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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 MAR28018  (2008), PG [R-PG*] (1hr 22min) 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): Kennedy/Marshall Company, The, Nickelodeon Movies, Spiderwick Productions, Gotham Group, Mark Canton Productions Distribution (US): Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies Director(s): Mark Waters Producer(s): Steve Barnett, Holly Black, Mark Canton, Tony DiTerlizzi, Larry J. Franco, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Kathleen Kennedy, Karey Kirkpatrick, Frank Marshallm Tom C. Peitzman, Josette Perrotta, Julia Pistor, Julie Kane Ritsch, Silenn Thomas Screenplay by: Karey Kirkpatrick, David Berenbaum, John Sayles Books: Tony DiTerlizzi, Holly Black Cinematography/Camera: Caleb Deschanel Music: James Horner Film Editing: Michael Kahn Casting: Marci Liroff Production Design: James D. Bissell Art Direction: Vincent Brabant, Isabelle Guay, Christa Munro, Jean-Pierre Paquet, Robert Parle Viewed on Paramount Home Video This film is a perfect example of how fantasy horror and violence are no longer a rating concern for the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Neither is abuse of God's name let alone by children [Luke 17:2]. Nor is adolescent impudence to parents and others. I thought the job of the MPAA was to inform parents? The Spiderwick Chronicles is saturated with violence, down to the quintessential character Jared stabbing his father, at least a living image of his father. Remember folks, a bad influence does not have to be real to influence badly. And after-the-fact revealing of the "father" to be a bad guy shape shifted to appear as the father does not erase the initial impact of the behavior. The Spiderwick Chronicles is, in my opinion, yet another indoctrination of children into yet more, though time-honored over the ages due to desensitization, of the concept of "some evil" being benevolent. And that reeks of Isa. 5:20. Sure the story is childhood fantasy, but being a fantasy does not make it wholesome. It might be a good idea to inspect closely the CAP thermometers for this film (and the listing of findings in the Findings/Scoring section). This film is is clearly equivalent in content to some R-rated features in violence (W), impudence (I) and the use of God's name in vain (O) ... by children by the way. It is G-equivalent in everything else but does that mean it is acceptable for your kids? It is your choice. My "job" is just to tell you of the content. This is one of the most extreme content distributions I have ever seen. And, of course, most of the individual examples of assault on morality and wholesome ethics are of the "lesser" kind but the effect of so many "lesser" assaults gives the same effect or feel as fewer but more extreme assaults as are often present in more severely rated films. See CAP Rule of 1000 for more information on this technique of loading content. Out of more than 1200 analyses The Spiderwick Chronicles is the ninth R-PG. In the military sense, the abbreviation "RPG" stands for Rocket-propelled Grenade." (Remember "Matt! RPG!" from Red Dawn?) Let us pray that children do not suffer a grenade of immorality or embracement of evil exploding in their moral development because of the launch of assaults on morality and wholesome Word-based ethics in The Spiderwick Chronicles. Helen Grace (Mary-Louise Parker) must make a fresh start. Hubby Richard (Andrew McCarthy) left her and their three children -- daughter Mallory (Sarah Bolger) and sons Simon (Freddie Highmore) and Jared (Freddie Highmore). Mom and kids leave New York to move to the Spiderwick Estate, an old mansion -- the house that smells like old people -- left by Aunt Lucinda Spiderwick (Jordy Benattar as 6 1/2 year old Lucinda then Joan Plowright as 86 1/2 year old Lucinda). While Mallory and Simon are dealing with the paradigm shift of no daddy quite well, Jared is not. Aside from a stick-swinging fight against Mallory's épée, Jared takes his anger out on the family car by beating it with the stick. Soon, Jared finds something else on which to turn his anger. There is a secret surrounding and saturating the Spiderwick Estate. Eighty years ago 45 year old explorer Arthur Spiderwick (David Strathairn), the now great great uncle of the children, discovered many secrets of the evil creature world around us, an invisible world. To chronicle all the secrets, Spiderwick wrote the Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You. After completing the chronicles, a swarm of sprites cart Arthur off to a "never-never land" where aging stops, leaving his 6 1/2 year old daughter Lucinda to fend for herself. Today, 80 years later, Jared finds the Field Guide -- the Book -- as he was snooping around the old house. Even with a warning not to read the Book left by the good and noble tiny house brownie Thimbletack (voice of Martin Short), Jared reads the Book ... and soon regrets it. As does each of his whole family (except dad). In the Book are many secrets to protect us from the evil ogre Mulgarath (Nick Nolte) and his horde of hobgoblins, trolls and other nasty creatures. Mulgarath and his hench-goblins are bent on getting the Book. The Book is kept in the house at all times, protected by a circle of toadstools around the house. As long as the Book is in the circle of toadstools, Mulgarath cannot get it. Not until a night of a full moon, anyway. The children must locate the 80-year missing Arthur and convince him to destroy the Book. Mallory and Jared trek through a convenient underground tunnel to visit their Aunt Lucinda at the Woodhaven Sanatorium to find out how to locate Arthur. The young Lucinda was committed to the sanatorium, because when she was found she told the officials that her dad, Arthur was abducted ... by fairies. Simon does not go with Mallory and Jared since one of the goblins chomped a bite into Simon's left calf and Simon would slow Mallory and Jared down (and maybe because of the expense of all the added action sequences with two Freddies alongside one mallory). Jared sneaks the Book along and in doing so removes it from the protection of the circle of toadstools surrounding the house, leaving the two children vulnerable to the hordes of demonic goblins ... and Mulgarath. So goes the story of The Spiderwick Chronicles. There is, of course, much more to this competitor to Harry Potter, Narnia and other such fantasy flicks, but it is not our job to tell you of the story as much as it is to tell you of the content. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 The violence content of this film is rather graphic at times, especially when Jared stabs his father though his father turns out to be a shape-shifted Mulgarath. It is still a stabbing of an image of the father the boy hates: an hatred that supposedly justifies the boy stabbing his father if in imagery only. In addition, there are several rather graphic attacks of children by evil creatures bent on killing, an order to kill children and more. Please remember folks, that even humanist Benjamin Spock admitted he was wrong: that a bad influence does not have to be real to influence badly. [Prov. 16:29] Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 Several hateful and disrespectful comments from adolescents to their mother and other adults, adolescent name-calling and bickering/fighting and shoutings were quite expensive to the starting 100 points in this investigation area. The "I hate you and I don't want to live with you!" was among the most evil of portrayed behaviors. And, of course, the filmmakers placed the children in a "You never believe me" position of dissonance with parental authority. [Exod. 23:33, 1Cor. 8:9] What is most unfortunate about such influence is that, though it be strongly influential, it may be and sometimes is invisible to the observer due to the saturation of entertainment with it thus the lowering of the threshold of acceptability. [Ps. 12:8] Indeed, we have for so long become so drugged by the narcotics of extremes in and as entertainment that what once was morally unacceptable has become morally invisible. Sexual Immorality (S) - 96 out of 100 The only matter of sexual oriented content was the children talking about their father living with another woman in cohabitation. [Hebr. 5:13 - 14] Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 100 out of 100 The Spiderwick Chronicles is 100% free of noted alcoholic beverages, smoking, illegal drugs and abuse of prescription drugs. Offense to God (O) - 2 out of 100 Unfortunately, the writers and filmmakers have children abusing God's name at least 11 times [Luke 17:2]. All are uttered without the four letter expletive but any use of God's name other than in reverence, responsible discussion, honor and respect is in vain. [Deut. 5:11] And God's name is used in vain once by an adult, also without the four letter expletive. The reason the abuse of God's name by children earns more attention is revealed well in Luke 17:2. Jesus holds the little ones (which includes at-home teens) in a special place in His Heart. So much so that He warns that anyone who teaches/causes our youth to sin (such as filmmakers and performers) would be better off with a millstone tied about his/her neck then cast into the sea. There is also portrayal of faith in "magic" not from God. Yes, there is "magic" not from God. Jesus used "magic" from God frequently: "magic" to raise the dead, to heal the sick, to make the lame walk, the blind to see and other miraculous and holy things. And so did Satan use "magic", i.e., his own unholy "magic" to, for example, display all that he would give Jesus if Jesus leaped from the pinnacle [Matt. 4:8 - 9]. Y'see, the evil is not so much in the use of the magic but in the source of it. Murder/Suicide (M) - 100 out of 100 There were no murders or suicides noted. 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) - Zero out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - Zero out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 96 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 100 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 2 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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