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February 2005

        Issue: 14:2

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 Top Dove Family Movies of 2004
By Dick Rolfe

Each year every movie-goer compiles his/her list of movie favorites. “Top Ten,” “Top Five,” “Best Of,” it really doesn’t matter, so long as the selections reflect the tastes of the individual or organization putting them up for consideration.  The word “taste” is key. Think about it as you examine the nominees and winners that represent the tastes of each organization below.

In recent years, we have become inundated with an ever-increasing number of movie, music and television award shows. The oldest and best-known of these is the Academy Awards, also known as “The Oscars” named for the much sought after golden statue.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a professional organization of over 6,000 motion picture professionals, was founded “to advance the arts and sciences of motion pictures; foster cooperation among creative leaders for cultural, educational and technological progress; recognize outstanding achievements; cooperate on technical research and improvement of methods and equipment; provide a common forum and meeting ground for various branches and crafts; represent the viewpoint of actual creators of the motion picture; and foster educational activities between the professional community and the public-at-large.”

Notice the reference to representing the “viewpoint of creators” but no mention of representing the tastes of the public or the moral values of society.

By far the oldest movie award organization, The Academy began in May, 1927. The first Academy Awards were handed out on May 16, 1929, almost immediately after “talkies” were introduced to the public. That first awards ceremony took place in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with about 270 members and guests.

The 77th Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, February 27, 2005, and will be telecast worldwide on ABC from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood which will seat 3400 eager fans and hopeful nominees.  Nearly overshadowing the suspense of who will win the Oscar is who will be voted “best dressed” by the fashion mavens.

Next is the Golden Globe Awards. Today, as the world has grown increasingly smaller and international markets are essential to the entertainment business, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association has secured a strong place among Hollywood institutions. The “Globes” are a combination of the Oscars and the Emmys representing a host of awards for domestic films, foreign language films, television movies, and prime time television series.

Winners are chosen by polling members in more than nine hundred newspapers, magazines and radio stations around the world representing some fifty-five countries with a combined readership exceeding 250 million.

The HFPA’s mission is “to establish favorable relations and cultural ties between foreign countries and the United States of America by the dissemination of information concerning the American culture and traditions as depicted in motion pictures and television through news media in various foreign countries.”

The importance of the Golden Globes has increased greatly when they pre-empted the Academy Awards by holding their fest in January each year. The winners have an inside track for consideration for an Oscar since the Academy members are still casting their votes when the Golden Globe winners are announced.

On January 9th, millions of Americans cast their votes in the 31st annual People’s Choice Awards.  For the first time, the winners in every category were determined by voters on the PCA website. 

Categories and potential nominees were compiled by Entertainment Weekly Magazine. The magazine’s Front Row Panel of 6,000 people picked from subscribers voted for the top five selections in each category, which became the official nominees.

Awards are given for nearly every form of artistic performance in Film, Television, and Music. They even have a general classification called “More,” where they recognize such unforgettable attributes as Favorite Smile, Hair, Look, and Couple with the best On-screen Chemistry.

The positive aspect of the People’s Choice Awards is that the winners are chosen by the most important people group in the entertainment industry – audience members.

Top Ten Family Movies from The Dove Foundation

Ever since it’s beginning, The Dove Foundation has been determined to represent the tastes and preferences of the most powerful group of movie-goers in America, the Family. Everyone is a member of a family. The people group I am referring to is what is commonly called the “All-American Family.”  This Family embraces traditional values. Since the word “values” has become abused, I will substitute virtue, a term that still holds true to its definition.

Most parents with young children are very sensitive to the kinds of entertainment their young ones are exposed to.  However, we should also acknowledge the hundreds of studies that show a link between immorality or violence in film and its impact on the human psyche.  Our society has become victimized by the extensive exposure of its citizens to repeated acts of extreme violence, shocking language and sexual immorality in films and on television. We are becoming hardened to the real life impact of bad behavior. The good news is that the opposite is just as true!

With that in mind, Dove puts its efforts into selecting and promoting feature films that encourage positive behavior and tell uplifting stories that elevate the human condition. Here are the ten movies of 2004 that received the highest quality ratings from Dove Foundation Review Board members. You can click on each film to get to the Dove review.

  1. Finding Neverland
  2. The Incredibles
  3. The Polar Express
  4. Fat Albert
  5. National Treasure
  6. Shrek 2
  7. Spider-man 2
  8. Miracle
  9. I am David
  10. Around the World in 80 Days

The following Dove-approved movies also received nominations from one or more of the three august groups above: Finding Neverland, The Incredibles, Polar Express, Shark Tale, Shrek 2, Spider-man 2, SpongeBob-SquarePants

Coming Attractions for 2005

If you are looking for something to do with the entire family this winter, check your newspaper movie listings for Because of Winn Dixie a warm, sweet, family-friendly film that opens across the country on Friday, February 18th.

This film stars Jeff Daniels, Cicely Tyson, Eva Marie Saint and Dave Matthews (that’s right – of the band by the same name). A new young actress, AnnaSophia Robb is a delightful leading lady in this tender story about a girl and her dog and the creative ways they touch everyone they meet.  You will be wonderfully entertained and feel better when you exit the theater.

“Because of Winn Dixie” is the first nationally released movie by a major studio (Twentieth Century Fox) to carry the Dove FAMILY-APPROVED Seal in its national advertising and promotion campaign.  After spending 14 years building relationships with Hollywood filmmakers, Dove is gaining a reputation as a valuable connection between the studios and the Family audience. Another major studio just sent us one of their films for endorsement.  

We will continue representing you and your desire for more wholesome entertainment options. And, we will notify you each time we discover a special movie that we can recommend without reservation. “Because of Winn Dixie” is such a movie.

Enjoy!

The Academy Awards official website

The Golden Globe Awards official website

The Peoples Choice Awards official website

The Dove Foundation official website




The Dove Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  Our mission is to encourage and promote the creation, production, distribution and consumption of wholesome family entertainment.  We are supported primarily by donations from families such as yours who want to move Hollywood in a more family-friendly direction.  All donations are tax deductible.
Copyright © 2005 The Dove Foundation. All rights reserved.