Friday, July 25, 2008

It Left Me Thinking and Talking All Right!

Last weekend hubby and I rented a movie without checking it out on our favorite movie rating website first. Big mistake. Big, big mistake. The movie was supposed to be some fantastic first directorial debut of Ben Affleck with a script he helped adapt. "Gone Baby Gone" is supposed be a story about a child gone missing and the private detective who takes on the job of finding her. In his search for her, the detective is forced to make decisions concerning good and evil, right and wrong. The film was supposed to leave one thinking and talking about long after.

Well, it left me talking alright. It left me talking to the movie rental place 15 minutes later about trading it in or getting my money back. It left me talking about the prolific use of the "f" word. We turned it off after 10 minutes. Ten minutes of being subjected at least a dozen times already to the word. Four or five times in one sentence, like rapid fire gunshots, from one character. In going over various reviews later, then I found out that the "f" word had been used at least a couple hundred times along with every other swear word and filthy phrase imaginable. Granted, I didn't watch the whole show to say that first hand, but seriously the 10 minutes I did watch does not make me doubt that statement in the least. To me it's not worth any movie or story to subject my ears, mind and heart to that kind of filthy talking.

And yes, it left me thinking. Thinking about how Hollywood loves to fill the general public with filthy trash under the guise of a great work. Yes, the movie is about Boston's underworld. Yes, it's about a very rough piece of life. But how talented does it show a person to be to make the majority of conversing in a 2 hour movie to be using f words. Wouldn't it show more creativity, more talent, more integrity to use that minimally (or at all) and instead use better dialogue to get across the same message? It left me thinking anybody can use prolific swearing in a script, but it is the more gifted that can take us into the world they are trying to show us without turning our ears and minds into garbage cans. Is it not a more talented and gifted actor that can make us "feel" and be in that moment without using the "f" word and numerous other swears?

As for Ben Affleck? It left me thinking I've lost a lot of respect for the guy's "talent" and integrity. Would I ever pick up another one of his movies he's directed or wrote? It left me thinking probably never. Even if it's not in the same genre. The movie left me thinking I've got a sour taste in my mouth and ears, to his style of storytelling. Give me someone who can write with real words.

Standing ovation to Chuck Norris for this article he wrote about language, America's use of it and the standard we set. Who knew that Walker: Texas Ranger could be so articulate and right on! It is well worth the read.

13 comments:

KWolfAK said...

I'm with you on this one. Can't these fouled mouthed people find REAL words to express themselves with?

Anonymous said...

Amen, sister!

Linda said...

I couldn't agree more Susanne. A few years ago, I was so convicted as I was sitting in a movie theater thinking, "I brought Jesus into this place with me, and this is just horrible!" I felt then that I just could never watch another movie that was R rated. It is so hard to get those mental images and awful words out of your mind once they're in there.
I'm proud of you for saying it. There is absolutley no "artistic" value in any of that garbage.

Sandra said...

I couldn't agree more if I wanted to. I just get so frustrated with movies nowadays, as far as I'm concerned there are different ways of portraying anger without having to use those words.

Shawna said...

You are so right. We NEVER get to go to the movies, and even renting a movie is a very rare treat, so we are very, very picky about what we rent.

I leave the movie section so disappointed when I find a movie that I wanted to see only to discover that it is rated R. This is one of the movies that I wanted to see. I am glad that you let me know. I am not normally organized enough to check one out ahead of time and rely on the rating.

We made a HUGE MISTAKE recently in renting Rambo. It was beyond violent. It left me so very sad to realize that that type of violence exists in the world. Sylvester Stallone researched Burma and the civil war. He made the movie, and a lot of them received death threats while filming.

Don't they understand we are smart enough to "get it" without all of that?! There are some really great stories out there. I usually just wait until they come on tv.

Tammy said...

I would have turned it off, too, Susanne! Ugh...

Maybe that's one reason I like old classic movies so much!

PastormacsAnn said...

Amen and amen!

I can't ever imagine a time when that much filthy language is EVER necessary.

Chel's Leaving a Legacy said...

Wow, it's good to hear other like-minded people on this topic!

The same thing happened to me, only I was at a friend's house (they were not a Christian family).

That was very awkward because I was a guest in their house, but I got up and hung out in the kitchen after the first 15 minutes, too. It's just not worth it.

Tori Leslie said...

It's almost impossible to find good movies any more. We have some specific rules for movies and that pretty much cuts out about 95% of movies from Hollywood.
God for you for doing right!

Anonymous said...

You go girl! Glad you voiced your opinion on this one! I couldn't agree with you more. We LOVE to watch movies as a family, but we are particular about what we watch. We have found lots of movies we like, but we also do a little research before watching. It is amazing what passes for entertainment these days.

Faith said...

I'm with ya, too, on this one!
We rented Charley Wilson's War (the girls were not allowed to watch it with us as was rated R). We love Tom Hanks but....
very disappointing that the F word was so abundant in this movie.
I am glad we didn't pay movie theatre prices to see it!!

if Hollywood can make a movie like the American Girl movies, so wholesome, historical, CLEAN, then I can't figure out why more movies just don't cut out the offensive language....and parents wonder why they hear vulgar language in schools....the kids are repeating it from all the movies they watch!

2nd Cup of Coffee said...

I hate it, too. I totally agree also with what you said about a lack of ability. So what if this the way people talk in real life? People vomit in real life, too, but I don't want to watch it.

gail@more than a song said...

I agree, so true! I wish they'd spend half that energy on something better without all the language. That's one reason we try to support, watch, rent any of the christian movies that come out, in the hopes that one day there will be more made. When the kids were home full time we used a tv guardian that blanked out all the bad words and put a substitute phrase at the bottom of the screen, it took me several months to get used to it and quit trying to figure out what they were saying!
I must live in a bubble I think at times because no one I know talks that way! I'm sure it goes on but I don't want to be around it.