A couple of Facebook folks posted that they've seen (and their teenage daughters) The Fault in our Stars. It's a new movie, rated PG-13, that came out June 6th. I have not seen the movie, but I was curious about it and looked up a review of it at pluggedin.com. The review was startling, shocking even. The fact that Hollywood put out this movie isn't all that shocking; but Christians seeing it and liking it is discouraging and saddening. And since there was no place on his review to leave a comment ... and since I was being bombarded with thoughts about it ... a new blog was born :)
Here is a section of the plugged in.com review ...
Eighteen-year-old Gus and 17-year-old Hazel are attracted to each other from the beginning. And while Hazel tries to keep him at arm's length for a while, their platonic relationship goes kablooey in Amsterdam. The two share a tender kiss in Anne Frank's house. Then they tumble into Gus' hotel room and have sex.
The scene shows Hazel and Gus taking off each other's shirts, and she undoes her bra. (We see her from the back.) They caress and kiss as they give in to their passion. Afterwards, both are seen mostly naked, with the sheet covering only the most critical body parts. And it's worth noting that much is made of Gus' previously virginal "condition" ... and that this union is seen as the perfect end to it.
Gus' friend Isaac makes out with his girlfriend in a parking lot, and we see him kneading her (clothed) breast. Later, Isaac, who has lost both eyes to cancer, comments on the size of another girl's breasts. "I'm blind, but I'm not that blind," he says.
We see Hazel's mom wearing just a bath towel. Hazel cracks a joke about getting herpes.
This isn't an anti-Christian film, exactly—just spiritually uncertain. Nor is it saturated in sex or depravity. This isn't a bad movie, really. In many ways, it's quite good.
One very forceful f-word is used as a sexually derived insult. Also, a half-dozen s-words and a smattering of other bad words, including "a‑‑," "b‑‑ch," "b‑‑tard" and "h‑‑‑." God's name is used as an expletive about 30 times, twice paired with "d‑‑n."
He and Hazel are served champagne during a fancy dinner in Amsterdam (where it's legal for 16-year-olds to drink "adult" beverages that contain less than 15% alcohol). Both teens are very enthusiastic about its taste, and Gus tells the waiter they'll need a bit more of it. They pop open another bottle during a sad picnic back in the States.
But here's the thing: Because it is quite good—a persuasive, emotional story with strong, positive messages about sacrifice, hard truths and true love—the bad stuff can come off as more persuasive than usual. It's harder to see a loving God yourself when the characters you grow to care about can't, or won't. It's harder to object to premarital sex while weepily watching Hazel and Gus—teens who might never get the chance to ever have sex again—get so much pleasure and fulfillment from it.
See the sentence I highlighted above??? How can the reviewer honestly say "it's quite good"??? Premarital sex??? Swearing??? Using God's name as an expletive 30 times??? Semi-nudity? Breast kneading? Joking about herpes? Drinking alcohol (underage)?
This is calling good -- evil -- and evil -- good -- and this is EXACTLY what Hollywood wants ... and what Satan wants. Movies like this tug on your emotions and pull you into the story. You will quickly forget about morality as you get wrapped up in the plot. In The Fault in our Stars, fornication doesn't seem so bad because they have cancer ... and they "love" each other. Eventually you might even feel like their premarital sex is right and good because you will want them to get to be together. That is what the movie is wanting you to feel. But it's wrong; it's twisted. They're not married.
Paul Asay, the movie reviewer, doesn't say (as he should have!) ... "the bad stuff" in this movie comes "off as more persuasive than usual". Therefore, DON'T go to this movie! FLEE!
No. Instead he says ... "the bad stuff" comes "off as more persuasive (meaning less bad ... more acceptable) than usual" ... "because it (the movie) is quite good" ... "with strong, positive messages about ... true love". This is true love??? Furthermore, he says, "It's harder to see a loving God yourself when the characters you grow to care about can't, or won't. It's harder to object to premarital sex while weepily watching Hazel and Gus ... get so much pleasure and fulfillment from it." WHAT??? Hollywood made it harder for him to see a loving God because in two hours time watching a fictional movie he grew to care about the characters??? If this is what happens ... if this is the power of movies, of media ... FLEE!!! And he was weepily watching Hazel and Gus get pleasure and fulfillment while having premarital sex??? Seriously ... this does not register. Brothers and sisters ... where is our discernment??? Let me repeat myself ... if this is the power of movies like this (which it is!) ... FLEE!
I think the reviewer called this movie good only because he got so wrapped up in the story that he was no longer able to be objective about it. He is a PERFECT EXAMPLE of how difficult it is to filter issues accurately when these issues are presented to you in the context of entertainment. He even admitted in the finalizing statement of his review ... "It's hard to see a film with crystal-clear eyes when you're always dabbing them with a Kleenex."
Therefore ... this isn't a good movie, really. In many ways, it's quite bad. This movie is, in fact, of the most dangerous sort because sin is made to look lovely ... and you will be persuaded/desensitized/brainwashed to justify their fornication in your mind. Sin is minimized and normalized because Hazel and Gus have cancer ... and because they "love" each other.
What messages do you think teens (in particular) will take away from this movie??? Perhaps that premarital sex is okay if you are going to die sooner than most people? Or ... sin is okay if you're a nice person and you're not hurting anybody? Maybe ... if you have cancer (or some other unique situation) you should live for today only?
I don't know what made me think to look up the movie on Facebook ... but I did ... and it was telling. Over 5 million likes so far! About an hour after my first view of their facebook page, I clicked there again to show my husband, and the page had an additional 100,000 likes in that one hour! It's like a tidal wave ... sucking these kids in. Behold ... the power of media!!!
Humbly I urge you to stay away from this movie ... and don't let your children see it. Please guard their hearts and minds! How will our children ever be able to strive for purity (not just in their actions, but also in their minds) if this sort of entertainment is put before them???
"I will set no wicked thing before my eyes." Psalm 101:3
