A COLUMN BY Dick Rolfe Chairman, THE DOVE FOUNDATION
Dove Status Update
The
Dove Staff has been incredibly busy during 1999. Beginning with our Film
Profitability Study, which was released in January, the reactions by phone,
fax, e-mail and snail-mail have not stopped. Major film studios have responded
with pledges to produce many more family-oriented movies. If you judge the
impact of our study by looking at this year’s releases, however, you will be
disappointed. Hollywood has released more family-unfriendly
movies than any
other six-month period in recent memory.
During
the past nine years of our tenure, we have historically approved about 30 - 35
major releases each year, which averages 10% of the movies shown in your
neighborhood theaters. During the first half of this year, however, only six
movies received the Dove Family Approved Seal -- “Baby Geniuses,” “Doug’s
1st Movie,” “The Children Of Heaven,” “The
King and I,” “Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace and “Tarzan.”
The four underlined titles are the only family films released so far this year
that are worth the price of admission.
The
results of those promises made by filmmakers in response to our study won’t
become visible until mid 2000. It takes about eighteen months to produce a
film -- from contract signing to script writing, development, assembling the
cast and crew, location searching, costuming, set building, filming, musical
scoring, editing, critics’ screenings, advertising and publicity, and
finally, scheduling with the theaters.
In
spite of the record number of R-rated “sexploitation” movies this year
that are targeted at young people from ages 12 to 20, I am convinced that the
tide will turn soon. None of the
R-rated films released so far this year had any great success at the
box office. What’s more,
R-rated films bring in mere pennies in video sales revenue, which is the
largest source of revenue for G-rated movies.
News
Bites from Tinsel Town
Disney
flip-flops on Dumping Spike Lee Movie:
Early
reports said that Disney was pulling the distribution plug on the
controversial film, Summer of Sam,
by Spike Lee, based on the Son of Sam serial killer. The film received an
NC-17 rating from the MPAA before Lee cut it to get an R-rating. Disney
Studios Chairman, Joe Roth told the Los Angeles Times in April,
“Lee’s got stuff in there that is rougher than I would make.
I hope at some point he will trim it out.
Latest
update: Disney just announced the
release of “Summer of Sam” opening July 2nd.
Here’s one more violent role model for someone to emulate.
Theaters
Commit to Stricter Enforcement of Ratings:
Congratulations
to the National Theater Owners Association (the other NATO). NATO president,
William Kartozian, announced a renewed commitment by theater owners nationwide
to apply stricter methods for restricting minors from attending R-rated
movies. In his address, Kartozian also declared a desire to work with “any
interested organizations to develop additional educational programs designed
to enhance the ability of parents to make informed choices about the movies
their children see.”
In
response to NATO’s comments, Dove Foundation president, Dick Rolfe wrote Mr.
Kartozian offering to work together with NATO, by using the Dove Seal criteria
and other resources and experiences that Dove has amassed over the past nine
years.
“We
hope NATO is really interested in working with organizations like Dove, and
that their published comments were not mere rhetoric,” said Mr. Rolfe.
Two major theater chains, GKC out of Springfield, IL and Jack Loeks Theaters in Grand Rapids, MI -- both members of NATO -- have worked with Dove for several years bringing their successful “Family Film Festivals” to thirteen screens throughout the Midwest. The GKC Theater chain is adding five new markets this fall.
“I’d
be interested to know how many minors will be able to get into see American
Pie, the hardest hardcore, R-rated,
‘sexploitation’ movie of the summer, targeted directly at kids,”
said Dick Rolfe.
Video
Stores Promise to Curb R-rated Rentals to Minors:
Everyone in the entertainment field seems to be working overtime to head off any action by Congress. Video Dealers Association, VSDA, in an attempt to demonstrate the ability to self-regulate, has asked its members to sign and publish a pledge not to rent R-rated videos to minors, without parental consent. Here’s a chance to do a little investigative work. Check out your local video store to see if they comply.
Dick Rolfe is Chairman of The Dove Foundation a nonprofit organization whose mission is to encourage and promote the creation, production and distribution of wholesome family entertainment. For more information about wholesome films and videos, write: 535 E. Fulton, Suite 1A, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, or call (616)454-5021.
Return to our home page | Dick's bio | past columns
to dickrolfe@dove.org
Updated by: Scott RolfeCopyright © 1999, The Dove Foundation. All rights reserved.