Saturday, July 25, 2009

A new (to me) tool for parents

A while back my son called me from a sleepover and asked if he could watch a certain movie at his friends house. "His parents say it's OK". I did not have this site in my toolbar, now I do. It allows me to know more than just the rating of nearly any film, it gives you an overview of the content. For example:

What Parents Need to Know

About Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Parents need to know that this is no PG movie -- in all ways, it's very similar to the previous two movies, which were rated PG-13. This film continues the series' trend toward darker, more intense material. For young children, the death of a major beloved character could be extremely upsetting. Other characters are bloodied, kicked, and cursed in frightening ways, and a very scary scene involving scary, skeletal characters is sure to scare the pants off of little kids. There are also some big emotional upheavals and scary attacks. And there's notably more sexuality -- albeit playfully depicted -- than in the past movies. Because the characters are now teens, much of the interaction between them and their friends centers on getting a boy or girlfriend, and there's plenty of snogging (making out). While Harry and his friends continue as strong positive role models, other characters' motives and plans become more ambiguous. And there are also a few scenes that include alcohol consumption -- including one in which a professor serves his students. Source

Along with an overview, parents can find out more about the messages in the film, positive and negative
  • Messages:

    Most of the messages are inspiring, since the p… More
  • Role models:

    Professor Dumbledore is an excellent, selfle… More

What to watch out for

  • Violence :

    As in the book, the sixth movie includes the de… More
  • Sex :

    Lots of flirting and "snogging" (kissing) among the… More
  • Language:

    Mild insults/British slang like "daft," "dimbo"… More
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Harry and his underage pals (… More

I also like this feature:

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the best age for kids (and eager parents) to start getting into the Harry Potter series. Is it OK to read all the books (and see all the movies) at the same age?
  • What do you think of the way the movie depicts the teens' romantic relationships? Are they believable? Is the story too hormone-filled for younger viewers?
  • What do we learn about Voldemort's past in this movie? Does that change the way you feel about him?
  • If you've read the book, what parts of the novel were left out? Which were faithfully adapted? How does this movie compare to the earlier ones as an adaptation?


http://www.commonsensemedia.org/

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