Movies

Compared to other forms of media, movies offer parents greater control over what their children watch.

Compared to television, movies offer us greater control over what we view and more information to use in making wise choices. Some tips for the family media guardian:

• Don’t rely on MPAA ratings. PG-13 films can include anything from a few obscenities to scenes bordering on the pornographic. You’d think Scooby-Doo (PG) would be without problems, but it gave a nod-and-wink to drinking and drugs. Even some G-rated movies may be too intense for younger children — remember the flying monkeys in Wizard of Oz?
• Find a reliable movie review source and vow not to see any movie without checking it out first. Focus on the Family's Clubhouse Web site features an alphabetical movie archive, where younger kids can begin to look up reviews on their own. PluggedIn.com reviews movies aimed at teens from a biblical worldview.
• When in doubt about a new movie, either 1) don’t go, 2) see the movie yourself first and take the kids later, or 3) wait for the video release and preview it.