions do not excuse violating his Word about telling the Truth. Likewise with hatred, arrogance and rebellion, such a display can embolden the youthful into doing likewise.

Sexual Immorality (S) - 96 out of 100
The only instance of sexually oriented material was Marty in a bathtub. Taking a bath is, of course, not sexual but 200,000,000 viewers watching someone bathing is different. Such a scene can lead the mind, especially of the young male, into imaginations about the nudity of the bating woman since everyone who takes a bath does so without wearing any clothes. [Phil. 4:8] Sometimes suggestion is more powerful that outright display.

Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 100 out of 100
There were no findings of possession of, consumption of or reference to illegal drugs or alcohol or tobacco and there were no abuses of prescription drugs found.

Offense to God (O) - 96 out of 100
Only one time did anyone use God's name in vain. It was the time Misty used God's name as an expletive. [Deut. 5:11]

Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100
No murders or suicides were found.


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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

  • Col. 3:8 But now ye also put off [rid yourself of] all these; anger, wrath, malice [kakia: ill-will, desire to injure, wickedness, depravity, evil, trouble, not ashamed to break laws, etc.], blasphemy [blasphemia: impious and reproachful speech injurious to divine majesty], filthy communication [aischrologia:foul speaking, low and obscene speech] out of your mouth.
  • 1 Pet. 2:1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.
  • Prov. 19:5 A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free.
  • Phil. 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
  • Deut. 5:11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain. [Vain is shav {shawv}: emptiness, nothingness, vanity, such as an expletive. With or without the four letter expletive, the use of God's name in any way other than respect, reverence or responsible discussion is in vain. That includes the popular three syllable sentence with His name trailing it AND the misuse of Jesus' name or title. So, trying to excuse such expressions with "I was talking TO God/Jesus when I said that" or "It's just words" or "I was acting" will not work with Him. Nor will "Everybody says that" excuse the sin of using His name in vain. If everyone on the planet who has ever drawn a breath used His name in vain, it would still be a sin to do so. If no one ever did, it would still be a sin to do so.]

    ***Selected Scriptures of Armour against the influence of the entertainment industry***
  • Jer. 37:9 This is what the LORD says: Do not deceive yourselves, thinking, 'The Babylonians [the destroyers from within] will surely leave us.' They will not!
  • Ps. 12:8 The wicked freely strut about [e.g., create progressively vile/offensive entertainment with impunity and no consequences and present it to younger and younger audiences every year] when what is vile is honored among men [when enough people continue to defend it, embrace it, enjoy it, want it, submit to it. I call attention to Ps. 12:8 to warn of the creeping desensitizing power of "entertainment."]
  • Col. 2:8 Beware lest any man [by his influence] spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
  • 1 Cor. 15:33 Be not deceived: evil [kakov: of a bad nature, not such as it ought to be] communications corrupt good manners.
  • Rom. 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
  • Jude 1:4 For there are certain men* crept in unawares [secretly slipped in among us], who were before of old ordained to this condemnation [whose condemnation was written about long ago], ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness [a license for immorality], and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. [*men: anthropos {anth'-ro-pos}, generic, a human being, whether male or female]
  • Matt. 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
  • Luke 17:2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. [Offend: skandalizo {skan-dal-id'-zo} - scandalize; to entice to sin; to cause a person to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey; to cause to fall away.]
  • Ps. 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me [let no sin rule over me].
  • John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
  • 1 Thess. 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. ["Evil" includes all things that are sinful.]


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    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.
  • FINDINGS / SCORING:
    (The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)


    Love Comes Softly (2003) CAP Thermometers

    Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 88 out of 100
  • marital argument
  • fatal head injury
  • severe weather rescue peril

    Impudence/Hate (I) - 88 out of 100
  • two lies
  • hateful talk by an adolescent

    Sexual Immorality (S) - 96 out of 100
  • woman in bathtub

    Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 100 out of 100
  • none noted

    Offense to God (O) - 96 out of 100
  • one abuse of God's name

    Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100
  • none noted















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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 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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    * CAP Equivalence to MPAA Rating Scale:
    Please note our new manner of indicating a film's Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rating in comparison with the CAP equivalence such as "PG-13 [R-13]." The first term is the Motion Picture Association of America's (MPAA) rating. The second term [in brackets] indicates that which the film earned under the CAP analysis model. In the example, "PG-13 [R-13]" indicates the MPAA rated the film PG-13 but the film earned a CAP final score in the scoring range earned by R-rated movies in the comparative baseline database. Other comparative terms used might be "PG [13-PG]", "G [PG-G] or even 'PG-13 [PG]" as was the case for Alien vs Predator. I doubt there will ever be a "G [R]" used, but only time will tell. The CAP analysis model is Rock-solid. The MPAA is not.

    The current CAP to MPAA** nomenclature is:

    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
    ** G, PG, PG-13 and R are registered trademarks of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).




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