HOLLYWOOD’S DIRTY LITTLE SECRET

MOVIEGUIDE(R) ^ | Decermber-January, 2002 | Dr. Tom Snyder

[Simi Valley Tom]

Family Movies with Christian Values Are Bigger and More Popular Than Ever

By Tom Snyder

Staring at some of the ads for upcoming movies might lead you to think that movies are sleazier than ever, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The work of the Christian Film & Television Commission™, a Christian advocacy group based in Hollywood, as reported in its MOVIEGUIDE® magazine, radio program and television program not only shows that more family-friendly movies with Christian themes and content are being made today than in the past, but that such movies make much more money than movies with strong foul language, excessive violence, graphic sex, explicit nudity, and other inappropriate content.

“It pays to put family-friendly, moral and even Christian content in your movie,” Dr. Ted Baehr, chairman of the Commission and publisher of MOVIEGUIDE®, said. “Hollywood should go back to making the kinds of wholesome, quality movies that people really want to see.”

Baehr said the number of movies with positive moral content and/or positive Christian content has increased about 10 percent this year compared to last year. In fact, in the last 10 years, the number of movies with positive moral content and/or positive Christian content has increased 150 percent, according to the Commission’s annual analysis of the top 250 to 275 movies.

Furthermore, the number of R-rated movies among the top 25 movies at the box office has decreased from 12 in 1996 to only three in 2001. Also, the number of movies in the top 25 at the box office with strong or very strong moral, biblical or Christian content has increased from five in 1996 to 15 in 2001.

Looking at the top ten movies of the box office in 2001 and 2000, 85 percent of them had at least some moral, redemptive and Christian content in them.

Box office figures clearly show that movies with very strong moral and Christian worldviews make at least twice as much money on average at the box office as movies with strong foul language, excessive violence, graphic sex, explicit nudity, and other inappropriate content, including movies with secular humanist or other non-biblical philosophies and ideologies.

In addition, movies with no sex or nudity usually earn two or three times as much on average as movies with graphic and excessive sex and nudity. Also, movies with no alcohol use generally earn twice as much on average as movies with excessive alcohol use or alcoholism, while movies with no smoking or drug use earn more than three times as much on average as movies with very strong or excessive drug use.

Finally, every year, 70 percent or more of the top ten video and DVD sales and rentals contain positive moral and/or Christian values.

For additional details, contact Dr. Baehr at the following address: MOVIEGUIDE®, Christian Film & Television Commission™, 2510-G Las Posas Road, #502, Camarillo, CA 93010, or call his office at (805) 383-2000, or check out www.movieguide.org.

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[Simi Valley Tom]

This doesn't mean that movies with graphic violence, sex, nudity, drug abuse, etc., never make any money or that R-rated movies are never very popular.

[Palladin]

Agree. The article is not well-thought-out. Never mind the R movies--it's the PG-13, to which preteens flock, that have the filthiest dialogue and most explicit talk of sex and scatology. Any parent who allows their kids to go to or rent these PG-13's is a boob.

[homeschool mama]

**--it's the PG-13, to which preteens flock, that have the filthiest dialogue and most explicit talk of sex and scatology. Any parent who allows their kids to go to or rent these PG-13's is a boob. **

bump

[Hugin]

The biggest movies are usually summer blockbusters, which avoid R ratings since they want to attract kids. Whether that means movies like Spiderman are promoting Christian values is another issue.

[Defender2]

I don't go see what they've been selling for years now. I just got sick of it. and now for the Democrats dirty little secret, the Democratic Socialists of Amerika, http://www.dsausa.org/ , I am not buying what their selling either!!!!

[dogbyte12]

This is breaking news... how?

[Carry_Okie]

Any parent who allows their kids to go to or rent these PG-13's is a boob.

Lord of the Rings?

[Paul Atreides]

Do NOT take a child to see LOTR, unless that child can handle scary imagery. This is not a child's movie.

[section9]

Despite all that, LOTR is a profoundly Christian movie. It can't help but be: Tolkein's entire epic had a Christian subtext.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Sure, you can take your child to see films with violent content, as long as it is not violence for its own sake. We took our three sons to see 'The Patriot' and they were not harmed by the experience. On the contrary, they gained a deeper appreciation for the sacrifice made by our forefathers to secure freedom.

On the other hand, many of the PG-13 rated films are filled with foul language and explicit sex scenes. Our sons friends go to see these films without our sons. The Lord of the Rings movies are good, solid works of fiction that deserve support from everyone that appreciates quality entertainment. Check out the box office receipts for LOTR compared to everything that is showing. Another great movie that my wife dragged me to see is, 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'. It was hilarious and is still showing in many theaters after having been out there for quite a while. For some unknown reason Hollywood ignores the success of a film like that and waves a dismissive hand. A large segment of Hollywood, the segment that controls the purse strings, has a message that they want to push, and the message is that you and I don't know what's best.

I would agree, though, that The Lord of the Rings movies should not be viewed by anyone who still requires a night-light.

[2Jedismom]

Ping!

[2Jedismom]

My four year old has seen it...

There are three scenes he is not allowed to view. The decapitation of the orc in Moria, the shooting of Boromir and the decapitation of Lurtz. He turns his head faithfully when these scenes are shown. (So does my 7 year old).

The rest of the movie is ok for viewing.

I found the violence in The Two Towers to be too fast and vague to be of any harm.

[Carry_Okie]

Do NOT take a child to see LOTR, unless that child can handle scary imagery. This is not a child's movie.

Both kids have read the books. I have obtained a tape and will make the decision.

[Green Knight]

My younger niece, who was 7 at the time, actually laughed at the scene when Lurtz got his head cut off. I was seeing it for the first time along with them, so I didn't know. I've seen the Two Towers, already, and when I take my nieces I'll make sure to cover the eyes of the youngest for 3 scenes. When the orks are arguing over eating the Hobbits, when Aragorn et al find the mound burned Uruk-Hai with an Uruk-Hai head stuck on a pole, and when the Warg bites the Man of Rohan in the face. Other than that, I think the movie's fine for them to watch.

[2Jedismom]

We attempted to go to see it this afternoon, but the vulgar language of the 13 year old girls behind us caused us to have to leave. These girls obviously thought they were cute, saying the F word loud enough for all to hear in the theater...they put on quite a show.

We just got our money back and left.

The movie could never be as bad as that. It was unbelievable.

[Tokhtamish]

Nudity has moved from big budget movie screens to video and Skinemax.

Nudity sells videos, DVD's, and satellite/cable not movie tickets. Anyone who wanted to see a movie for a nude scene would simply wait for the DVD when he could wear out the PAUSE button.

[Paul Atreides]

That sounds great. Several months ago, there was an article about the first movie and how some parents had to take their children out of the theater. It is great that your children have read the books. How old are they?

[BradyLS]

Despite all that, LOTR is a profoundly Christian movie. It can't help but be: Tolkein's entire epic had a Christian subtext.

You can make a case for the books, but I think the ground for movies is much shakier. Especially with the character changes and superfluous added scenes to The Two Towers.

[BradyLS]

I found the violence in The Two Towers to be too fast and vague to be of any harm.

Pretty gratuitous scene of an Uruk's head on a stick when Aragorn is searching for Merry and Pippin near the burining Uruks. Also, plenty of bodies were flung through the air when the Uruks breach the dike at Helm's Deep.

[2Jedismom]

Pretty gratuitous scene of an Uruk's head on a stick

Yeah...wasn't that great??? LOL Just kidding. My 4 year old watched the stuff that came with the extended release of FOTR...it showed that Uruk Hai dancing around and everyone laughing in a tent. So he has a pretty good idea that it's all just masks, like the ones we see in the store before Halloween. I found the Departure of Boromir much more disturbing. I can't hardly watch it myself. Still, we didn't get to that part in The Two Towers...left because of rowdy kids. I can't wait for school to start back up. Another boon of homeschooling!