On Memorial Day, we did our patriotic duty and supported our economy by blowing a ridiculous amount of money at the movie theater. We debated between Prince Caspian, or Indiana Jones. In the end, the realization that Indiana Jones’ PG-13 rating practically screams “YOUR 6 YEAR OLD WILL HAVE NIGHTMARES IF HE SEES THIS” won out, and we saw Prince Caspian.
Sadly, that movie did not carry the same warning. It should have. Not only was our son up 3 times in the night, he finally crawled into our bed at 4 am bawling about how Peter and Edmund’s parents were SO WORRIED about the kids after they had been pulled out of their world, so they came looking for their children in Narnia, but had to look at lots and lots of DEAD PEOPLE. Yeah, his description of his nightmare was so vivid it almost made ME start crying. Thanks for that, movie people.
So, suffice it to say, Prince Caspian is a violent show. But more than violent, it’s cruel. Unlike the violence in an Indiana Jones movie, which is all swashbuckle and fists, the violence in Prince Caspian is cold, cruel, and, at times, downright sickening. Plus, the army marching towards the Narnians while wearing really really freaky metal helmets that resembled the frowny theater mask was enough to make even a grown up shudder.
Now, it’s been a while since I had read Prince Caspian, but I don’t remember the violence. I remembered a very different story, a slower one, one that focused more on the children finding Aslan again.
My most vivid memory of the book was when Lucy sees Aslan, and nobody else does. She tries to follow him, but she is outvoted by the others, and they take a different path on their way to help Caspian. Inevitably, they meet with several obstacles, so much so that they are forced to retreat completely to their starting place, at which point Lucy agains sees Aslan. This time, she is reproached for not following the first time, for not leaving her family even when they didn’t believe, for not following Him alone. Of course, she realizes that she would not have been alone if she had followed Aslan, and so she rectifies her mistake by going to the others, telling them she sees Aslan again, and that she will follow Him, no matter what. Eventually all the others see Aslan too, and they realize Lucy was right all along.
The idea is that Aslan gave Lucy a glimpse, just a glimpse of Himself–long enough for her to know it was Him (she even tells Susan, “I know Aslan when I see Him!”), but short enough that she could (and did) talk herself out of the whole thing. C.S. Lewis does this trick in another one of his books, “Til We Have Faces”. The sister of Psyche, in the midst of trying to convince Psyche that she doesn’t live in a castle, and that there is no God coming to her at night, sees it–the shining, glorious palace, just as Psyche described. It is there long enough for her to see it is real, but disappears as soon as she is sure she sees it, giving her an excuse to talk herself out of seeing it at all.
Later, she rants and raves about Gods who are too stingy to give her just a little bit more. If you really want us to believe, she says, you would give us something more tangible than just a glimpse, something we could hang on to, and show to others so they know we aren’t all a bunch of crazies.
I love C.S.Lewis (who doesn’t?) and of all the images he has offered in his books, I have found this image of a glimpse of heaven one of the most powerful. In both cases, the characters KNOW what they see–it is impossible to doubt in the moment. But it is the very fleetingness of the moment that does make them question, and that, of course, is what condemns them in the end.
I think I like this image so much because it resonates with my own experience with faith. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen an angel fly. No fiery flame has failed to consume me, (although since I don’t frequent furnaces much, this may be a poor example) and never have I been reprimanded by a talking ass. So I have to turn to other things, smaller things, to bear testimony that my faith is not displaced. And I think that in the end, the fleeting glimpses of heaven I see but ultimately fail to acknowledge will condemn just as much as if I had heard Balaam’s donkey speak.
Have you ever had these fleeting moments that Lewis describes? How do you hold onto the glimpses that you get? Do you find them a source of strength, or like Psyche’s sister, find them discouraging that you can not get more if God wants so much for us to come unto Him? Have you ever had to be like Lucy, exercising faith in the face of other people’s doubts?
And have you seen the Indiana Jones movie? Somehow I think my son could have handled alien landings and crystal skull UFOs or whatever the heck happens in that movie better than the conquistadors marching to destroy the children who stand with blood on their swords and a red Lion on their shields.
And yes, my son is sleeping in our bed tonight. (sigh)
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Thanks for the warning about the nightmares. I won’t be taking my kids to see this one even though they LOVED the first one.
You should post this on my Movie Madness carnival.
We saw this with my toddler and six year old, no nightmares, but she doesn’t seem to get nightmare’s from movies. We liked it, of course, I haven’t read the book so I can’t really state much on that end.
I thought Indiana Jones was WAY too scary for a 6 year old. A lot of my CTR 6 class saw it but I still think it’s too scary. There’s one scene in particular that even frightened my husband and he’s a tough guy.
Yeah, we saw Indiana Jones as well and there’s no way I’m letting my 6 year old go see it. He LOVES the idea of Indiana Jones and we bought him a few of the action figures but the movie is too scary. Man gets eaten alive by freaking-huge ants, gorey brown skeletons all over the place, bad people trying to hurt Indy, scary apocolyptic ending, etc. Yeah. I was sick at my stomach once just from the sheer excitement and terror of it all.
Yeah, I’m not taking my nearly-8yo daughter to Prince Caspian. Too scary and violent. I did enjoy the movie, but I would have much preferred to see more of the book’s plot, especially Lucy’s walk with Aslan and all that you describe.
You’re right about the fleeting moments of vision. I have to work to hold on to them, for sure.
I have most definitely been reprimanded by a talking (or typing) ass. On more than one occasion.
As far as my little glimpses of Aslan go, I have sometimes found myself beginning to talk myself out of believing. When I catch myself, I make myself go through the whole list, each and every cool moment with God that I can recall. Remembering helps when the world starts to go dark around the edges.
Thanks for the warning about Caspian. I’ve been debating if the monkeys should see it. Debate over.
Your post made me think of Elder Eyring’s talk in October ‘07 conference when he talks about the daily written account he kept of the manifestations of God’s love. I tried this for a while and want to get back to it (ah, to be as steadfast as Elder Eyring!) because it gives me a tangible way to remember the glimpses.
An aside–I agree that Caspian is incredibly violent. It was pretty tricky how Disney managed to do that without blood and gore, but still plenty of death and destruction. Sadly, it’s not one for the kiddies.
Personally, I’m thrilled to get even a crumb of a view of God. Just enough to keep me going. I’ll take anything! (That sound kind of pathetic, now that I type it.) To me the thing that makes it real is sharing it. Not with any old person, but when I feel inspired to tell someone about my experiences, the Spirit always bears such witness to me that what happened was true. I had a particularly bizarre spiritual experience last year, and the few times I’ve spoken of it I am just overwhelmed with the Holy Ghost. So later when I start thinking, “I’m sure that didn’t really happen.” I think of the numerous times I have felt the Spirit and that reminds me how very real it was.
I totally agree about the violence in Prince Caspian. I think it just goes to show how big movie companies get a “better deal” from the MPAA (in terms of being assigned their target rating), how inconsistent the ratings are, and how we LDS can’t rely on them (one reason the current FOR THE STRENGTH OF YOUTH pamphlet no longer carries the admonition to avoid R-rated films).
My children are into their teens now and were less bothered by the violence, and we loved the film, especially Reepicheep the mouse, and the interaction between Edmund and Peter, which showed the strengths as well as friction between siblings.
Two stories. When “Raiders” first came out (yes, we’re talking 1981), my (now former) wife was out of town, and I took my two daughters — ages 5 and 2 — to see it. (Hey, I’m a guy — so shoot me.) They actually dealt with it pretty well (I suspect most of it went over the 2-year-old’s head). But at the movie’s climax, when faces started melting, I put my hands over the girls’ faces, much to the dismay of my 5-year-old, who tried to pull it down and who complained about it afterwards. After my wife got back into town, we all went to see the movie again. This time, I made no attempt to cover my 5-year-old’s face. She turned to me afterwards and said, “I wish you had covered my face again.”
On the other hand, when “Jurassic Park” was in the theaters, my oldest sister was taking her two youngest kids — ages 5 and 7 — to see it for the third time. The man at the ticket counter looked at the two girls, then looked at my sister and said, “You know, this movie is pretty intense.” My sister Deirdre said, “Oh, they’ve already seen it twice”, after which my sweet five-year-old niece piped up with, “My favorite part is where the T-Rex eats the lawyer.”
Heh. There’s a reason why she’s my favorite niece. ..bruce..
Love the movie, as did my 9 yr old. Liked the book much better– but with so many movies out that I wouldn’t take my entire family to, this wasn’t bad.
Then again, I rarely took my 3yr old to movies- much more fun to do it now! 
Hope you get your bed back soon!
why are you taking a 6-year-old to a PG movie? you should take responsibility for his nightmares. why does everyone want their kids to grow up so fast? there’s lots of time for violent scary movies, and in time when he’ll think they’re cool and enjoy them. can we please let our kids stay kids for as long as possible?
Heather, your very profound questions might be lost in the movie mayhem here. I love, love your point about how the transitory nature of spiritual experiences tries our faith. I’ve had to cling to fleeting moments of revelation many a time–esp. those regarding family size.
Probably, the revelations I doubt most readily are those in which the Lord tells me I’m not only beloved, but also within the bounds of safety via my covenants–in other words, that I’m “safe.”
Thanks for that, Kathy.
When my testimony gets shaky, I go back to the very few things I know — those glimpses of heaven. I know for a fact that a few miracles have occurred in my life and sometimes I have to close my eyes, sit alone, and rebuild my entire faith on those moments. It helps me know what I know. It also teaches me what I need to seek. So often I am shaken over doctrine and issues that I thought were resolved. But it is those glimpses of heaven that are the bedrock of my faith and upon which it can be rebuilt when it has been utterly destroyed.
There are a handful of experiences I have had that I consider glimpses of heaven. Somehow they both ground me and let me soar. But I wonder how many others there have been that I missed because I wasn’t paying attention.
I also took my 5 year old son and 10 year old daughter. I haven’t read the book. We enjoyed the movie. My children however realize that movies are that- movies, not real life. Unlike a niece of mine that isn’t a memeber of the church told the rest of her cousins who are, that Jesus is not real but Cinderella is.:{
I did notice that there was no blood, I think it makes it look less violent. My children have taken karate and spared in classes, so to them it’s kind of like that.
Heather, your not a bad parent at all for taking your child to see it. Just comfort him, which you have already done, and explain it’s only a movie. Also some kids are more sensitive. Like the Harry Potter Movies, my daughter just watched recently, but *GASP* my 5 yer old loves them.
But I have to tell ya, my 16 year old has seen some violent PG and PG-13 movies, and he has turned out to be a well adjusted, non-violent teenager.
I love C.S.Lewis (who doesn’t?)
I’ll admit it. I don’t like CS Lewis. I liked the Narnia Chronicles. I especially loved the way Lewis named the characters so as to show their personalities. I loved being able to see parallels to my beliefs in the series. But, he himself said he was not writing Christian books and that whatever the reader sees in they bring to it. That ambiguity about who Aslan represents is what makes them great and timeless books. That is the same thing that makes him so popular among all Christian denominations. He is describing the things all Christians have in common. Like walking into a hallway and describing what he sees, but without opening any doors into the separate rooms. (His analogy, not mine.) As he said his beliefs are outlined in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. But isn’t it great that he brought out what all Christians have in common.
I think the trick is to teach the children the difference between the movies and what they need to do. I mean, I’m just now in my early twenties, and I had a lot of influence with various violent movies and media (admittedly it is in fact getting worse but still), and to my own shame, I have grown to tolerate and even enjoy that kind of entertainment. However, I’ve never been in a fight, I don’t like causing pain or inciting violence, and I go out of my way to move lowly spiders out of harms way rather then stomp them cause their icky. I don’t think myself a violent prone man, but I think that’s because I was taught and had reinforced the difference between the make believe and real life. Just because they do it on the big screen, doesn’t mean I have to.
I do have one little bone to pick though, if there were battles, and wars, in the books, then how on earth would you propose they portray them in a non-violent and uplifting way hmm? It’s war, war is not cool, nor is it fun. Should we colour our perceptions because we don’t want it to be so? What of the Book of Mormon or the Bible, they have some quite graphic descriptions of battles and wars.
I just want to say thank you to those of you who talked about rebuilding their faith during dark times by remembering their miraculous moments. I had kind of a dark week and I needed to be reminded of how to remember my faith. I was doing everything else, reading scriptures praying but I just needed an extra boost. Thank you for sharing.
Scary will be when they show Tash if they make Horse and his Boy.
scratch that, I’m thinking of “the last battle”
I love your discussion of the glimpses, they are fleeting, sometimes subtle, but very powerful. But I think the more we truly look at our lives we can see those glimpses echo and resound in the details.(I think spiritual things are alot like qualitative research- the richness is ebedded in the experience and isn’t proven by showy force, (like qualitative statistics)
I agree with you on that movie. I don’t remember so much war and violence in the book but I do remember that incident with Lucy.
the makers of Prince Caspian kept to the original story in some ways and strayed in others… but yeah, in particular, Lewis didn’t stress the battles so much
thanks for your blog i’ll not be takgin my 3 yr old- yet there is little for my 3 year old to watch other than kung fu panda.
lucy’s walking towards Aslan has always resonated with me we know where we need to go but something / doubt holds us back.