Artistic Indignation

At the end of fall semester, The Daily Universe, BYU’s campus newspaper, ran an article with movie recommendations for the Holiday Season: “National Treasure 2,” “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” and “Water Horse.” Naturally, I overreacted and wrote a letter to the editor. This is the gist of it:
You know, the last time I checked, we were in college. Mind you, I’m not vehemently opposed to any of these movies (as they seem relatively incapable of eliciting any emotional response whatsoever) but I continue to be disappointed with the prevailing tendency to infantilize college students who really should be pursuing art befitting the capacity of adults at a university. (Honestly, how many BYU students own a copy of “High School Musical?”)
I know, I know. I’m going to a Church-run school, but that makes this phenomenon all the more distressing. We are taught to “seek after” that which is “virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy” and many take this to mean that we should confine ourselves to children’s media. Obviously, there can be nothing uplifting or inspiring in a film that deals with real issues and explores significant themes, right? I beg to differ. We’re commanded not only to eschew the evil but to seek after the good. Merely the absence of filth does not make a work of art worthwhile; it is the presence of true, righteous principles that makes something truly “of good report.”
When you go to the movies looking for something to watch, why not go out to see “The Bucket List,” “Grace is Gone,” “The Kite Runner,” or any of the other myriad of films coming to a theater near you? We’ll wait and see if these titles meet the criteria and we’ll all use our best judgment, of course, but it’s time to act like the grown-ups we are and let a trip to the movies be the enriching experience it can be.