Narnia: The Film, Its Message, and Its Contradictions
As Disney releases The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe this week, and expects record box office profits, The United Methodist Women's Division wants its one-million members to view the movie. But it also wants members to question the overt commercialization and contradiction to the story's theme.
The movie, based on C.S. Lewis' childhood classic, is the story of four children, their adventures into Narnia, and the metaphor for the mystery of Christ's lessons and life. Disney, in conjunction with Motive Entertainment, is encouraging Christian clergy to promote the film's spiritual content to increase its viewing audience.
According to Julie Taylor, executive for children, youth and family advocacy of the Division, the concern does not lie with the film's content or with people seeing it, but in the commercialism around the film. The commercialization directly contradicts the values of sacrifice, giving, and love for others, implicit in this story.
"The Chronicles of Narnia provide a beautiful allegory of the Gospel story. We want our members to see the movie. Talk about it with your kids. Talk about the message of the resurrection and the lessons it shares from our faith," said Ms. Taylor.
"But then, we need to help people understand that by commercializing the message, the marketers are destroying the example of sacrifice."
Filmmakers are planning to commercialize the film with marketing that is not healthy for children, said Ms. Taylor. When obesity in the national culture is a problem, fast-food chains like McDonald's will feature its happy meal toys and General Mills use the characters to advertise sugared cereal. When video game violence is a concern for United Methodist Women and the focus of Congressional hearings, licenses to create the game have been sold. More than 50 licenses for use of the film characters will be sold for toys, action figures, porcelain dolls, board games, photo albums, trading cards and more. Shopping malls will feature Narnia to attract customers for holiday shopping.
Susan Linn, co-founder of the Campaign for Commercial-free Childhood and a partner with the Division on this effort, said it will be nearly impossible to separate the film with the marketing event.
"Whatever positive values children may learn from Narnia are undermined by the film's numerous commercial promotions and tie-ins that market junk foods, junk toys and the junky notion that brands will make us happy," said Dr. Susan Linn, author of Consuming Kids. "That a film being promoted in churches is also being used to lure children to shopping malls commercializes the spiritual life of children and sets a disturbing precedent."
The problem can go even deeper than our own children, said Ms. Taylor, looking at all the tie-ins to justice issues that affect children. Are these products going to be made in other countries by companies that are paying fair wages? Are they going to be made by children themselves in sweatshops, then marketed to our own children? What are the environmental implications of all this "stuff?"
"There are some deep discussions we can be having as Christians around the commercialization of this movie. We need to determine for ourselves, what should we be doing - as people of faith - about this?" Ms. Taylor said.
The Women's Division represents United Methodist Women, an organization with approximately 1-million members. The organization's purpose is to foster spiritual growth, develop leaders and advocate for justice. Members raise nearly $25 million each year for programs and projects related to women, children and youth in the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world.
The movie, based on C.S. Lewis' childhood classic, is the story of four children, their adventures into Narnia, and the metaphor for the mystery of Christ's lessons and life. Disney, in conjunction with Motive Entertainment, is encouraging Christian clergy to promote the film's spiritual content to increase its viewing audience.
According to Julie Taylor, executive for children, youth and family advocacy of the Division, the concern does not lie with the film's content or with people seeing it, but in the commercialism around the film. The commercialization directly contradicts the values of sacrifice, giving, and love for others, implicit in this story.
"The Chronicles of Narnia provide a beautiful allegory of the Gospel story. We want our members to see the movie. Talk about it with your kids. Talk about the message of the resurrection and the lessons it shares from our faith," said Ms. Taylor.
"But then, we need to help people understand that by commercializing the message, the marketers are destroying the example of sacrifice."
Filmmakers are planning to commercialize the film with marketing that is not healthy for children, said Ms. Taylor. When obesity in the national culture is a problem, fast-food chains like McDonald's will feature its happy meal toys and General Mills use the characters to advertise sugared cereal. When video game violence is a concern for United Methodist Women and the focus of Congressional hearings, licenses to create the game have been sold. More than 50 licenses for use of the film characters will be sold for toys, action figures, porcelain dolls, board games, photo albums, trading cards and more. Shopping malls will feature Narnia to attract customers for holiday shopping.
Susan Linn, co-founder of the Campaign for Commercial-free Childhood and a partner with the Division on this effort, said it will be nearly impossible to separate the film with the marketing event.
"Whatever positive values children may learn from Narnia are undermined by the film's numerous commercial promotions and tie-ins that market junk foods, junk toys and the junky notion that brands will make us happy," said Dr. Susan Linn, author of Consuming Kids. "That a film being promoted in churches is also being used to lure children to shopping malls commercializes the spiritual life of children and sets a disturbing precedent."
The problem can go even deeper than our own children, said Ms. Taylor, looking at all the tie-ins to justice issues that affect children. Are these products going to be made in other countries by companies that are paying fair wages? Are they going to be made by children themselves in sweatshops, then marketed to our own children? What are the environmental implications of all this "stuff?"
"There are some deep discussions we can be having as Christians around the commercialization of this movie. We need to determine for ourselves, what should we be doing - as people of faith - about this?" Ms. Taylor said.
The Women's Division represents United Methodist Women, an organization with approximately 1-million members. The organization's purpose is to foster spiritual growth, develop leaders and advocate for justice. Members raise nearly $25 million each year for programs and projects related to women, children and youth in the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world.
