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Twilight??? - 11/20/2008 3:55:26 PM
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pepsimom7
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has anyone heard of the new movie Twilight?? as chistian moms how does everyone feel about the movie??? my daughter 14 really wants to see it but its about vampires and I am not sure I want her to see it. We are really careful about what kind of movies they watch and I was just curious what others felt about this movie. we wouldnt let our kids watch Harry Potter because of the witches and stuff. so I am not sure what to think about a movie about vampires, my daughter said but they are nice vampires? and he falls in love its a love story. again anyone going to let their kids watch Twilight it comes out November 21 let me know what your all thinking
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/20/2008 4:02:50 PM
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kohls356
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We will be seeing the movie. I am sure my oldest who is 18 will be trying to see it on opening day. I will wait for a few weeks until the crowds die down to see it. I will also let my other two daughters go see it as well, one is almost 16 and the other is 13.
I am reading the third book in the series right now. I haven't had a problem with the books but I am sure some people do, but I also don't have a problem with Harry Potter either. My only suggestion is to see the movie first yourself and decide if you want her to see it.
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/20/2008 4:29:02 PM
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stateofgrace
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WARNING - mild spoilers ahead.
I've read all four books. DD#1, 19 yo has read all of them too. DD#2, 15, read and enjoyed the first, but hates all the fangirl mushiness, so she's kind of stepped back.
The Cullens in Twilight are about as mild as vampires could be imagined. They nourish themselves by hunting wild animals instead of humans. All of the Cullens but Edward (the hero of the series) are married (poor Edward, existing for decades as a permanent 17-year-old with three married couples in the house...no wonder the guy has a lot of hobbies). The Cullen clan (addoptive) father was raised Christian, was the one who got all the others to "go vegetarian" as they call it in the books, and believes that vampires still have souls.
And...Edward puts some pretty strict boundaries in place as far as his and Bella's physical relationship till they're married. Bella isn't as convinced as him that this is important. Bella tries to push things a little in later books, but the author, Stephenie Meyer, is a Mormon and it was important to her to show them waiting for marriage.
Now, having said that, when I recently reread the first book, I was surprised at how "hot" it was (didn't remember that), even though it is clean and not explicit. Edward's and Bella's relationship is emotionally intense. Like "when he touched my arm it felt like an electrical shock" intense. And, from what I've heard, this has been picked up the movie.
There is nothing occult in the series. There are some Native American legends (I don't know if they have a basis in reality or if they were made up by Meyer) that are linked to werewolves that show up in the next book, but that's the only spiritual topic in the series other than the discussion about whether or not vampires have souls, and the discussion about the Cullen dad's past. And the legends are presented as just that - legends - that aren't necessarily true.
The second book has a major plot point that parents may want to be aware of (don't want to go into too much detail here) but I think mid teens can handle it - and if parents are informed and use this as a springboard for discussion, I think that would be a good thing. Bear this in mind if the film does as well as expected and the second one gets greenlighted.
I'll likely go see it this weekend with my 19 yo. DD#2, on the other hand, may be the only 15 yo girl in the country who would rather see "Quantum of Solace" than Twilight. I think it's kind of neat that this is a low budget film, based on a book written by a woman, with the screenplay written by a woman, and the director was a woman - and that it's at heart an old-fashioned romance. You don't see that too often in movies any more.
< Message edited by stateofgrace -- 11/20/2008 4:36:49 PM >
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/20/2008 4:43:57 PM
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Roberta_
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I did not allow my 15 yo to read Harry Potter because she was quite a bit younger then. However, she has read the Twilight series. She is going to see the movie on Friday night.
DD is now telling me that she did read HP behind my back. She says that HP was not nearly as well written fiction as Twilight. I think that may be part of the reason that I'm willing to let her see Twilight - she realizes that it's fiction.
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/20/2008 5:08:01 PM
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Catalpa
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LOL, I just posted a query about Twilight over in the movies thread, then thought to look here. As I said there, my DD has been begging and begging to go see this film. It makes me uneasy...a vampire cast as a good guy. I've also read a review of the book that says the relationship between the girl and the vampire can be considered abusive; she forsakes family and friends and her humanity just to 'worship' him, and he controls who she sees and what she does.
My DD is 13, at that very impressionable age where every girl has secret dreams of a strong, powerful boy making her feel special, and this story plays right into that, from what I've seen. I haven't read the book, hadn't even heard of it until the movie was advertised.
Would this just be another exercise in make-believe, a story to be enjoyed and then forgotten, or should I keep her home? She'll get mad, but she'll get over it, I do make the rules for us. I'm struggling with that fine line of being overprotective vs. keeping her out of trouble.
I'm not sure what makes me struggle with this one so much. We've read all the Harry Potter books and seen the movies, and she reads a lot of the fantasy/sci fi type stuff. She's very level headed and clearly understands the difference between entertainment and reality.
Maybe it's because this story seems to pull in a lot of sexuality - which Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and the other things we get into don't.
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/20/2008 6:05:26 PM
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kohls356
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I don't consider Edward a vampire cast as a good guy but rather a good guy who happens to be a vampire. I didn't get the feeling the the relationship is abusive. If anything Edward is super protective of Bella, but not in an abusive way. What he does, he does for a reason and her protection because her life is in danger.
Like I said earlier if you have questions go see the movie. That way if you do have misgivings about your daughter seeing the movie you will have at least seen it yourself and not be relying on other peoples opinions or reviews.
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/21/2008 9:50:31 AM
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stateofgrace
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Here is an interesting article about Twilight from Christianity Today/ Ignite. Should be very helpful to parents, IMO. I was surprised that the article didn't reference what I referred to in the second book, but overall I'm pretty much in agreement with the article. Since this article is about the books, I'll warn that there are spoilers for events towards the end of the series. But, since the movie is by all accounts a fairly faithful adaptation of the first book, this will give you some idea of the themes and issues in the movie.
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/21/2008 10:05:58 AM
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stateofgrace
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Catalpa
My DD is 13, at that very impressionable age where every girl has secret dreams of a strong, powerful boy making her feel special, and this story plays right into that, from what I've seen. I haven't read the book, hadn't even heard of it until the movie was advertised.
Would this just be another exercise in make-believe, a story to be enjoyed and then forgotten, or should I keep her home? She'll get mad, but she'll get over it, I do make the rules for us. I'm struggling with that fine line of being overprotective vs. keeping her out of trouble.
I'm not sure what makes me struggle with this one so much. We've read all the Harry Potter books and seen the movies, and she reads a lot of the fantasy/sci fi type stuff. She's very level headed and clearly understands the difference between entertainment and reality.
Maybe it's because this story seems to pull in a lot of sexuality - which Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and the other things we get into don't.
Well...the whole romance thing really divides a lot of Christians. Some argue that romance is a wonderful part of life that God has given us, and that includes sensuality (LOL, Song of Solomon!).
God gave us boundaries so that (for one thing) our most intimate relationships would be covenantal and trustworthy. This is a series that upholds God's boundaries (for self-sacrificing reasons but not necessarily biblical ones, and the female half of the romantic pair isn't as committed to upholding those boundaries and the male is). It is also a series that depicts married intimacy as joyful and fulfilling (well, isn't that what God desires for us?).
Others argue that an emphasis on romance (in movies, tv shows, reading material) can cause young women to become fixated on the idea of the perfect young man out there. Yes, that can be a danger - even with Christian fiction. I've commented a number of times here on the forums about Francine Rivers' Redeeming Love, and the Christian women who sigh and say, "If only I could have a man like that" when he's like too good to be true. And there certainly is a lot of fangirl ick going on with Twilight - even before the movie. And the movie is filled with pretty actors (and actresses, FWIW).
If you make it thought the whole Twilight series, you will see that Edward does have his flaws. Like Peter in the tv series Heroes, Edward does some things that he thinks are for the greater good, only to find out that the consequences are not what he expected.
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/21/2008 10:06:23 AM
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barbhuff
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Roberta_
DD is now telling me that she did read HP behind my back. She says that HP was not nearly as well written fiction as Twilight.
Boy, does she have that right...
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/21/2008 10:08:53 AM
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stateofgrace
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Wow, Barb...it surprises me that you feel that way! Personally I think that Harry Potter is better written. But since they are two different kinds of series, I think it's somewhat comparing apples to oranges.
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/21/2008 12:57:52 PM
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Roberta_
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quote:
ORIGINAL: stateofgrace
Personally I think that Harry Potter is better written. But since they are two different kinds of series, I think it's somewhat comparing apples to oranges.
My dd meant from a literary stand point. Similar to comparing Steinbeck to Twain. KWIM?
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/21/2008 1:17:53 PM
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stateofgrace
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Roberta_
quote:
ORIGINAL: stateofgrace
Personally I think that Harry Potter is better written. But since they are two different kinds of series, I think it's somewhat comparing apples to oranges.
My dd meant from a literary stand point. Similar to comparing Steinbeck to Twain. KWIM?
So Meyer is Steinbeck and Rowling is Twain? Or the other way around? I guess Rowling would have to be Twain, there's a lot of humor in her books. But then they go all epic around the 4th book.
Since Barb's a YA author herself, I'm really curious about what she meant! I've heard arguments that Meyer isn't very good, that she's very good, and that she excels in some elements of storytelling but is awful in others. People are all across the board regarding her work.
< Message edited by stateofgrace -- 11/21/2008 1:25:57 PM >
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/21/2008 1:32:52 PM
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stateofgrace
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And here is Plugged In's review at Focus on the Family. I'm pretty sure the reviewer enjoyed the film, although the reviewer is cautious about the negatives (IMO, they fall back into the parental guidance and "use as a springboard for discussion" category).
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/25/2008 11:54:27 AM
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gratefulforgrace
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I haven't seen the movie yet and I'm not sure when/if I will but I did love the books. I thought they were well written and the story was gripping. There were so many things about the books that made me remember what it was like to be a teenager and I thought it was fun, a kind of delicious escapism. I wan't terribly pleased with how the series ended and I don't think everything needs a perfectly happy ending (like Meyer seems to think) but, overall, I think they are a pretty good series and I'd recommend them for teens.
I'm a librarian and have read a lot of YA books and this series, in my opinion, has a lot less troubling material than most of what is out there. I'd take Twilight's vampires over Gossip Girls and the like any day!
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/25/2008 5:36:25 PM
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Catalpa
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Thanks for the link, stateofgrace.
And greatfulforgrace, I appreciate your opinion as someone with a lot of experience in youth fiction.
Thanks everyone for your insights. I still haven't made up my mind on my daughter's request yet, but I'm still thinking!
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/26/2008 10:54:56 AM
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SweetLittleErin
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Sideways
Stateofgrace, wow, I may have to pick up the first book now! I've kept clear of it, as I thought it was a book for children, but I do enjoy fantasy. I've read all seven Potters and I'm trying to finish up the last of the Eragon books (homeschooled teen who wrote about a boy finding a dragon egg).
But you know, with a toddler, a baby due in January and holidays on the way, I haven't been finding a lot of spare time lately. 
I agree. I was leary of it as the latest teen fad. From your description it sounds interesting and like something I might enjoy.
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/26/2008 2:41:51 PM
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tafkam
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I think it's great that books like TWILIGHT or HP series make kids acutally want to READ again, as opposed to wasting time on video games or whatnot.
As for vampires...big fat hairy deal. They're fictional. And neither my faith nor my kids' are going to be shaken by what a fictional character does or doesn't do.
Sometimes I think we as Christians get a little too paranoid looking for demons behind every corner.....enjoy the movie, I know we will....
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/26/2008 3:16:58 PM
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raivyne
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The books are excellent. Good triumphs over evil, even when the vessels are flawed. The protagonists are good people and they struggle to be so. Both the main characters are virgins (***spoiler warning... highlight only if you want to read*** and remain so until they are married).
The major gripe about the movie I have is that it does a REALLY poor job of showing the tenderness and affection between the two main characters. I have a few minor gripes about the movie not following the story line as close as I would have liked, but that's true with just about any movie that is based on a book.
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RE: Twilight??? - 11/26/2008 4:51:25 PM
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stateofgrace
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quote:
ORIGINAL: tafkam
As for vampires...big fat hairy deal. They're fictional. And neither my faith nor my kids' are going to be shaken by what a fictional character does or doesn't do.
Meyer used some very different "rules" for vampires in her worldbuilding (both the heroes and the bad vampires). I wonder if some people would be as upset if she'd called them something different.
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RE: Twilight??? - 12/1/2008 9:36:29 AM
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Tinkerbell_
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quote:
ORIGINAL: stateofgrace
quote:
ORIGINAL: tafkam
As for vampires...big fat hairy deal. They're fictional. And neither my faith nor my kids' are going to be shaken by what a fictional character does or doesn't do.
Meyer used some very different "rules" for vampires in her worldbuilding (both the heroes and the bad vampires). I wonder if some people would be as upset if she'd called them something different.
Probably not. It's real sad when people see the word 'vampire' they automatically think satanic and evil. *sigh*
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RE: Twilight??? - 12/1/2008 9:44:08 AM
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JustJeannie
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I went to the movie WITH my 14 year old daughter. We both LOVED it. We had fun together. I do NOT think it is for children too young to know the difference between reality and fantasy. But that is an entirely different can o' worms...
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