Jumping the Broom
for some sexual content.
Reviewed by: Brian C. Johnson
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Average |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
|
| Primary Audience: | Teens Adults |
| Genre: | Romance Comedy |
| Length: | 1 hr. 53 min. |
| Year of Release: | 2011 |
| USA Release: |
May 6, 2011 (limited) DVD: August 9, 2011 |
lust in the Bible
PURITY—Should I save sex for marriage? Answer
My boyfriend wants to have sex. I don’t want to lose him. What should I do? Answer
How can I deal with temptations? Answer
How far is too far? What are the guidelines for dating relationships? Answer
What are the consequences of sexual immorality? Answer
TRUE LOVE—What is true love and how do you know when you have found it? Answer
marriage in the Bible
Is formalized marriage becoming obsolete? Answer
What does the Bible say about marriage?
| Featuring |
Angela Bassett … Mrs. Watson Mike Epps … Willie Earl T.D. Jakes … Reverend James Paula Patton … Sabrina Watson Laz Alonso … Jason Taylor Loretta Devine … Mrs. Taylor Meagan Good … Blythe See all » |
| Director |
Salim Akil |
| Producer |
Our Stories Films Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) Worldwide Acquisitions Group TDJ Enterprises / New Dimensions Entertainment T.D. Jakes (Progressive Liberal Pentecostal preacher) … producer See all » |
| Distributor |
 TriStar Pictures, a division of Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment |
“Sometimes the only way to get past family drama… is to jump right over it.”
At least four times in the Bible, there are instructions for married couples to “leave and cleave” to one another and separate from their families (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5; Mark 10:7-8; Ephesians 5:31). Unfortunately, Sabrina Watson and Jason Taylor in their six-month whirlwind romance, didn’t get the opportunity for pre-marital counseling to hear these instructions. Maybe if they had, they would not have invited their family members to their wedding.
After a chance meeting, where Sabrina Watson (Paula Patton — “Just Wright,” “Precious”) hits Jason Taylor (Laz Alonzo—“Avatar,” “Fast and the Furious”) with her car, the two fall quickly in love. A few months later, they are planning their wedding at Sabrina’s family estate on Martha’s Vineyard. Sabrina comes from money, but Jason’s working class upbringing causes quite a stir, especially when the two families meet for the first time, the night before the wedding. These two families, both led by strong matriarchs (Angela Bassett plays Sabrina’s mother Claudine, and veteran actress Loretta Devine portrays Jason’s opinionated, domineering mother), could not be more different, and neither seems willing to cross the cultural divides. Can Sabrina and Jason’s love stand the test of the family’s first meeting?
Television fans will recognize the stamp of director Salim Akil from his work on hit shows like “Girlfriends” and “The Game;” he brings his excellent eye for detail of the African-American middle class experience to the fore with “Jumping the Broom.” This film is a breath of fresh air from the usual fare offered by Hollywood—relatively few stereotypes, a good storyline, a setting typically reserved for white families only. Bishop T.D. Jakes, megachurch pastor of The Potter’s House, serves as producer, but, also, doles out advice to the young couple before they march down the aisle. This is probably the film’s greatest cause for contention; because of Jakes’ involvement with the film, there is a question of whether the film’s content is for Christian audiences.
The film is rated PG-13, and it does earn that rating. While there is no coarse language and no nudity, it is not squeaky clean, to say the least. The film has positive messages about family, and there is a threaded conversation about maintaining abstinence (not purity, sadly) before marriage, but there is plenty of sex talk and innuendo, including numerous references to male erections, as the couples try to avoid temptation. One could easily argue that younger teens should be discouraged from viewing this film; there are plenty of opportunities for the “lust of the flesh” and “lust of the eyes” in this film.
That being said, for the right audiences, “Jumping the Broom” is an entertaining film, and worth taking a look. It is light and funny; who would expect anything less with the likes of comedic actors Mike Epps and DeRay Davis rounding out the cast?
Violence: Minor / Profanity: Minor / Sex/Nudity: Moderate
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
I loved the way T.D. Jakes presented the movie without appearing too preachy. Great movie.
Moral rating: Excellent! / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3½
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Moral rating: Very Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 5
There are several instances when the carnal minded characters did not understand how she and her fiancé were able to abstain; this would have been an awesome opportunity for the bride to witness about God’s awesome power to help you obey Him in all things. “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Cor. 6:20).
However, I like how the sisters reconciled in the end and the maturity of the bride’s husband towards his strong, beautiful but sarcastic and sometimes harsh wife. I liked how the Groom’s uncle rebuked the mother, but did not cast her out. I like how the groom’s mother humbled herself, when she realized her behavior was not honoring to God, and she apologized. Here was another opportunity for God to be glorified, but it fell short.
Where the mother was trying to use her son to fill a void in her life, it would have been good for her to actually experience God and allow him to fill that place; it would have been good to be stated in the letter of apology. So many parents find worth, peace, and joy in their children, and God is jealous. A little line such as, “I needed to turn to God in my loneliness” would not have hurt the movie, but it would have definitely impacted the movie. If God does not fill our voids, we will find someone or something else to fill it. So though she apologized, it lacked an opportunity to show where God should be God in our lives.
It was beautiful how the bride forgave her and it ultimately showed how God can work all things out for good but that comes with some strong confrontation at times just as the son had to confront his mother and tell her that she needed to change her controlling and manipulative ways. I like that the best man defended the groom against the slander of his ignorant cousin. I like the compromise of the families to bring peace. In order for two people to get a long there will always have to be compromise.
I believe the husband was the only one to truly display Christ like character. He was humble, forgiving, mature, hospitable and rebuked the groom’s mother when she exposed the family’s secret without completely shutting her out, he owned his mistake of losing the family’s money and stood up to his wife and said, ‘I ain’t sleeping on the couch this time’ so to speak and lastly he was a father to someone that was not his biological child. Isn’t that what God has been to those that believe in Him.
I am no one to point the finger at Bishop T.D. Jakes or other Christian producers but the Bible says, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump” (Gal 5:9). Yes, we live in a sinful world but, ‘the wages of sin is death’ (Rom 6:23), and there was a lot of lust in this movie—and it should be expressed that this behavior is unacceptable for Christians. When we fall short as Christians we must repent, “In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
The characters never really profess to be Christians but if a movie is going to be faith based and have the preacher, scripture, prayer, and Christ like things, then the movie should bring the power of God. The world does not hold back their convictions in their movies and neither should Christians. This movie has a form of Godliness but it denies God’s power (II Tim. 3:5) to change people, heal people and ultimately empower them to live obedient lives. There are many people who abstain from lust and sexual activity, and it’s not because they want to make a deal with God, but because God has asked that of them, they believe God knows what is best for them, and it’s their hearts desire to please God.
God gives His people the power to be obedient for His glory on this Earth. So in the end, the one who abstains is not exalted but God is. My recommendation is that you go buy “Pamela’s Prayer” if you want to see a true example of Christ’s power and Christ like abstinence.
Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4
My Ratings: Moral rating: Good / Moviemaking quality: 5