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Reel World Reality 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 MAR2011.146  (2009), PG [PG*] (1hr 25min) 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.)
 Production (US): Overture Street Films, North Sea Films, Parts and Labor, Sterling Productions, White Buffalo Entertainment Distribution (US): Monterey Media Director(s): Nicholas Fackler Producer(s): Martin Landau, Dana Altman, Walter T. Falls III, Danny Garcia, Lars Knudsen, James Lawler, Ian McGloin, Jamie Mai, Virgil Price, Jack Turner, Jay Van Hoy, Charlie Ledley, Antonio Ortega, Leslie Zigel, Emery Sheer Written by: Nicholas Fackler, Tim Kasher Cinematography/Camera: Sean Kirby Music: Mike Mogis, Nathaniel Walcott Film Editing: Douglas Crise Casting: Eyde Belasco Production Design: Stephen Altman Art Direction: Will Eastin Viewed on Monterey Media Home DVD  On the 700 block of Overture Street, lonely Cedar Heights Shop and Save grocery store worker Robert Malone (Marin Landau) ponders the coming Christmas five days away. Will he be alone? Again? Probably. The opening scenes show Robert wrapping a Christmas gift to himself. The only gift that would be under his Christmas tree. We later learn what was in that package. After discussing a lame-brained attempt to boost store sales with store manager Mike (Adam Scott, Sean O'Connell as young Mike), Robert turns down a ride home and walks the cold and snowy trek home. When Robert returns home he finds the front door standing wide open. A short investigation reveals Mary (Ellen Burstyn) standing in his house alone. Mary is a woman who, with her daughter Alex (Elizabeth Banks, Randi Shane Knox as young Alex), spied Robert at the store and liked what she saw. After a short session of Robert throwing GET OUTs at Mary she invites Robert on a dinner date. After muddling through stuttering and stammering Robert agrees to a 6:00 PM dinner the next day with this stranger named Mary. As it turns out Mary and her daughter Alex are the ones moving in across the street and Mary noticed Robert's car crashed into the garage door and was checking on him to see if he was okay. Nice lady. Robert spends every moment planning what he is going to do to make Mary happy on their date. He asks everyone; Mike, co-workers, even the mail carrier for some tips to make that happen. The only problem? Alex is resistive of her mother going out on a date. Beyond that I will not try to summarize the story because it is a rather abstract with a significant amount of speculation left to the viewer and I am not a movie critic. It can be seen as Robert suffering dementia and mentally constructing an alternate life with his wife, Mary and children Mike and Alex. But there are other elements that can muddle or confuse that cinematic path. Lovely Still is a touching late-in-life love story with outstanding performances by Academy Award¨ winners Marin Landau and Ellen Burstyn and the masterful pen of writer and director Nicholas Fackler with assistance from Tim Kasher and the performances of the supportive cast. This film is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and contains all the earmarks of "PG." There is even a firearm intended for suicide. SPOLIER: That was Robert's gift to himself. Please inspect closely the listing of findings in the Findings section and the discussion of them in the individual content investigation area discussions below Following are brief discussions of the content per individual content investigation area. As always the Findings section of this report, the heart of the CAP Analysis Model, is the best source for discovering the full accounting of the content of this film. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 84 out of 100 There is no physical violence in this film but violence comes in more forms than just physical. Matters that qualify for being of the violent nature include home invasion, display of a firearm intended to be used for suicide, intense separation anxiety resulting in animated reactions and the portrayal of dementia. Impudence/Hate (I) - 53 out of 100 Seven times someone utters some form of profanity. [Col. 3:8, Eph. 4:29] The profanity plus two lies and verbal assault with accusations form the total of the content applicable to this investigation area. Just because there are only two lies does not excuse either of them. God is stern about lying. One such warning about lying is found in Revelation 21:8. Another is found in Exodus 20:16 and that is one of the Ten Commandments! Sexual Immorality (S) - 84 out of 100 Twice a man (Robert) is noted taking a shower - one does not typically take a shower unless one is nude, which is the image typically conjured when someone is taking a shower. And twice Robert and Mary (though actually married) are seen sleeping together in cohabitation. The optics at the cinematic moments are that they are sleeping together not married. Even if they were, Landau and Burstyn are not. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 65 out of 100 Though the scenes of the bar, the alcoholic beverages and the drinking are each in a social gathering setting, the demonstration of booze and drinking in and as entertainment can be dangerous for the young viewer, so sayeth the American College of Physicians (ACP). A 2002 study by the 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 Offense to God (O) - 49 out of 100 God's name is abused several times though each is without the four letter expletive. [Deut. 5:11] But there is more anti-Christian to this movie. For years Hollywood has kept Christ out of their cinematic Christmases. There is no Christ in this cinematic Christmas either, not even a nativity or the Cross. The closest the movie gets to the Reason for the Season is the sidewalk caroling of O' Holy Night. Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 While Robert is noted as contemplating suicide, only the portrayal of completed suicides (and murders) are incorporated into this content investigation area (neither are deaths by police action, war or defensive killings). Attempted suicides and murders (and deaths by police action, war or defensive killings) are incorporated into the Wanton violence/Crime content investigation area. 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. |
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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) - 84 out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - 53 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 84 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 65 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 49 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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| 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 |
