I don’t get it. I really don’t see what all the hype was about.
Don’t get me wrong… I like Will Ferrell. I loved
Elf and even giggled a few times during
Anchorman. But Talladega Nights didn’t do it for me. It crossed the line too many times, and frankly, I don’t really understand the writer’s intentions.
The film is the story of the rise and fall, so to speak, of a champion NASCAR driver. The film definitely has a few funny moments—you saw them in the previews: Ferrell’s proverbial gallivanting about in his underwear (a la Jack Black), his prayer where he thanks God for his “smoking hot wife,” and him stabbing himself in the leg to prove he has no feeling… or so he thought.
That wraps up the humor for me. I wish I had quit at the preview.
My biggest problem with the film was the disrespect and immitatable behavior. I’m not a prude… heck, I liked
Happy Gilmore. But I really don’t even understand what the writer of
Ricky Bobby was attempting. There was a scene early in the film around the dinner table where Ricky Bobby’s two kids were showing disrespect to their grandfather (disrespect is an understatement). As they were yelling at their grandfather (basically, something to the gist of “shut up old man, you don’t know jack!”), and their father was encouraging them to do so… I can’t help but question the writer’s motives. I couldn’t tell if he was trying to make fun of the typical redneck driver, or if he was just selling out to a cheap laugh, encouraging this type of behavior. And you can bet that the average 13-year-old won’t know.
Skip this one.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
My kids won’t be seeing it. Plenty of crude humor and disrespect.
Side Note:
As said above, we don't recommend your kids see this film. But on the occasion that they actually have already seen it, you may want to dialogue about the film with them. These questions below may be a help to you.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
Jonathan McKee, president of The Source for Youth
Ministry, is the author of numerous books including the new
Should I Just Smash My Kid's Phone?, and youth ministry books like
Ministry By Teenagers,
Connect: Real Relationships in a
World of Isolation, and the award winning book
Do They Run When They See You Coming? Jonathan
speaks and trains at conferences, churches and events across North
America, all while providing free resources for youth workers and parents on his
websites,
TheSource4YM.com and
TheSource4Parents.com. You can follow Jonathan on
his blog, getting a regular dose of youth culture and parenting help.
Jonathan and his wife Lori, and their three teenagers Alec, Alyssa and Ashley live
in California.
