There’s a saying that good is sometimes only found when you open your mind. It’s true; how many times have we been talked into trying a new restaurant that would not have been our first or second choice – or for that matter, might never had tried at all had it not been for a friend talking us into it? The same holds true for many of today’s contemporary films, too. Many parents had to make the call this summer whether or not to allow their kids to see Twilight, “the-red-hot-if-you-haven’t-seen-it-you’ve-been-on-another-planet” movie. Judging by the millions of dollars in revenue the film collected, it’s a fair assumption that most parents allowed their young ones to see it.
For many parents, though, it wouldn’t have been their first choice or the way to spend two hours in a movie theatre; however, many saw it with their kids just to be sure no lines were crossed and if they were, Mom or Dad could quickly usher their little ones out of the theatre. Turns out, though, amidst all the fantasy, vampires and even violence, this movie actually has a powerful message – and it’s one The Quiet Witness hopes will be what every teen, pre teen or young adult walked away with. That message is found in the scene when the film’s handsome leading man and likeable vampire refuses the sexual advances of his beautiful human girlfriend and instead insists they wait. Who knew, right? Quite the unexpected, but refreshing stance, no doubt.
One editorial written about this particular message, posted on a parenting website, and ironically written by a mother, reads, “I would have loved the freedom of making out with Edward Cullen. To know that I could lose control because he was going to stop me…that’s a gift young women don’t usually get”. While that may not be the way every parent sees it, you can’t miss the all too common frustration young women feel when it seems as though they spend half their time fending off advances from the one they love. Ah…but there’s more. It’s not until you take a step back and see things from a different perspective, though.
Our sweet and noble (who knew those two adjectives would ever be used to describe a vampire, fictional though he is?) leading man, Edward Cullen (played brilliantly by Robert Pattinson), delivers his message with confidence and authority. But out here in the real world, there’s a more powerful message to be found through Edward’s refusal to engage in pre-marital sex. Boys get pressured too. Too many times, the assumption is made that it’s the girls who must spend a good part of their teenage years fending off the advances of their boyfriends, who have no concept of testosterone or raging hormones. It was refreshing to see a young man, albeit the silver screen, who made the right call. Hopefully, this will start a chain reaction that includes other teen boys doing the right thing. Girls too, of course, but this one scene in the film really hits the mark in today’s society. W8ing for marriage, as it turns out, is important for vampires, too.
If you’re still up in the air on whether or not to allow your pre-teen to see this film, please know this isn’t a recommendation either way; instead, it’s just a glimpse into the mindsets of the two leading characters. Only a parent can know if it’s appropriate for his or her child. In the end, Bella, played by Kristin Stewart saves herself for wedding day – and as far as we’re concerned, there’s no better “happily ever after”.
