The Blog: ministry, music, media

Movies and Sustainable Parenting posted on January 3, 2010

Greetings of grace, peace and serving the common good in this new calendar year!

Media is our dialogue, parenting and caring for children our focus. How to continually navigate the world of digital communication and entertainment as you faithfully love your children in family or community? All comments are welcome. Let’s get the new year going with some conversation about movies that are marketed in such a big way that the kids are begging you to take them to the theater. Or, you just really want to see the film and wonder if you should get a babysitter?

First up: Avatar. Story short: 150 years from now, humans discover a valuable mineral on a far-from-earth planet; they want it and so they take it without regard to the life that lives in spiritual peace on that planet. Some characters are sympathetic to the living systems on the planet, others are not. They fight, many die. Good guys and gals win, earthlings are sent back to earth to live with their selfish and greedy shame.

I recently watched this blockbuster film in 3-D, IMAX, with popcorn. I walked away wondering if folks would get beyond the scenes of spectacular destruction and violence as stimulation to a greater message of loving the life we live and showing some respect and reverence for the planet we live on with its interconnectedness of all creation. The reviews of the film are all over the Internet, and I suspect you have read some of them and are trying to decide whether or not to take your children to this movie. Adding to the technical and artistic reviews, I want to discuss what the kids might see on the big screen in a dark theater.

If you are considering taking your young or pre-adolescent children, I would once again suggest that you first weigh the rating, PG-13, with a serious hand. The adult nature of the story (ruining the resources of the planet, creating pain, suffering, death and destruction for creatures that did you no harm) and the scenes of adult behavior (the female blue native of the planet Pandora climbs on to the lap of the male to mate), the sheer violence (robotic creations of the humans guests on Pandora rip, bomb and destroy all living things, including children, fed by the passion of their greed) offered up in 3-D on the big screen are both eye popping and frightening. All this is soft pedaled in marketing, backed up by a cultural affirmation that includes branded movie themed free online games, toys for the Happy Meal, and the toys that are offered by a major toy manufacturing company for children, 5+.

I don’t know many 13 year olds who ask for the happy meal - food or toys. So, is anyone confused about the mixed messages being sent by media, toy makers and fast food chains to our young children? You may think these details fall into place without notice in the lives of your 5, 7, 8 etc…year old kids, I would wonder about that assumption as singularly true. There is a cultural affect to bear in mind; remember the multiple exposures to the brand like the fast food, clothing, toys or games that reach the kids without seeing the film and what those affirmations mean in regard to how your kids form opinions and make meaning in their lives.

When considering films for the kids and for your family, the following guidelines may be important to families who put faith principals at the center of their lives:
1. What is the message of the film and how is that message conveyed?
2. How is conflict solved between characters in the film (with violence that is depicted graphically, with conversation, or with intention, compassion and respect)?
3. How is life regarded in this film (as a gift, burden or without care)?
4. How is the film marketed (is it branded all over food products that may be unhealthy, is it on clothing you cannot afford, through toys that promote principals in line with your families ideals and faithful living)?
5. Did you see it first and agree as parents/careproviders that the children in your life can benefit or be entertained by this film?

Remember, too, that kids younger than 8 years old have a tough time telling fantasy from reality, so, even if you explain it and they say, ‘yes I understand’, they still are likely to think everything is real because it is their job to learn what is real. You are the adults who guide that learning.

So, Avatar and your family? If you have teens - go for it and have great conversation about how you feel about taking what is not yours to take (the corporate greed part of the film), or falling in love (the process and how it happened between the central characters), or why violence is a rough way to solve problems (all the death and destruction in the film that hurt and did not help) as you lay these themes against the faith formation in your family.

If you have younger children who are begging and bugging you to be taken to this big movie, be calm and say you would love to teach them chess, Crazy 8’s or how to build birdhouse, instead. You will love that nearly three hours (the length of this film) more than any film.

Blessings for the common good,
Pastor Robin

There are 2 comments “Movies and Sustainable Parenting” was posted by Pastor Robin

Comments

1

Thank you for his review Pastor Robin. Unil you brought it up I never noticed that the movie was Rated PG-13. I did notice that the Happy Meal toys his month are for this movie. What an Oxi-Moron that sounds. Why promote the movie to children who are too young to see it. That makes no scense be it moral or business.