I don't have kids yet. But when I think about them (especially my little girl that will be born in the spring), I think about how I will parent them. Will I be too strict? Not strict enough? This always leads me to think about entertainment. Magazines, TV, movies. It will all affect them in profound ways. Take movies, for example. How do we decide what is appropriate for our children? For that matter, how do we decide what is appropriate for ourselves?
A few years ago I decided that I was going to be a "discerning movie goer." I decided that rather than avoiding every movie that was rated PG-13 and above, I would see most movies, but do so with a two-fold purpose: (1) Be entertained and (2) Learn about life, culture and the world. That is what I hope to teach my kids. Yes, be entertained, but be discerning, too.
I hear people say that they watch movies to "get away." That is, they use the movie medium to escape their own reality and live in another one. To me, that means they "check out" and I think that is harmful. When we check out, we stop looking out for ourselves. When we check out, we fail to see how what we are watching affects our culture and then use that information to shape it for good. When we check out, I think that we are unable to, as Paul says, "Do all to the glory of God," (1 Cor. 10:31). It is usually the case that when you have decided to use movies purely for your own enjoyment, you will eventually watch anything.
What about the other side of the coin? Many think we should engage this medium in a very strict, controlled way. They would say that the movies we watch should reflect our Christian values. That means avoiding movies like "Harry Potter," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," and "The Golden Compass." Or, sadly, it means cutting a movie up, removing any harsh language or sexuality. I understand this point of view. However, it seems to me to be too extreme and, much of the time, is based out of fear.
As with most the things, the extremes are not where we should live. We should, to the best of our ability, use movies to engage those who do not yet know Jesus. That is why I try and be a discerning movie goer. I watch everything with a careful eye and ask myself what makes the movie, a scene or a simple piece of dialog important. What does this have to do with my life? What is this movie trying to say? Does it reflect a very narrow opinion or something much of the world believes?
We must not forget that movies are there for our enjoyment, too. But we can have discerning joy. What makes this movie good/bad? Can you follow the plot? is the cinematography and editing good? Did I like it?
Something that helps me in this process is reading what mainstream critics are saying. Also, though their arrival seems a few years late, there are some excellent Christian movie reviewers. To me, the best Christian movie reviewer is a guy named Jeffery Overstreet at Christianity Today Movies. He, as well as others there, deftly and discerningly watch and review most movies, bridging the gap between culture and Christianity. Their reviews are usually insightful, thought provoking, and illuminating, helping you understand movies in a Christian context. Beyond that, at the end of each review they detail what, if any, language, violence, or sexuality is in the film so you and your family can decide if it is right for you and/or your kids.
Movies are amazing. Who knows if they affect the culture more than they reflect it. Whatever the case, they should be viewed with a purpose in mind. Enjoy them. Discern them. Give God glory. I hope my kids benefit from that.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
A Discerning Movie Goer
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4 comments:
I agree with what Ryan says here, buy I think it bears reiterating that we must tread carefully. We should engage culture to be able to impact it, but we must be self-aware to do so in a way that keeps us out of harm. As Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 6:12 all things are permissible but not all things are beneficial. The movies can be insidious. To borrow from Mary Poppins, a spoonful of entertainment makes the worldview/agenda/pick-your-poison go down in the most delightful way. So while Ryan says you must not saunter into viewing a movie and turn your brain off, and I concur, I think that’s all too often what we do. Movies are after all, entertainment. To view them actively, thoughtfully takes away the element of relaxation that many of us crave, but it is a slippery slope to watch certain films as passive bystanders. If we think we are impervious to marketing, agendas, prevailing ideas etc., then we are not reading the research. We are no more above influence than anyone else if we lose a sense of vigilance in what we let into our lives. Philippians 4:8 says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” As Ryan pointed at, it is probably not good to be at either end of an extreme on such gray areas of life, but we must temper all we do with the Paul’s words above—not all things are beneficial. So each of us should be honest with ourselves and learn where we must personally draw the line in what we watch. Everyone’s line will be in a different spot, and that’s fine. Just don’t step over your own line and, in Paul’s words, “violate your conscience” for a few hours of entertainment.
Here, here. I agree wholeheartedly and can't help but wonder if perhaps that sentiment did not come across well in my post. Thanks for the clarification/addition.
We must set boundaries for ourselves lest we be "thrown into hell," (Matthew 5:29). I suspect the harshness of Jesus' language, that we pluck out our eye if it causes us to sin, keeps people from living the way Jesus really intended: sacrificially. The application of that seems pretty simple. Get rid of those things that cause you to sin. I fear that Christians, Americans especially, are so tied to their things, lifestyles, etc. that living this command out is all but impossible. Think about it. Could you throw your computer to the curb if it caused sinfulness in your life? Or how about giving up a certain food or drink? Could you give up your TV, magazines, or movies? Christ does not want us to have an easy life. He wants us to have a holy life.
So my post should be qualified, and VEW did so nicely.
Maybe it's because I studied film in college and it's such an important part of my life, but to me, film is just an extension of everyday life. Like it or not it's EVERYWHERE. It's part of our culture, our speach, our worship services, our understanding of the world around us... I try to approach film the way I do anything else....from my Christian world view. The same way I approach a newspaper article, or listen to an NPR story, the same way I watch a CNN report or an episode of "The Office" - each of these "inputs" comes at me and interacts with my Christain perspective filter. I process it and conclude what I will about intent, content, perspective, etc. I guess what I'm trying to say is, aren't we always "treading carefully", not just in movies? In life really. I would say these warnings do not just apply to movies, but to most areas of life. Crashing on the couch and flipping channels after work, crusing the itnernet, reading magazines, listening to the radio. We should be careful to never "turn off" completely with any of these things.
On a more practical note, I found a great website for considering movies before you show them to your kids. It's http://www.kids-in-mind.com/. They list out, in chronological order, every possible offensive / scary / questionable thing that happens in a movie. Let's just say after reading the content for "Prince of Egypt" we decided to hold off for a few years....
Lastly, everyone knows that the MPAA is a joke right? Don't trust the ratings. The people that watch the movies don't have young kids (last count I think the youngest child of any of them was 21), most have friends in the movie industry and that's how they got the job. There's no "Standard" for what makes an "R" vs. "NC-17". If you're considering showing a movie to your kids, cartoon or not, you've got to prescreen it. And for us? Like Ryan said, find a reviewer you like and trust and ALWAYS read a review first.
Thanks for your thoughts, Emily. I chose the medium of movies for my blog but realize that we should engage all forms of media actively and, as you say, from a Christian world view. Thank you for making that clear.
Great site, Kids-in-Mind. I'll recommend it here on out.
Yes, the MPAA is not a reliable metric. There are even some "G" rated movies that are not appropriate for kids. Good call.
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