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‘Gimme Shelter’: Film a Game Changer in Abortion Debate?
NewsBusters.org ^ | January 24, 2014 | Katie Yoder

Posted on 01/24/2014 11:21:50 AM PST by Kaslin

Hollywood better be careful if it values its ability to insult and alienate conservative Americans. On the heels of the implicitly patriotic and plainly pro-military “Lone Survivor” comes an even less likely studio offering. “Gimme Shelter” will be out in wide release and boasts an A-list cast – and it’s the story of a young girl risking everything to save her unborn baby.

The Ronald Krauss film follows pregnant teenager “Apple” (Vanessa Hudgens) as she flees her abusive mother (Rosario Dawson) only to face rejection from her Wall Street father (Brendan Fraser) and find herself alone and desperate on the streets. Apple's luck changes when she encounters a kind hearted stranger (James Earl Jones) who guides her to a shelter for girls fighting to save their lives – and the lives growing within them. More after the trailer.

GIMME SHELTER Trailer (1080p) - In Theaters January 24th

Poised to be a game changer in the abortion debate, “Gimme Shelter,” is set coming out in theaters January 24. In addition to big Hollywood names Hudgens, Dawson, Fraser and Jones, the film boasts stars Stephanie Szostak, Emily Meade, and Ann Dowd. 

Based on a true story, the film showed the gritty reality many pregnant teenage girls face and the mainstream culture tries to hide. The film drew inspiration from Kathy DiFiore, founder of Several Sources Shelters for young pregnant women. DiFiore, recognized by several U.S. presidents as well as Mother Teresa for her work, allowed the filmmaker Krauss to visit her shelter. 

While there, Krauss found his motivation. “When I’d only been there a short time, I saw a young girl standing in front of the shelter,” Krauss said. Despite 18-degree weather, she had “walked about 25 miles to get there, with no coat and three months pregnant.” He let her in, he continued, and, “When she heard there was room for her, she grabbed me and hugged me so hard she almost knocked me over.” 

“That hug,” he emphasized, “was the inspiration for the movie.”

Krauss never forgot the connection between his film and reality, inviting the shelter’s girls and their babies to star in his movie as well as influence the script and casting.

The big name stars appeared just as connected to their roles. As for the lead, Hudgens emphasized, “It was an opportunity to completely transform myself.” She continued, “The story, which is based on the lives of several young women who stayed at the shelter, is completely terrifying, which was all the more reason why I wanted to do it.”

Fraser donated his entire salary to the shelter while Dawson admitted, “You don’t have to be a teenage mom to connect to this. It’s about finding a space where you can have trust and faith and belief in yourself. It’s really a journey of discovery.”


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: abortion; gimmeshelter; movies; prolife
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To: laweeks
If it makes one pregnant girl turn back from the abortionist --- that fiend with a fistful of money in one hand, and a bloody knife in the other --- it's worth i.

If it makes one church extend their hospitality and outreach to women facing an untimely or difficult pregnancy, it's worth it.

Portraying the truth in a powerful way ---- is always worth it.

Isaiah 55:11
My word be that goes forth from my mouth, shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

21 posted on 01/24/2014 12:17:05 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o ("Find new ways to spread the word of God to every corner of the world. " - Pope Francis)
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To: georgia peach

Have you seen Juno? It actually received good reviews, which is surprising as it is pro-life.


22 posted on 01/24/2014 12:28:46 PM PST by dubyagee ("I can't complain, but sometimes I still do.")
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To: Mrs. Don-o; Kaslin; All
To those of us of a certain age, "Gimme Shelter" evokes The Rolling Stones, and a time of sex, drugs, and rock&roll.<> Was the title chosen in part because of the song?

FYI..if you've forgotten, ( or never knew)

here's the song , with lyrics

23 posted on 01/24/2014 12:30:12 PM PST by ken5050 (This space available cheap...)
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To: ken5050

I don’t think Juno was pro life as much as it thought of teenage pregnancy as a funny joke-vagely remember it. “Bella” was much better.


24 posted on 01/24/2014 12:37:21 PM PST by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: DIRTYSECRET
Never saw it...just reserved it at the library. I think I always got it confused with "Benny and Joon" which stunk..except I've always been a fan of Mary Stuart Masterson...the movie had ONE redeeming value, IMHO..a great song by The Proclaimers, "500 miles"
25 posted on 01/24/2014 12:43:46 PM PST by ken5050 (This space available cheap...)
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To: Kaslin

Hmmm....maybe the membership of “Friends of Abe” has been growing lately?

I know I was surprised to see Hunger Games hit the big screen with the message mostly intact (so far anyway—one episode to go yet) given its obvious slant against a tyrannical, centralized, government and its emphasis on individual liberty.

I still think Hunger Games is quietly creating a legion of young people who are going to be skeptical of DC much earlier in their lives than would have been the case otherwise. This is why the NSA snooping scandal cut so deep into the youth support for Obama I suspect.


26 posted on 01/24/2014 12:44:59 PM PST by Norseman (Defund the Left-Completely!)
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To: laweeks

We may not be able to stop all abortions, but we can stop some of them. Even if we just stop 50 abortions a year at the local late-term abortuary, by talking to and offering help to the girls and women who are on their way there, it’s something; it’s fifty more babies who are not torn, burned, and stabbed to death. Fifty lives at this clinic alone are worth something. Every life is worth something to God. Every woman who is dissuaded from murdering her child is saved from the subsequent guilt and misery.

Yes, I think movies like this can help. They help change the culture a little at a time.


27 posted on 01/24/2014 1:15:28 PM PST by ottbmare (the OTTB mare, now a proud Marine Mom)
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To: Norseman
I know I was surprised to see Hunger Games hit the big screen with the message mostly intact (so far anyway—one episode to go yet) given its obvious slant against a tyrannical, centralized, government and its emphasis on individual liberty.

Conservatives I know all come away from Hunger Games realizing how much the capitol city reminds them of DC/hollywood. I don't think liberals connect the dots at all. As you said, hopefully the younger generation can use this as a reference point to identify the problems we face.

28 posted on 01/24/2014 1:17:00 PM PST by ilgipper (Obama is proving that very bad ideas can be wrapped up in pretty words)
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To: Kaslin

Looks like it may be worth seeing.


29 posted on 01/24/2014 1:21:46 PM PST by unlearner (You will never come to know that which you do not know until you first know that you do not know it.)
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To: ken5050

Glad I found this article. Several days ago, I saw just the top part of a still ad for this movie and I thought it was an ad for a remastered version of the Stones movie. Because of my beliefs, I looked no further at the advert and in fact, was a little peeved that the movie would be foisted on yet another generation.

I’m glad that it is a positive story of a young woman seeking to have her baby instead of killing it.


30 posted on 01/24/2014 1:37:16 PM PST by A Formerly Proud Canadian (I once was blind, but now I see...)
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To: dubyagee; georgia peach; DIRTYSECRET; ken5050
I do think "Juno" was played as a teen pregnancy comedy, and that's WHY it was so good and so valuable. If it were played as an on-the-nose "Goody Two Shoes Gets Pregnant" moral lesson, nobody would have seen it except for the devout and soap-scented families who'd read about it in the Podunk Homeschoolers Newsletter.

The scriptwriter (Diablo Cody) and the gal who played the lead (Ellen Page) went out of their way to say in interviews that they're pro-"choice", which made it possible for huge numbers of reviewers to say it was a sharp movie about a strong heroine who is independent, intelligent, self-directed, spunky, and walks out of an abortion clinic in order to sisterhood-is-powerful, I-am-woman-hear-me-roar, have the baby.

It puts a non-stereotypical spin on it, which means its seen and taken to heart by a 10x bugger audience than it otherwise would have had.

Yes, "Bella" was great and I loved it. But "Juno" made the point to a different audience, and in a savvier way.

I hope "Gimme Shelter" continues reaching audiences other than the Teen Christian Clubs. It puts the "reach" into "outreach."

31 posted on 01/24/2014 2:48:40 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o (Oh and Su-Chin was there and she was like, "Hi babies have fingernails." Fingernails!!" - Juno)
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To: Kaslin

Very exciting.


32 posted on 01/24/2014 2:56:47 PM PST by St_Thomas_Aquinas ( Isaiah 22:22, Matthew 16:19, Revelation 3:7)
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To: ilgipper

>>As you said, hopefully the younger generation can use this (Hunger Games) as a reference point to identify the problems we face.<<

Well, it wouldn’t hurt if a few conservative politicians started to draw the obvious connections for them, in ads, speeches, etc. I can just imagine the opportunity Ronald Reagan would see here. Unfortunately, I don’t see any of our current crop of politicians either seeing it, or using it effectively.

I have, however, noticed that some liberal politicians have tried to latch onto a sort of Hunger Games analogy occasionally, perhaps in an effort to throw conservative ones off the scent?

Anyway, conservatives and libertarians are missing the boat if they continue to ignore Hunger Games. I’d bet that well over half the people in this country between the ages of 14 and 24 have read the books, or seen the movies (two so far), or both. I’m still amazed Hollywood produced the movies. As I said at the outset, perhaps the Friends of Abe are multiplying?


33 posted on 01/25/2014 10:34:25 AM PST by Norseman (Defund the Left-Completely!)
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To: All; Kaslin

To find locations for the movie, see their website:

http://gimmeshelterthemovie.com/#

I’m willing to travel 50 miles.


34 posted on 01/26/2014 4:58:28 PM PST by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
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To: catnipman

“..I quit paying any attention to the Kommie “critics” ages ago and read only viewer critiques.”

Me too!

It’s been reported that real people have stayed in the theater to talk about the movie, and especially young people, were crying.


35 posted on 01/26/2014 5:10:46 PM PST by Sun (Pray that God sends us good leaders. Please say a prayer now.)
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To: Kaslin
Basically, this movie (based a true story) is similar to Norma McCorvey's book Won by Love.

Of course, Norma was not seeking an abortion, she moved from being a part of the pro-abortion movement to making penance for being the Roe of Roe v. Wade

I have met her personally several times since then (Norma). She remembered me at the last occasion in 2005.

The aspect of the book (Won by Love) that mirrors Gimme Shelter is that the world outside of Prolife folks can be very ugly. This is in contrast to how prolifers treat people.

Why do I say this? The first time I met Norma McCorvey she came up to me and hugged me. I was in the Operation Rescue office in Dallas that was side by side with the abortion clinic that Norma was working in. I came to the office because I had written a prolife song to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic... Not to meet Norma... It was someone in the office (Rhonda -- a key person in the book Won by Love) who told that it was Norma McCorvey who had just hugged me...

36 posted on 03/28/2014 11:40:37 PM PDT by topher (Traditional values -- especially family values -- which have been proven over time.)
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