- Content: 
| None | Light | Moderate | Heavy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | ||||
| Violence | ||||
| Sex | ||||
| Nudity |
Watch:
What You Need To Know:
Content:
(C, FR, LL, VV) Christian worldview with extremely positive portrayal of committed parents setting high moral standards & serving as examples for their children, but containing much errant theology such as belief that humans serve as guardian angels for others after death; 20 vulgarities & 18 profanities; multiple harsh arguments, fist fights & escalating (though cartoon-like) violence among children, brief but intense Viet Nam War combat scenes, brief fight between adults, two characters crushed by rocks, & intense near-drowning sequence.
More Detail:
In THE WAR, Kevin Costner portrays a father who has just returned to his family after a tour of duty in Viet Nam. Suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, he has difficulty finding a job and is sorting out some emotional scars. Elijah Wood and Lexi Randall portray his children living in a dirt-poor rural 1970’s Mississippi town, with Mare Winningham rounding out the cast as his patient, hard-working wife. Animosity between two groups of children eventually focuses upon a colossal tree house which has been under construction for weeks.
The integrity of this family is definitely the emotional centerpiece of this film. Father and mother are godly and good-hearted, treating their children with wisdom, humor, respect, and definite limits. THE WAR shuns the “Smart Kids/Dumb Parents” nonsense of the past three decades of Hollywood entertainment. However, several plot developments build to a less than convincing fever pitch, and the film lurches from one emotional climax to another. With some slightly errant (and mostly good theology), some intense violence between children, a horrifying near-drowning sequence, and some objectionable language, this film is inappropriate for pre-teenagers. This is indeed unfortunate, because without these excesses THE WAR could have been a minor masterpiece with even a final comment that “we can do anything with God’s help.”
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
- Content: +4Share:
- Content: +4