One of the complaints of the movies released in 2005 was that there was nothing new. That critique wasn’t exactly true. Although there was the same movie lines you see year after year; ie, boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back, etc. there was an alarming noticeable trend. The movies in the second half of the year seemed to promote alternate lifestyles in subtle ways.

By alternate lifestyles, what do I mean? I mean any lifestyle different than the traditional Western family lifestyle. Now, before you think I’m a prude that just doesn’t "get it", let’s check out some of the movies I’m talking about.

"Hustle and Flow" was a movie in which Terrance Howard gave a powerful performance in a gritty film. Even though there were also outstanding performances by Anthony Anderson, Taryn Manning, DJ Qualls, Paula Jai Parker, and particularly Taraji P. Henson, the movie was about a Memphis pimp (and a broke one, at that) who wants to become a rapper, and ends up in prison. How enlightening is that? Plus the songs in the soundtrack include such venerable uplifting classics as, "It’s hard out there being a Pimp", "Whup ‘dat Trick" and "Hustle the Hoe".

Speaking of prison, it really must be a fun place to be when you have Chris Roc, Adam Sandler, Neely and Michael Irvin there to play football. Just watch "The Longest Yard."

Another example of what I mean is the movie "Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang." This movie stars Val Kilmer and Robert Downey, Jr. These are probably two of the better young actors today (although they have both been around for years), and they turn in another fine performance. However, and there’s always a however in life, Robert Downey is an unrepentant thief, and Val Kilmer is a gay detective called Gay Perry, not gay Paree!

Then there’s the movie "Rent." Most people will probably presume I disapproved of the gay lifestyle in the movie. Whereas that did help prove my point about alternate lifestyles, I was more concerned with the Bohemian lifestyle. This movie’s depiction of success being the blatant disregard of property rights and the artistic necessity of heroin worried me much, much more than two members of the same sex loving each other. I absolutely loved the music in "Rent," but I hated some of the themes.

Speaking of music, "Get Rich, Or Die Trying," starring Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, was a movie that glorified the gangster lifestyle. This showed how "cool" it is to rob, steal, and shoot people who get in the way of your dreams. It also showed that kids out of wedlock are a good thing. The only thing it didn’t show, unlike "8 Miles," was enough of the rapping lifestyle.
The final movie I’ll talk about is "Ice Harvest." This is another outstanding and entertaining movie, starring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton and Randy Quaid. The problem I had with this movie was the way it showed how easy it is for a lawyer to also be a thief. Especially when he worked for the man who owns all the massage parlors and strip clubs.

Why am I bringing this up as a concern? These are some of the good movies that worried me. Can you imagine how I felt about the bad ones? Parents have got to be more active in the movie watching habits of their children. Just because you like a movie does not mean it’s appropriate for your kids. That’s what being a parent is all about.