Michael Clayton

Once a month, the college ministry at my church has a dinner and a movie night. The movie is always a surprise, and we don't learn what the evening will hold until the play button is pressed. In the past we've watched movies such as Groundhog Day and Whale Rider, both great movies with fantastic messages. Yesterday we watched Michael Clayton. I think the script is well written and the acting very well done (who doesn't love George Clooney? ) It is a tale of truth, a condemnation of dishonesty, and a journey of rediscovery.

However, it is chalk-full of coarse language. I mentioned this to my friend on the way home, but her response was that she felt they did a good job of limiting bad words. Obviously her take on this was completely opposite from mine. The entire reason the movie is rated R is because of "language including some sexual dialogue".

My take on the rating system is different from that of many of my friends. But here's my philosophy. Some group of people has decided that this movie should be restricted for people under the age of 17. Based on worldly morals and values, not from a Christian perspective, they have deemed this movie inappropriate for minors. Shouldn't I as a Christian be even more concerned? And yet, so many people are not. In Colossians Paul instructs Christians to put to death sexual immorality, impurity, lust and greed and to get rid of anger, malice, slander and filthy language. These are the immoral acts that are cited under an "R" movie rating.

The truth of the matter is we are filling our minds with junk. I am not a better person for having watched Michael Clayton. In fact, the more R-rated movies I watch, the more convinced I am that there is not really any good reason to watch most of them. I want my entertainment to be wholesome and to lift me up. I am choosing to fill my head with this stuff.

I am bit uncomfortable and fairly frustrated with the idea that my church would show an R-rated movie. I head up to the church building excited to discover a well-made film with good moral content.

Last night, I found the objectionable content to weigh me down more than the message of the film lifted me up. And because of this I was severely disappointed, both in the movie and in the apparent lack of discretion exercised in the choosing of the movie.