Winnie the Pooh - Dove Family Approved

Dove Review 
The animation is warm and wonderful, like water colors from a Golden Book, and the characters are delightful and the humor is wholesome. What more could you ask for in viewing a summer movie with your family? Pooh ("Oh bother") Bear is back along with Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet and the rest of the gang. Several kids chuckled and laughed at the screening I caught. One part that made them snicker was when Pooh spots a note at his door and says, "Good thing I noticed it or I wouldn't have seen it." Pooh mostly likes to eat honey or search for honey but to his credit when Piglet digs a hole Pooh "supervises".

A Disney short screened before the movie, "The Ballad of Nessie Short", about a sea monster, and it was delightful. Then we got straight to Pooh. When Eeyore loses his tail (or, as the gang posts on a sign, "tael"), Pooh and his friends go off in search of the missing ending. And then the pot is sweetened, literally, when a reward of a pot of honey is offered to whoever finds the tail. Tigger sings and dances (which caused some of the early laughter) and the gang won't stop until the missing tail is found. In the meantime, various tails are tried on Eeyore including an umbrella, a dart board, and a knitted tail. When it unravels Eeyore reminds everyone that "all good things come to an end".

We are happy to award this delightful movie our Dove "Family-Approved" Seal for all ages. Parents are sure to crack a smile along with the kids. Take your honey...er, someone special with you and your kids will thank you.

Tree of Life - Dove Family Approved

Dove Review

The vivid images of this film portray life in symbolic ways, such as clouds and storms accompanied by sorrowful music to portray the difficult times and then flowers blooming under sunny skies and an uplifting chorus to portray times of restoration. The nature and universe scenes are nicely filmed and showcased here. There are characters too, including a family man played by Brad Pitt and his wife and three sons, seemingly living a suburban life in the fifties. Pitt plays the father as a paradox, at times he is kind to his sons and plays with them, spraying them with a hose, hugs them and yet at other times he is volatile and verbally abusive, riding them about such things as slamming the door or not doing an outdoor job properly. In one particular scene he goes over the top a bit after his son sasses him and he grabs him and slings him into another room.

The film powerfully portrays death as one of the sons die in the story. We see the grief of the mother and father and remaining brothers. A pastor gives a brief message on Job and his trials and suffering. The film points toward the conclusion that people must love one another and that this is the great hope. Although it is not clearly stated in the movie that Christ is the answer scriptures are quoted and love is one of its main focuses. It features an infant baptism scene too. It also nicely features the topic of grace and it's stated that grace doesn't please itself and accepts injuries, insults and being slighted.

The film could have used some editing in my opinion and is a bit long with its runtime of approximately 138 minutes. And it is a bit esoteric. But for the most part it is a film which will claim the audience's attention such as when a few brothers stare at a man who walks funny due to being nearly crippled. The film not only features actor Brad Pitt but Sean Penn as well. It is a film which powerfully examines the theme of "Why, God? Where were you?" We are pleased to award the movie our Dove "Family-Approved" Seal for ages twelve plus.

CRYSTAL DOVE SEAL WINNERS

You voted and you won! It’s not often that families can influence the entertainment giant called, Hollywood. Voting for your favorite family-friendly movie in the annual CRYSTAL DOVE SEAL awards is one of the very few opportunities to do so.  Here are the winners in each of seven major categories.

 If you are one of those who complain that Hollywood is not producing enough wholesome family-oriented movies, here are seven selections that you can choose from when you want to enjoy a high-quality, uplifting entertainment experience.  You can add your vote to those already cast by purchasing or renting the DVDs of these CRYSTAL DOVE SEAL award-winning titles.

The Dove Foundation is proud to be able to represent discriminating families by presenting this cherished award to the key executive of each winning entry.  Recipients will be permitted to display the CRYSTAL DOVE SEAL on all promotional materials as well as on the packaging of the winning DVDs.

We wish to exhort the producers of these award-winners to continue producing more of the same kind of wholesome, entertaining stories that can be watched with impunity by families everywhere. 

Click here for the winners.

World's Largest Sound Stage Opens in Grand Rapids, Michigan

The state's largest film production studio, featuring the world's largest sound stage, has officially opened for business today in Avastar Park in Walker, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids.

Hanger42 Studios, owned by a group of local investors, has invested $45 million into purchasing and renovating 450,000 square feet of the former Lear Corp. auto parts manufacturing plant at 2150 Alpine Ave. NW. The investors plan to turn the massive space into production-ready studios, office space and post-production suites.


"This is a project that has been in the works for quite some time and represents a true public-private sector partnership. We couldn't be more excited to now officially open for business and are very appreciative to the Michigan Film Office for all the support it has provided," said Joe Peters, a principal with Hanger42 Studios, in a release.

Hanger42 Studios bought the facility from John Buchanan, a partner in the local law firm Buchanan and Beckering, and Blue Bridge Ventures LLC CEO Jack Buchanan. They purchased the plant from Lear nearly four years ago, redeveloped the buildings and the property, and gained a Renaissance Zone designation for the site with help from local and state officials.

"The vision was always adaptive reuse for this building when my father and I purchased it in 2006, and it's rewarding to be able to collaborate with Joe to put this innovative project together," said Jack Buchanan, who studied film production in college and will serve as a consultant to the new enterprise.
"We've seen the early fruits of this with two films and I look forward to working with Hanger42 Studios in an advisory role. Based on the buzz and activity we've already created for the studio, I am highly optimistic about the future for Hanger42 Studios," he added.

Peters said they've hired Studio O+A, a San Francisco firm, to design the interior space with a
goal of eventually creating more than 50,000 square feet of production offices. A full range of concierge services, pre- and-post production space, a state-of-the-art screening room and ample office space will make up Hanger42 Studios.

"Hanger42 Studios concierge services will multiply the economic impact to the local West Michigan community and tie more companies, people and jobs to the growing film industry," said Peters, who expects up to 1,000 jobs to be created in the studio's first three years.

Courageous the Movie -stay tuned.

Courageous the Movie is the next release from Sherwood Pictures, creators of FIREPROOF.
http://www.courageousmovie.com/

Can a PG-13 Film be Family-Friendly?

There have been a great many attempts to write and produce a good faith-friendly movie. The mainstream studios have often missed the mark by adding gratuitous language, which otherwise ruins a warm inspirational story that families would love to see.

Such an opportunity was lost by Miramax in the making of EVERYBODY'S FINE, a PG-13 movie starring De Niro as a widower trying to stay connected with his estranged children who have moved far from home. Unfortunately, someone (a writer, producer, director, or perhaps De Niro himself) decided to insert two blasts of profanity that smacked the unsuspecting audience like an icy snowball on a summer day.

Which begs the question; Can a PG-13 movie be "family friendly?"

As though it was created just to prove my point, Warner Bros. released a PG-13 movie, THE BLIND SIDE, starring Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. Based on a true story, this film portrayed drug use, racism, fighting, and other inappropriate behavior, but none of it was exploitive or explicit. Except for a smattering of expletives, there were no profanities or obscenities. In fact, this movie was a very principled story with plenty of grit and humor presented in a manner that is poignant while not being offensive. Dove was proud to endorse this film for audiences over age 12.

THE BLIND SIDE is, in my opinion, the best mainstream family movie of 2009....so far.

Discerning families enjoy the same types of entertainment as anyone else. There’s nothing like a good comedy, drama, action/adventure or even thriller. It’s just that most of us don’t want to be assaulted by globs of blood, gore, cursing, on-screen sex, naked bodies and other unnecessary abhorrent junk. 

Some lazy filmmakers will argue that sex or violence or obscene language is necessary to properly characterize the bad guys, or the struggles their heroes must endure to punctuate their overcoming of adversities.  In the words of Ebenezer Scrooge, “Bah, Humbug!” That argument is a red herring. To support that case, one would have to discount every movie made prior to 1968 when there were standards of decency in place for mainstream films.  So now what? “The Maltese Falcon” disappears from the scene. Throw a rock through “Rear Window?” Send “The African Queen” up the river? Declare “Citizen Kane” an illegal alien? Bomb “Casablanca?”    I could go on.

According to the American Film Institute, 61 of the top 100 films of all time were produced prior to 1968, the year the first R-rated movie was released. Hmmm, makes you think doesn’t it? 

Disney's "A Christmas Carol" Review by The Dove Foundation

Christmas Carol, Disneys A Review by The Dove Foundation

Should I see Harry Potter? Check here first!

Dove Foundation Reviews of Movies in the Theater

Here is an email exchange I had last week with Karina, a college student interested in the issue of movie, television content. I wanted to share with you a typical request that I receive quite frequently from students across the country who are concerned about the amount of violence, profanity and sex in movies and on television. They are eager to find out what, if anything, can be done to improve the entertainment landscape. I’m glad to give them an honest and hopeful response. The insights we gain due to our access to the highest levels within the entertainment industry reveal many encouraging signs.

I'm privileged to be in a position to encourage and equip young people like Karina.

________________________________________________________


Hello,I am Karina (last name withheld) and I'm writing a paper for a college assignment that requires the use of sources. I would like to source The Dove Foundation in an interview. I would very thankful for any responses regarding the topic I am writing about.

Q: Why do you think it is important for people to restrict what they watch?

A: The adage "garbage in - garbage out" certainly applies where media consumption/influence is concerned. There are over 600 independent studies that directly attribute media influence to human behavior - for good or bad. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers the following excellent guidelines for television watching. http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_TV.htm. I've always been amused by television producers who deny their hour-long violent or sexually suggestive programs have any influence on viewer behavior; while at the same time television advertising executives claim that a 60 second commercial can change the buying habits of the very same viewers. Recently two studies coincided to make that point. First, Barna Research stated that church leaders, once the third greatest influence on children (after parents and peers) have been replaced by entertainment media. Church leaders fell out of the top ten. Couple that with the recent American Academy of Pediatrics paper (http://aap.org/advocacy/releases/nov08studies.htm) which ties teen pregnancy to the amount of exposure to sexually themed television programs, and you have pretty compelling data.

Q: Have movies became worse (more filthy) than the past 5 years? 10 years?

A: This is a trend that Harvard Medical School in 2007 called "Ratings Creep" which states that movie ratings (G, PG, PG-13, R) have become increasingly lax. I addressed this subject in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on Starz Network. Here is a link http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=efa24b495f00d30b29e8

Q: Why do you think filth sells so well? Shouldn't producers be more concerned with a good story than an attractive star?

A: I agree with your assertion that producers should be more concerned with the story. However, filth doesn't sell as well as some would have you believe. There will always be an audience for coarse or filthy entertainment. Similarly, a streaker or a bridge jumper will attract a certain crowd of curiosity seekers. We released the film profitability study in 2005 points to the contrary. We showed that while Hollywood produced 12 times more R-rated movies than G, the average G-rated film produced 11 times more profit per film than their R-rated counterparts. Here is a link to that study. http://www.dove.org/research/DoveFoundationROI-Study2005.pdf. To identify the reasons for those data, we surveyed 8 million people and asked them their opinions of the entertainment industry. Here is a link to a report with their responses. http://dove.org/opinionpoll.asp.

Q: What can be expected in the future? Do you think movies will become more twisted and wicked?

A: It's always difficult to see into the future. I believe that Hollywood like most industries is amoral in that they see their first priority as satisfying their stockholders/investors. There is another powerful force at play in Hollywood that greatly influences decisions; and that is ego. However, here are a few encouraging signs that kinder, gentler movies are on the rise. With 18 years' experience as a family advocate to the entertainment industry, we have trusted relationships with top level executives in most major film studios. Four filmmakers deleted profanities from their theatrical releases in order to qualify for the Dove Family-Approved Seal. Twentieth Century Fox has developed an entire brand of movies that are family friendly under the banner "FoxFaith" located at http://www.foxfaith.com/. Paramount is beginning to focus more of their DreamWorks budgets on animated movies like Shrek, Madagascar and Wallace and Grommet . Sony Pictures has a faith and family division in their home entertainment division. Sony Co-chairman, Amy Pascal just publicly committed major resources to "catch up" with Disney in serving the family audience. (See LA Times article. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-fi-sony17-2008nov17,0,1628203.story )

I hope these answers to your questions help in your assignment.

Kind Regards,

Dick Rolfe, CEO

Does the movie match the audience?

Three compound words that are widely used to describe various types of wholesome movies, but lacking clear definitions are, “faith-based,” “faith-friendly,” and “family-friendly.” Distinguishing one category from another is not easy, in that there are gray areas between them. I’ve used movie titles to help define each category. (Continue here)

Speaking of 3-D...

I just read the following summary report from Nielson Research about consumer reactions to 3-D movies. The sales increases may help boost sales for "Journey to the Center of the Earth," given the fact that there are fewer screens equipped with 3-D which limits the size of the release.

NIELSEN FINDS STRONG CONSUMER APPETITE FOR 3-D FILMS BUT WEAK AWARENESS
Amsterdam, NL (June 23, 2008) - The Nielsen Company today reported that there is strong consumer appetite for 3-D films, based on a detailed analysis, that showed a 65% sales increase in theatres using 3-D technology to exhibit their moviesThe analysis, which was unveiled today by Nielsen PreView at the Cine Expo conference in The Netherlands, compared the film's performance in comparable theatres with a proven track record in the action/adventure genre. This like-to-like comparison provides a more sophisticated understanding on the impact of 3-D than other studies that simply looked at the performance of the movie in 3-D and 2-D theatres regardless of their historical ability to attract action/adventure movies."With all the upcoming hype around 3-D, we wanted to take a hard look and see if there is truly a consumer appetite for 3-D." says Ann Marie Dumais, SVP, Nielsen PreView . "Our new research approach contrasted theatres in such a way to demonstrate consumers, when given a choice, will choose 3-D."Nielsen PreView's 3-D study analyzed over 4,000 theatres in the United States. The research found theatres with at least one screen exhibiting in 3-D had a 65% increase in box office sales compared to their 2-D counterparts. Further, those theatres that chose to exhibit in 3-D on more than one screen saw their sales climb yet even higher to 100% versus what was expected, indicating that one 3-D screen per theatre may not be enough to satisfy consumer demand.While consumers have an appetite for 3-D films, they often lack awareness and education around what 3-D is and where to find it. In a recent Nielsen survey, 48% were unaware that their movie choices were even available in 3-D. The numbers cited in this study are likely to go even higher for the industry with increased marketing support and consumer education.