ANIMATOR

Name: ANIMATOR
Item: ANIMATOR
Author: Tess Farrand

"Sacrifice Is the Ultimate Form of Love"

Content: -2 Extreme caution for older teenagers and adults.

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

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What You Need To Know:

ANIMATOR follows a talented artist named Neal. Neal has a steady job but feels like he’s creatively stifled. He attends a storyboarding class where he meets Professor Albright. Neal is miles ahead of his classmates and is clearly a talented artist. Albright’s wife is sick and sends an urgent message to Neal. Neal discovers that Professor Albright wants to pass on a rare ability, drawing the future. Neal is unsure but accepts the gift from Albright, which saves Albright’s wife. As Neal uses the gift for personal gain, he learns that the power comes with a great cost.

ANIMATOR is a unique, involving story that borders on the fantasy genre. It has a moral, redemptive worldview where Neal learns the true meaning of love and sacrifice after he uses the power for himself. The movie also has a subtle pro-life message where the consequences of abortion are severe. In the end, there is a biblical image of sacrificing one’s life for another person. However, ANIMATOR contains a sex scene and references to pagan occultism, magic and mysticism, so MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution.

Content:

(BB, C, OO, Pa, FR, L, V, A, SS, M):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Contains moral, redemptive elements like love and sacrifice, selfishness has consequences, and there is a subtle pro-life message with severe consequences coming due to an abortion, but the positive elements are marred slightly by occult elements, the magic that Neal receives comes from a carved African statue and some other references to historical African, pagan mysticism

Foul Language:

Several light profanities and obscenities

Violence:

No graphic violence, there are several death scenes, an abortion happens off-screen, a character attempts suicide

Sex:

One sex scene, but the scene is dimly lit, and there’s also a scene where Neal uses his power to get a girl to kiss him and his friend

Nudity:

No nudity Alcohol Use/Abuse: Characters drink wine and other liquor

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

No smoking, but a woman commits suicide by overdose; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

Although eventually redeemed, the main character is often selfish and inconsiderate.

More Detail:

ANIMATOR follows Neal, an artist who has an ancient gift that allows him to draw the future, but when Neal’s life begins to fall apart, he learns that using his gift comes at great cost. ANIMATOR is a unique, involving story that stresses the true meaning of love and sacrifice, but it contains a sex scene and references to pagan occultism, magic and mysticism, so MOVIEGUIDE® advises extreme caution.

The movie opens in an illustrated format. It depicts a family in an African tribe. The father carves his son a statue, but the son appears to die. In his sorrow, the artist draws his son on the ground. The statue magically makes the drawing change to his son standing up, and his son is somehow alive.

The movie then fast forwards to 1980s Chicago. The statue is seen in the apartment of a couple. The woman is ready to give birth, and they discuss what they want to name their child. It is later revealed that these were Neal’s parents, but his mother died after his birth.

Fast forward again. Neal has a steady job, friends, and a place to live. He is looking for a raise and feels stifled at his job. He signs up for a storyboarding class where he meets Professor Albright. Neal’s immediately impressed Albright with his artistic ability. Albright gives Neal a challenge outside of the classroom, but Neal doesn’t understand the assignment.

Meanwhile, Neal meets the girl of his dreams, Tina. After an unsuccessful date, Neal gets an urgent message from Albright. Upon arriving at Albright’s, he discovers that Albright wants to share a powerful gift with Neal. In order to save his wife, Albright must sacrifice himself, so he wants to pass on his gift to Neal.

Neal agrees, and it doesn’t take long for him to figure out how to use the gift for his benefit. Suddenly, things with Tina are going well, and Neal can accomplish whatever he wants. When Tina becomes pregnant, Neal encourages her to get an abortion. This devastates Tina, but Neal continues to give himself money, cars and even job promotions. Will Neal use his gift to help the ones he loves, or will he continue to lose friendships because of his selfish motivations?

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.

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Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.

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.