By Dr. Ted Baehr
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose
– Romans 8:28
MOVIEGUIDE® has a long, proven reputation of providing in-depth reviews with a comprehensive analysis. More often than not, MOVIEGUIDE® is able to pinpoint those good movies that are going to do well at the box office and expose those that are detrimental to society, especially children and teenagers.
Our reviews do much more than list the amount of violence, sex, nudity, foul language, and substance abuse contained in each movie. We also inform our readers, listeners, and viewers about the moral, theological, philosophical, and political viewpoints expressed by the movie’s filmmakers and its characters.
That’s why people are constantly writing to thank us for a good moviegoing experience and also to express gratitude for notifying them about which movies to avoid.
Aside from all of our analytical tools and comprehensive approach, what makes MOVIEGUIDE® unique is the people behind it. We are people of a solid Christian faith. We have children whose future we care about deeply and whom we have brought up in the faith. We are blessed with higher degrees from prestigious institutions, and we have good skills within the media itself.
Two of our principals have doctorate degrees in film and television and theology and law. One of our editors was the Director of the TV Center of the City University of New York, and helped to design one of the first media literacy courses in the late 1970s. He has been teaching media literacy ever since. One of our associates is making significant headway as a script doctor – helping producers improve imperfect screenplays. She has been called one of the best script doctors in the nation by the very person who invented modern script doctoring, Linda Seger.
One editor headed the company that produced the Emmy-Award-winning television program THE LION, WITCH AND WARDROBE on CBS television. Our editors have written screenplays and have won many Gold and Silver Awards at a number of film festivals throughout the nation. They have also excelled at writing and publishing many informative, acclaimed articles and books on Christian theology, biblical hermeneutics, Christian apologetics, Christian philosophy, media, culture, history, and politics. One editor actually grew up in the entertainment industry and truly understands the peculiarities of the entertainment business.
Behind many of our reviews are hundreds of hours of research and the trading of dozens of challenging emails – just to make sure we are tackling movie-related issues with the correct theology and the right heart and voice before God and man. We answer letters, emails, and phone calls from listeners of all faiths and walks of life, and we make ourselves ready to answer their questions and challenges at a moment’s notice.
Our staff is increasingly building relationships with key players in the movie industry. We are known among these studio executives, producers, writers, and directors as people who will readily commend the good and challenge the evil. We are the only Christian movie review company that spends hundreds of thousands of dollars to host prestigious Hollywood awards dinners to thank those Christian and non-Christian executives, producers and filmmakers who are making God’s character known through the silver screen. This outreach to the entertainment industry is vitally important because it transforms the culture that affects future generations – our children and grandchildren – for good or ill.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we stand with uncompromising integrity before God in all our business and ministry practices. Though we are intent on massaging crucial industry relationships, we will not sacrifice truth for the compromises that accompany popularity. To sharpen those biblical discernment skills, one editor sits on the steering committee of a major Christian theological society and formally debates theology at least once a year.
Therefore, when you’re seeking biblical expertise, thoughtful, critical opinions, experience, and integrity, please consider joining the MOVIEGUIDE® team as a prayer partner and financial donor. Your investment will bear much fruit in advancing the Kingdom of God.
Criteria
Please take into account the criteria used by MOVIEGUIDE magazine to evaluate movies and television programs. These criteria include looking at each movie and program:
- Aesthetically by looking at the artistic value of the movie, and by looking at how well the movie is made, just as other reviewers do.
- Emotively by looking at how it captures and amuses the audience as entertainment and amusement.
- Semantically by looking at the individual elements – such as words, nudity and incidents of violence – and their meanings, just as many parents do.
- Syntactically by looking at how the elements of the film come together and how the characters relate to each other, just as many teenagers and young adults do.
- Propositionally by looking at what the movie is communicating, as summarized in the movie’s premise.
- Generically by comparing it to other movies in its genre.
- Thematically by looking at the themes that are present in the movie.
- Morally by looking at its moral perspective and content.
- Biblically by looking at the biblical perspective and principles in the movie.
- Systematically by looking at how the movie relates to other movies.
- Economically by looking at how it does at the box office and how its box office gross compares to other movies’.
- Intellectually by looking at how the movie fulfills its goals and premise.
- Sociologically by looking at how the movie relates to culture and society.
- Politically by looking at the political perspective of the movie.
- Cognitively by looking at the age group to whom the movie is marketed, the age group for whom it is suitable, and how it will impact a particular age group.
- Psychologically by looking at how the movie deals with mind and soul.
- Historically by looking at how accurate the movie is in presenting history.
- Sexually by looking at how the movie deals with sex and sexual relationships.
- Philosophically by looking at the philosophical perspective and worldview of the movie.
- Ontologically by looking at how the movie deals with the nature of being.
- Epistemologically by looking at how the movie deals with the nature of knowing.
- Spiritually by looking at how the movie deals with God, faith and religion.
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
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