Update to Blog: "Is This Movie Good?" article

   You might notice that we have a new page on our blog. It is titled "Is This Movie Good?" The page is an article I wrote to help us think about whether or not a movie really is good. If you take the time to read, you will see five questions to ask yourself during and after watching a movie.

Enjoy!
~Family-in-Mind Reviews

They Were Blind, but Then They Saw: A Movie Review of Michael Apted's "Amazing Grace"

In America, we all know about the fight against slavery in the 1860's, but do you know much about the fight against it in England, during the late 18th century? The anti-slavery campaign was largely led by William Wilberforce, a godly and bold politician.
Amazing Grace did fairly well in the box office and won the 2008 Christopher Award and Best Spiritual Film. The movie stars Ioan Gruffudd as William Wilberforce, Romola Garai as Barbara Spooner Wilberforce, and Benedict Cumberbatch as Prime Minister William Pitt.

SUMMARY

   The film opens in 1797 with William, who is severely ill, taking a holiday with his cousin and wife. Although William and a Miss Barbara Spooner are both annoyed at attempts to put the two of them in a romance, William begins to convey the story of his battle against slavery.

   Fifteen years earlier, William is a rather young member of Parliament. He considers leaving politics for theology, but his friend William Pitt (along with some anti-slavery activists) implores him to stay in politics. He visits the aging John Newton, ex-slave ship captain and current pastor, who tells William he should fight against slavery.

   Years and years of disappointing attempts and failures follow. William becomes frustrated and tired with the political battles. He soon becomes quite ill, and the story comes back to 1797, with him and Barbara. It is she who tells him that he must continue battling slavery, and the two are married shortly afterward. The two have children, and William is given hope.

   William and his political allies find a backdoor way of weakening the slave trade. Twenty years after beginning his campaign, William Wilberforce's bill of anti-slavery is passed in 1807.

CONTENT

   I would not say that the content in Amazing Grace should give it a PG-13 rating, but the content is definitely not for a younger audience. There are references to violence and cruelty to human beings, as well as one scene where Wilberforce dreams of young African boys being burned. If the length of the film does not get to younger children first, then the violence in this matter might frighten them.

   There is not any bad sexual content. I don't even think there is but one kiss between husband and wife. I do recall one brief mention of adultery but nothing else.

   For all the good in this movie, there was some inappropriate uses of language, including a**, h***, and God's name. I wondered why they would include this in an otherwise clean movie.

   Amazing Grace is an inspirational and moving story about the evils of slavery and the political life of William Wilberforce. The acting by Gruffudd and Cumberbath, I thought, was especially wonderful. Apart from some violent descriptions and an occasional swear word, this is a clean family film that many will likely enjoy.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 118 minutes

Rating: PG

Director: Michael Apted

Producers: Terrence Malick, Patricia Heaton, David Hunt, Edward R. Pressman, Ken Wales 

Music: David Arnold

Year of release: 2006

Primary audience: Pre-teens, teens, adults

For an interesting interview with director Michael Apted, visit this link at Christian Answers: Spotlight, titled Faith, Politics, and Moviemaking: http://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2007/amazinggrace2007-interview.html

Broken Promises, Battling Warriors: A Book Review of William Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida"

Kindle edition

What is really behind vows of love and marriage? Is it just words you speak into the air, or is it something more than that? Shakespeare attempts to answer questions surrounding these issues in his play Troilus and Cressida. Although it is not one of his most well-known plays, the story has some interesting and good lessons to take from it. 

SUMMARY

   Paris, prince of the mighty city of Troy, kidnapped Helen, Queen of Greece. Her enraged husband Menelaus and the High King Agamemnon gather an army of Greeks to take back Helen. The war has lasted for seven years, so far...

   While the above paragraph does not have too much to do with the story, it is an important piece of background history. Troilus is the younger brother of Paris and Hector, sons of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. Troilus loves Cressida, daughter of a Trojan priest. She secretly loves him, but her uncle Pandarus is trying to get her and Troilus together.

   The two are finally brought together and pledge their love to one another. Nothing can go wrong now, right? Wrong! The Trojan council is offered a deal: a Trojan warrior (currently a Greek prisoner) will be returned if Cressida is given to Diomedes, a Greek warrior. Cressida's father, a Trojan priest, has joined the Greeks and orchestrated the entire deal. The Trojan council makes their decision: Cressida will be traded for the Trojan. 

CONTENT

   There is not too much violence in the book. Of course, a war is going on and soldiers talk about how they wish to kill their enemies. The last act of the book especially has many battle scenes. The story is not about the war, though; it really is about Troilus, Cressida, and the predicaments they find themselves in.

   Sometime in the first half of Troilus and Cressida, the titles characters are sent to bed. While not described or specifically stated, it is implied that the two lovers have sex before they are married. Troilus' brother Paris makes an excuse for Troilus' absence from a feast. Also, towards the end of the play Cressida and Diomedes speak lovingly to one another, causing Troilus anger at the broken vows.

   I recall no foul language.

   The reader of Troilus and Cressida can walk away with some moral lessons concerning loyalty, love, honor, and keeping vows/promises. Readers are faced with a choice (if they look hard enough): will I be like Troilus and honor my vows, or will I be like Cressida and break my vows?

   The play is a classical piece of literature (and on some high school reading lists) and provides some insightful thoughts. Younger children will definitely not want to read this.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Number of pages: 179 (Kindle edition)

Author of book: William Shakespeare

Published in: 1602 (believed to be the original year)

Primary audience: Teens, adults

Clean Family Films

   I'm looking for clean family films that I can review. If you have any ideas, please contact us!

Thanks!
~ Family-in-Mind Reviews

Surfers-in-Mind Reviews website

Here is the website address for Surfers-in-Mind reviews.

http://www.surfers-in-mindreviews.blogspot.com/

A Special Announcement!

   "A Modern Cain and Abel" was the book review of Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile. Since Family-in-Mind Reviews' opening this past May, 50 reviews have been posted ("A Modern Cain and Abel" being #50)! As promised earlier in another post, a special announcement will be made...
   From the creator of Family-in-Mind Reviews is a new blog: Surfers-in-Mind, a guide for safe websites for kids. Although it will not be updated as often as Family-in-Mind, take a look. The blog should be up by today (September 23, 2013), though the first post may not come until later.
   ENJOY!

~Family-in-Mind Reviews

A Modern Cain and Abel: A Book Review of Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile"

Passengers are trapped on a Nile cruise ship and there is a murderer among them. Fortunately, the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (pronounced AIR-KEWL PWA-RO) is on the case, ready to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Death on the Nile received good reviews upon its publication. The mystery is interesting, challenging, and there are some good things on the side. The book's main character is detective Hercule Poirot, who is one of Agatha Christie's most popular detectives (the other being Miss Jane Marple).

SUMMARY

   Linnet Ridgeway's best friend Jacquline de Bellefort excitedly announces that she is getting married. Her future husband is not rich, though, and Linnet offers Simon Doyle a good-paying job. "Jackie" quickly brings Simon over to meet Linnet, but things take quite a different turn than expected...

   The reader soon discovers that Linnet has married Simon, and they are off on honeymoon, currently traveling in Egypt. The couple go on a Nile cruise but find that Jackie has followed them (as she has everywhere they have gone). Both Linnet and Simon find this annoying, and Linnet speaks with detective Hercule Poirot, a fellow passenger.

   The passengers (apart from Poirot, the Doyles, and de Bellefort) are: Dr. Bessner (a European physician), James Ferguson (a young traveler and Communist), Guido Richetti (an Italian archaeologist), James Fanthrop (a young solicitor), Louise Bourget (Linnet's maid), Marie Van Shulyer (an American social butterfly), Cornelia Robson (Miss Van Shulyer's cousin), Miss Bowers (Van Schulyer's nurse), Andrew Pennington (Linnet's American trustee), Salome Otterbourne (a novelist), Rosalie (Salome's daughter), Mrs. Allerton, and her son Tim.  

   Pretty soon, a passenger is murdered, and it is up to Poirot to find the killer, as another murder (and an attempted one) is committed.

   Death on the Nile takes you on a wild ride, challenging your brain to figure out who is the murderer. And trust me when I say that the end comes with quite a surprise!

CONTENT

   There is a significant amount of violence in the novel. Of course, the story revolves around murders, so that in itself is enough to cause parents to take a look before younger children begin the book. There are descriptions of the murdered people, including blood. There is a scene where a woman fires a gun at a man, though he is not killed. Towards the end, a character commits suicide.  

   There are a few times sex is discussed, applied to psychology and "tension" between males and females. These are always mentioned by Mrs. Otterbourne. These scenes, though, are quite vague and rather few. Also, the main characters are involved in a messy situation: a woman marries her best friend's fiancé.

   The language includes uses of h***, God's name, and a few other words. Though it is not major, it still is part of the book.

   Death on the Nile has some good lessons, including some references to Scripture. In one great part, Hercule Poirot tells Jackie not to continue on her current path, lest she opens her heart to evil, and that it will certainly come. One bad thing is that Hercule agrees with a woman that he thought suicide was the "best way out" for a certain person's predicament.

   In conclusion, the mystery is a good one for those mature enough to understand murder, suicide, and the good and dangerous aspects of romantic love. This is certainly not a book for younger children, though more for the teenager and older.

GENERAL INFORMATION

 Number of pages: 288

Author of book: Agatha Christie

Published in: 1937 (UK), 1938 (US)

Primary audience: Teens, adults