Every time I read a review by Movieguide — such as their recent review of Blue Like Jazz — I want to laugh because I feel like I ought to find it funny. Instead, it just makes me sad and discouraged. Not just because their method of film criticism is pitiful and more concerned with film as propaganda rather than art — see their rundown of the film’s objectionable content, which includes “very strong politically correct and left-wing revisionist history attitude or tone that’s also Anti-American,” “implied urinating,” “upper male nudity,” and “comments on breast feeding” — but because their approach to film criticism also makes Christianity look legalistic, self-righteous, judgmental, ultra-nationalistic, and basically out of touch with real life. (Again, see their list of the film’s objectionable content.)
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