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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 MAR29023  (2009), PG-13 [Hard R-13*] (2hr 24min) 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 1200 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): Screen Gems, Rainforest Films Distribution (US): Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Director(s): Steve Shill Producer(s): George Flynn, Glenn S. Gainor, Jeffrey Graup, Beyoncé Knowles, Matthew Knowles, Damon Lee, David Loughery, William Packer, Nicolas Stern Written by: David Loughery Cinematography/Camera: Ken Seng Music: James Dooley Film Editing: Paul Seydor Casting: Ron Digman, Valorie Massalas Production Design: Jon Gary Steele Art Direction: Chris Cornwell Viewed on Buena Vista Home Entertainment DVD  A man and woman making out dressed as prelude to intercourse. A woman gamming (showing upper legs in a dress on purpose) to seduce. Man and woman snugging in bed. Sexual aggression to extort. Man and woman in bed nude caressing each other. Camera angles and choreography to expose the crotch of a woman in only a T-shirt and panties ... repeatedly. Offers of sexual favor. Rape by drug intoxication. There is little more to this story. Obsessed is obsessed with sex. Lisa By-the-Way, er, Sheridan (Ali larter), a temporary clerk for Gage Bendix, an investor relations firm is obsessed with getting Derek Charles (Idris Elba), the Vice President of Gage Bendix in bed .... and makes the world believe he is having an affair with her, including Derek's wife, Sharon (Beyoncé Knowles). Sharon believes Lisa, that Derek has been having an affair with Lisa. Sharon believes Lisa for a while at least. The script spends a good amount of time building the character of Derek and Sharon with their son Kyle (Nathan and Nicolas Meyers) in their new house, using sex of course, clothed sex but sex nonetheless. Then we meet Lisa as she exposes her upper legs to Derek on the elevator to Derek's office. Soon Lisa is pumping the woodwork for information about Derek and his family to use to get to him. Sexually. Lisa even tries the tears routine to open Derek up to her. It works. But it doesn't stop there. Some of the most evil creativity I have seen is expressed in this film. Lisa is guilty of sexual extortion in every manner. Lies float around as thick as ice in the far North Atlantic. Lisa shadows Derek like pop on popcorn. She manufactures opportunity after opportunity to conjure innuendo and speculation that logically lead others to suspect sexual attraction. For example, Lisa maneuvers Derek under the mistletoe at a Christmas party and follows him into the men's room to try to sexually accost him, conveniently with another man in the men's room to discover them. She feigns oral sex on Derek in that men's room and later drugs him to rape him in his hotel room By the way, this is another Christmas time film without Jesus. Lisa is like so many people we have met in our lives: who lie without even realizing it or who know they are lying at first then, after having lived their fantasy for so long and so many times, that what once was lies become the truth. Enough so to die for it. And that is what Lisa does. Of course, Lisa thinks she has done no wrong. By her thinking she has done no wrong, the filmmakers have made an admission. [Prov. 30:20] The Father of the One who spent three days in Hell so you and I would not have to spend one moment there is very clear about lying. He will not permit the unforgiven liar into Heaven and warns of such in Revelation 21:8. Nor will He excuse even little white lies [Rev. 22:15]. I would rather think we would be wise to heed His Word, especially about heeding His Word about being deceived into thinking a lie is not [Eph. 4:14, Ps. 12:8]. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - 63 out of 100 Obsessed is not particularly violent until near the end. Long fight sequences, a graphic death, home invasion and breaking and entering steal a little over one third of the starting 100 points in this investigation area. Enough points are lost due to content to make this film equivalent to most lite PG-13 films in this area (55 to 67 out of 100). Impudence/Hate (I) - 24 out of 100 Twenty six times someone utters some form of the three/four letter word vocabulary but none are the most foul of the foul words. Filmmakers gotta teach Johnny and Judy how to cuss, right? Why do you suppose profanity is rampant at school? At the market? At the convenience store? Why do you suppose cussing is not allowed in Church? In court rooms? Profanity is not permitted in many public places If it is verbotten in these places what makes it okay for an actor or actress to utter trash talk? Sure it is just acting when heard on film but a bad influence does not have to be real to influence badly. By the way, the original freedom of speech n-e-v-e-r applied to public profanity. Its text guarantees us freedom from retribution for speaking out against an oppressive government. It does not guarantee us any right to speak in profane ways. Not until ten ex-hippies donned long robes in Washington DC was profanity considered as part of the freedom of speech. By the way #2, that same Constitution protects me from having to hear it. Every time we make laws that ignore His Word we get into confounding the whole problem, making the problem worse. [Col. 3:8] Other examples of impudence and/or hate either on the part of the performers or the writers include urination, lying and coaching to lie. Above you've read my sermon regarding His Word about lying. I don't want to repeat it here. Sexual Immorality (S) - Zero out of 100 Now this is where the film gets especially ugly. Morally speaking anyway. This is NOT a film for the entertainment of youth let alone anyone. Many have proven that the ideas planted by entertainment can and do nourish the copycat syndrome. The gratification and victories portrayed for the quintessential perpetrator of evil, however fleeting in the end they may have been, could be appealing to the foolishness bound in the hearts of youth ... or those who never grow up. [Prov. 22:15] Many have heard me say that such exposure (and a lot of other cinematic exposure) has made our youth more bitter, arrogant and uncaring than ever before. Know now that it was not me who was first to say that. God warned us that such sin will not only cause others to sin but will cause the love of many to wax cold. [Matt. 24:12] The entire theme of the film is sexual. Sexual extortion to be precise along with the inherent display of sexually immoral behaviors and dress. I am not going to itemize a few examples of the sexually immoral content of this film because there are so many and they are, er, diversified in every sense of the word. I am going to ask that you refer to the already itemized listing in the Findings/Scoring section. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 40 out of 100 There are a few instances of booze and drinking in Obsessed. But there is no smoking noted. However, there is an instance of Lisa drugging Derek to sexually accost him and an instance of Lisa trying to commit suicide with an overdose of prescription medication. I would say that constitutes adding a "Drug Use" notice on the MPAA's tag line for the rating: "sexual material including some suggestive dialogue, some violence and thematic content." I wonder why "Drug Use" is not there? The drug use in this film led to rape and an attempted murder, dagnabit. Murder of the self. [Ex 20:13] Offense to God (O) - 14 out of 100 Through the story surrounds Christmas time, Christ is never mentioned. Though Jesus is never mentioned in the entire 144 minutes of the film, God is. Many times. In vain. Every time. Both with and without the four letter expletive. The Father of the One who spent three days in Hell so you and I would not have to spend one moment there has a rather final thing to say about abusing His name. [Deut. 5:11] Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 While there is a death in this film, a violent death, it is not murder but is a defensive killing and for that reason was incorporated into the Wanton Violence/Crime 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 ***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) - 63 out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - 24 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - Zero out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 40 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 14 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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