FROM PLACE TO PLACE

A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Galatians. 5:9

Historical cinema-analysis serves as a barometer that gauges the evolution of American culture, tracking shifts in what the public deems to be “acceptable.” Briefly compare the public’s reaction to two glossy and popular “soap opera-ish” productions from the late 1950’s, dealing with “adult” themes: Peyton Place (1957) and A Summer Place (1959).

Peyton Place was a sanitized, toned-down version of an infamous “trash” novel that scandalized the public, dealing with such topics as adultery, incest, abortion, rape, and small-town hypocrisy. While the film version created notable controversy, it appears relatively tame by today’s standards (sometimes even moralistic in tone) and occasionally even rises to a thoughtful analysis of post-war changes to American suburbia. Further, the original novel’s more controversial aspects are deliberately and subtly understated.

Two years later, however, a MUCH more brazen and audacious film appeared: A Summer Place. Despite the gorgeous theme song, the film—featuring the open idealization and romanticization of marital infidelity and premarital sex—remains as jarring to Biblically-derived sensibilities as it did in 1959. Devoid of any serious moral and intellectual value, there is no degree of subtlety whatsoever in either the film’s dialogue, or its overall presentation of the subject matter. And yet, the film’s release—only two years after the uproar over Peyton Place—was attended by almost ZERO levels of controversy. Indeed, it proved “endearing” to the overall public!

Our Moral: If left unattended, sin GROWS and PERMEATES, like leaven. It HARDENS the heart and DE-SENSITIZES the conscience (Heb.3:13). Like a bad odor, its stench gradually loses its initial impact, achieving a miserable “normalcy.” It creates a slippery slope, lowering even an entire society’s moral expectations.

Sin requires but one response: total, immediate rejection (Matt.5:29-30)!!!

Terry L. Reese