Last fall, The Christian Science Monitor published a story titled, “Modern Family Redefined: Say ‘Goodbye’ to the Typical American Family.” The lead-in bumper to this piece read:
The American modern family no longer resembles the old vision of a “traditional family,” says a new study from Ohio State University; marriages are in decline, divorces on the rise, and adult kids are returning home bringing some big shifts in the makeup of US households.
On Tuesday, May 6, in the U.S., and Wednesday, May 7 in Canada, Focus on the Family’s much anticipated Irreplaceable documentary makes it to the big screen—a one-night-only event in more than 700 theaters. The film makes many of the same points found in The Christian Science Monitor piece.
But where we differ can be found in the Monitor’s statement that “the American modern family no longer resembles the old vision of a traditional family.” It’s the “no longer” part I’m at odds with—an expression of such finality. For Focus on the Family, it’s still too early to begin nailing shut the coffin for all things marriage, husband, wife, and children. Right now, those who seek to redefine the traditional family are metaphorically dressing in black and sending flowers. But I say, “Not so fast!”
Yes, we know the family is experiencing radical changes complicated by such things as the decline of marital commitment and by the lower cultural priority of having and raising children (and we document these in Irreplaceable). Sickly may be a better descriptor than corpse-ish. Still, we believe there’s still reason for great optimism regarding the future of the family. And some reason for that hopefulness is the documentary itself.
Although a lot of my brain cells I used in college apparently went on vacation some time ago, a few of them stuck around. Surprisingly (for me anyway), I can recall several key elements from Humanities 101. More specifically to this blog, I learned about some specific books (other than the Bible) that changed American culture. Perhaps this is something you learned in grade school. For me, this revelation didn’t occur until college, and for the first time I came to realize that the media had significant power to influence behavior and attitudes on a mass scale.
The two books I specifically remember being credited with helping change America were The Jungle and Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The former, written by Upton Sinclair, caused radical transformation in the meatpacking industry. The latter, written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, is widely credited for helping to end slavery.
Although it may be a bit of a stretch, I’m hoping that when history is written 50 or 100 years from now, it’ll be said that a documentary by Focus on the Family so galvanized the people in North America that the breakdown of the family came to a grinding halt. That people once again recognized what “family” is really all about, came to re-believe that family matters, and came to re-value marriage, child-raising, the unique attributes of man and woman, and fatherhood.
Whether or not this actually happens doesn’t change the fact that Irreplaceable is going to be eye-opening for many and revolutionary for some. Of course, for that to happen, people need to show up. My hope and prayer is that people don’t just show up, but that they pack out theaters resulting in a demand for extra showings. Just as Sinclair’s and Beecher Stowe’s book had to be read, so too does Irreplaceable need to be watched. And talked about. And commented about on Facebook. And tweeted about (use the hashtag #irreplaceable in social media, if you would). And when the follow-up to the documentary (The Family Project DVD curriculum) comes out later this month, folks need to embrace it much like they did The Truth Project.
While listening to Pandora the other day on my way up to Denver to screen a film, I caught a song I hadn’t heard in quite some time, Phil Vassar’s “Just Another Day in Paradise.” If you’ve never heard this country tune, essentially Vassar runs down a litany list of things that are “wrong” in his everyday world of being a dad and father. The washing machine just broke. The dog is barking at the mailman who’s bringing in a stack of overdue bills. The milk’s gone sour. Despite all of the “woes,” Vassar concludes, “Well, it’s OK. It’s so nice. It’s just another day in paradise.” I like Vassar’s view of family life because it’s both realistic and yet hopeful. For me, the same can be said about Irreplaceable.
I rarely tell people to go to a movie. I prefer to just say what’s in a film. But allow this exception this time: Go to this film. Take a friend. Then comment on this blog and let us know what you thought.
For my review of the film, click here.
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