Hollywood is at it again. So like Hollywood to push the envelope in such a sick, sick fashion. This time Hollywood has turned it’s ugly eye to assault the adopted family. Imagine if you had one chance at living your life as part of a family. Your one chance, is resting with a thin bureaucratic file about you; containing a few pictures along with your scant medical and personal information. Imagine some thoughtless person came along and tossed your precious file into a garbage bin. Your one in a million chance just disappeared. *
This time don’t imagine, because this scenario could be true for some orphaned children. The villain in this instance is Time Warner (boo hiss). They have produced a movie entitled Orphan a horror movie about adopting an older child. At first I thought surely this movie was a sick, sick joke. No, dear reader it is not. Orphan is set to be released on July 24th.
Ok, I hear some of you saying, “Come on Joanna surely no one is daft enough to take this swill seriously”. Well look at it from my point of view. Often the road to adopting an older child starts with a single tiny thought. I believe this single thought is from God, the author of families. He carefully set out a plan for children to be born or adopted into forever families. Perhaps this sacred thought is like a seed, which cannot take root because the mind carries deep in its folds the memory of a movie about the horror of adopting an older child. This movie plays into the fear of people who believe that an adopted child “has something wrong with him/her (line from the movie)”. Compare the sprit behind Orphan to Bring Me Hope. Instead of planting evil seeds of doubt, this short film brings light and hope for children around the world.
It is unknown exactly how many orphaned children there are in the world. In 2005 there were estimated to be 109 million orphan children (definition: no available caregivers). The break down is: 62 million in Asia, 39 million in Africa, Latin America and Caribbean 8 million.
Most of the orphans of the world live on the streets fending for themselves. A lucky few will be cared for in orphanages meagerly having their basic needs met. Because of bureaucracy and politics, most orphans of the world will not be made available for adoption. A few thousand lucky ones will find the road to adoption. Their fate will be in a file with a photo(s), scant medical and personal information. The file will sit just waiting for someone to take an interest; sadly many, especially older children, will not find a permanent family. For most of these children no one will even look at their file.
These children who are ready and waiting with a file are called the “Waiting Children”. Often they are handicapped, but many are healthy older children. A lucky few will find a permanent home. Our daughter Hong Mei was a Waiting Child. Her file was sent to Children’s Hope International an Adoption Agency in 2006. We saw her file and adopted her in 2007.
Just as important 500,000 children are in foster care in the United States. Of these children, 100,000 are waiting for their forever family; half are older than nine. Most of the older foster children in the United States will not be adopted. Like the story of the starfish, the sheer scope of the misery of child orphans is completely overwhelming. Like the boy, we can make a difference in a few lives.
You may ask yourself, “how can I help? I am not in a position to adopt or to foster; and I have limited funds”. What you can do is join me in a protest that is gaining in a ground swell of adoptive families who are protesting Holly wood and Time Warner Inc. A line from the film states, “It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own”. What Holly wood and Time Warner fail to realize is, an adopted child IS your own.
I leave you will my witness of the joy a Waiting Child can bring. We are so thankful to God for giving us the miracle of Hong Mei. She is a well-loved member of our family. With her five-year-old arms wrapped around my neck she tells me, “ Tank you Mama for getting me in China.”
Please for the sake for the waiting children of the world, cut and paste the information provided here and pass it along to your contact lists such as email and Facebook. Also take the time to contact these Hollywood people with their cold cold hearts and let them know of your disapproval of the effect on orphans, and foster children at their chance for a much better life.
* I understand that my math is off. I am not a math genius, and math is not the point of our discussion.
First DON’T support the film and DO tell others not to see the film. If they don’t make any money then these movies will not continue. Second, write to the emails and addresses below. Third, talk to your local movie theater and tell them not to support the film. Finally, pray the Lord would not allow this negative press to affect the lives of older children waiting to be adopted.
Thanks for your support!
Here is all the info you need.
To complain to Time Warner by letter, here is contact info:
ADDRESS:
Time Warner Inc.
One Time Warner Center
New York, NY10019-8016
212.484.8000
Warner Brothers Studios
| Warner Brothers Studios Address:4000 Warner Blvd. Burbank, CA 91522 Phone 818.954.6000 |
To voice your opinion to Theatre Corporations see below information. At the very least, let them know we do not want them to show the trailer. Not showing the trailer will limit the number of people exposed to this film.
Regal Entertainment Group corporate offices
7132 Regal Lane
Knoxville, Tennessee 37918
Phone: 1-865-922-1123
Fax: 1-865-922-3188
Customer Relations: 1-877-TELLREGAL or 1-877-835-5734
Investor Hotline: 1-866-REGALEG or 1-866-734-2534
For press inquiries, call 1-865-925-9539
CARMIKE CINEMAS, INC.
1301 1st Avenue
P. O. Box 391 (31902-0391)
Columbus, GA 31901
706-576-3400
email: http://www.carmike.com/contact.aspx?fct=fb
Carmike Investment Group
Robert Rinderman, Managing Director
Jaffoni & Collins Inc
(212)835-8500
ckec@jcir.com
P.O. BOX 391
COLUMBUS, GA 31904
investorrelations@carmike.com
To Sign a Petition:
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/OrphanMovie/
We have 2 adopted daughters from Korea. Both are married with their own families now. It would be such a tragedy if a child didn’t have the opportunity to have a family because of a movie! I will write some letters!
You go Margaret! Let’s let those Hollywood types know not to mess with a bunch of Mama Bears 🙂
Thanks for your support.
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Joanna, given that I don’t get out and see many movies to begin with, you have nothing to fear from me. Of course, after viewing the trailer, I can definitely tell you it’s not even a movie that would interest me in the first place.
Although I have never adopted a child, I can understand your concerns with this film and the potential impact on adopting older children. A close friend of mine just started the adoption process and I am thrilled for her and her husband.
JA, sounds like a horrible movie. So much that comes out of Hollywood is drivel these days.
Have you considered that any protest may draw additional attention to this movie and cause even more people to see it? The best fate for movies like this is to be seen by about 10,000 people and quietly disappear from the theaters.
You know, the other day I purchased a ticket to see a good movie and then had to suffer through alot of horrible trailers before we got to the movie I wanted to see. I am no shrinking violet and even I was traumatized by one slasher flick’s trailer. Let’s just say, it will be a long while before I will want to go camping at a lake cabin again, and when/if I do, I will be looking over my shoulder! All that from 5 minutes of soul shocking exposure to Hollywood’s then-latest horror flick.
So remembering that knee-jerk lingering reaction to one film makes me wonder what would happen when someone calls their mom up and says they are thinking about taking in an older foster kid or adopting and that parent, who is still looking over their shoulder after being traumatized over popcorn and soda in the theatre, says “No! Don’t! You never know what kind of child you’ll be bringing into your home. They could be psychotic or something. You have to think of the safety of your other children. You can’t take chances with their happiness by bringing in a child with problems into your safe little happy home.”
I’m going to leave the next comment to somebody else that I would have made about the damaging effect of the statement about never loving an adopted child as much as your own to someone with more experience of adoption…although my husband was adopted at 13 yrs and I suppose that qualifies me somewhat to opine, but this is rather long enough.
Excellent CiCi. This is the most likely scenario. This movie has the potential to harm/offend all adoptees because of those two statements prominently featured in the trailer.
Thanks Brian.
Geoff – Possibly, but I think that is the situation with LDS themes, but not adoption. LDS are viewed as exotic in a negative way so the curiosity factor is a problem.
Joanna,
Looks like this issue finally received some national press. 🙂
Whoo Hoo and Hot Dog!!! Thanks Brian for the heads up.
Note to Hollywood, NEVER and I mean NEVER, underestimate the power of the Mama (and Papa) Bears of the world.
To sign a petition:
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/OrphanMovie/
Mara,
I have decided to delete both your comments and my comment. M* is a class act and your name calling is unacceptable. Please seek pastoral counseling.
If you haven’t seen the movie you’re not qualified to form an opinion about it. I almost missed out on ‘The Passion’ because I thought I could form an opinion without seeing it.
This movie will not harm anyone’s plans to adopt. Why? Well, the main reason is that people considering adoption are too decent to be swayed by movies. People with hearts that big aren’t that stupid. The other reason this movie is harmless? The title is a lie.
ESTHER IS A GROWN WOMAN.
That’s right, there IS no orphan in this movie. The ‘child’ they bring home is a 33-year-old serial killer with dwarfism, who’s been posing as a child. In other words, what happens in the movie could not happen in real life. Unless you seriously think that there are that many dwarves in the world, who just happen to be sexual psychopaths, and also look exactly like children (instead of small adults).
Never mind the fact that no real-life child looks or dresses or acts like Esther (who frankly sounds like a Russian mobster). Even on the posters she looks almost alien.
Sanna,
Thank you for stopping by to comment. For me, “The Passion” was an extraordinary film. I commend you for having the courage to see it.
I am qualified to voice an opinion on the trailer and the posters. Only a few will see the movie, but thousands will be subjected to the trailer while waiting to see another movie. The trailer and the poster displays will do the damage.
The title is offensive and the line(s) “It is hard to love an adopted child as much as your own” and “There is something wrong with Esther”. I am glad to hear the title is a lie, but for the movie goers who only saw the poster and the trailer they have no way of knowing it is a lie.
The poster is offensive because the title is offensive. To be an “orphan” already has negative and emotional baggage associated to it without adding a horror movie to the mix. Children who go to the movies to see ‘Harry Potter’ are assaulted by the poster/display in the theatre.
The statement “It is hard to love an adopted child as much as your own” is often quoted by well meaning family and friends to parents who are on the road to adoption. “There is something wrong with Esther” is the implication that older adoptees are damaged beyond repair. This is also a common opinion voiced during the adoption process.
The process of adoption is fraught by fears of the unknown. You hear about the real life situations where adoption was not successful and it would be easy to shut your heart to adoption. Add to the mix other people close to you who are worried about the unknowns. Too much negative feedback from well meaning loved ones can shut a big heart down. For example, I met a couple who had decided not to adopt because both set of parents thought it impossible to love an adopted child. Trusting their parents knew best; this sweet couple was electing to remain childless. They met my bio children and my adopted child and I (hopefully) convinced them that there is no difference in the love you feel for an adopted child and a bio child.
As for alien looking kid; when you adopt internationally, you are shown pictures of your child. The children in these photographs do not look like normal children. Often their head is shaved. They do not know how to smile or pose for a camera. Often they have blank looks on their dirty faces. My mother was worried about Hong Mei because she did not smile in any of her photos. I had to explain that Hong Mei was not accustomed to having her photo taken. Most likely the photos were taken while she was at a clinic to be evaluated and receive her immunizations. No wonder she looked shellshocked. It has been amazing to see the “after” pictures of any internationally adopted child. Often they do not look like they could be the same kid.
I reject the claim that you have to see a movie to be able to form an opinion on it. I don’t see porn flicks, but I know they are all bad for me. As for this movie, I could tell from the trailers and the posters that I wouldn’t be interested and in fact I agree with Joanna that this movie is harmful to the adoption movement.
NOT ONLY IS THIS MOVIE SICK IN THE ABOVE-MENTIONED WAY — *HAS ANYBODY *BOTHERED* TO *NOTICE^ THEE ABSOLUTELY *DISCUSTING* SUBTLE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE ISSUES IN THE FILM? HELLO !!! — NO **ACTUAL CHILD**** SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SEXUALLY KISS AN ACTUAL ADULT MALE, THERE IS NO ‘IT’S ONLY ACTING’ ARGUMENT TO BE MADE HERE. I MEAN WHERE WILL IT STOP? ACTUAL ONSCREEN INTERCOURSE , WITH A SEVEN YEAR-OLD??? HOLLYWOOD TODAY IS ABSOLUTELY SICK. JUST WATCH ‘LITTLE FOCKER’ FOR THE ‘BONER’ SCENE WITH DENIRO AND A LITTLE GIRL. THE BIGGEST ISSUE HERE ISN’T MERELY SCARING POTENTIAL FOSTER PARENTS AWAY FROM ADOPTING–***IT’S ~ACTUAL~ LITTLE GIRLS GETTING INVOLVED IN SEXUAL ACTIVITY WITH SLEAZY ACTORS ON THE BIG SCREEN FOR MILLIONS OF INDIFFERENT AND POSSIBLY ALSO PERVERTED ADULT VIEWERS TO WATCH. **THIS–IS THE OUTRAGE !
You are absolutely right A. Thanks for pointing this out.
Seriously? All that effort? It’s a movie. It’s not real. You people need to relax. I, too, am a strong believer in God’s plan, but I also enjoy a good horror flick. If any parents-to-be see this movie and it effects their decision or opinion of the adoption of a real child, they don’t deserve the blessing of having a child anyways. They apparently don’t understand the difference between reality and fiction.