[{"document_url": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013.html", "unformatted_src": "/img/bnr-hope200.png", "src": "https://christiananswers.net/img/bnr-hope200.png", "formatted_filename": "bnr hope", "alt_text": "Click here to watch THE HOPE on-line!"}, null, null, {"document_url": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013.html", "unformatted_src": "/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-1.jpg", "src": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-1.jpg", "formatted_filename": "donjon", "alt_text": "Copyright, Relativity Media"}, {"document_url": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013.html", "unformatted_src": "/img/icn-zoom-in.png", "src": "https://christiananswers.net/img/icn-zoom-in.png", "formatted_filename": "icn zoom in", "alt_text": "click photos to ENLARGE"}, {"document_url": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013.html", "unformatted_src": "/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-2.jpg", "src": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-2.jpg", "formatted_filename": "donjon", "alt_text": "Copyright, Relativity Media"}, {"document_url": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013.html", "unformatted_src": "/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-3.jpg", "src": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-3.jpg", "formatted_filename": "donjon", "alt_text": "Copyright, Relativity Media"}, {"document_url": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013.html", "unformatted_src": "/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-4.jpg", "src": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-4.jpg", "formatted_filename": "donjon", "alt_text": "Copyright, Relativity Media"}, {"document_url": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013.html", "unformatted_src": "/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-5.jpg", "src": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-5.jpg", "formatted_filename": "donjon", "alt_text": "Copyright, Relativity Media"}, {"document_url": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013.html", "unformatted_src": "/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-6.jpg", "src": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-6.jpg", "formatted_filename": "donjon", "alt_text": "Copyright, Relativity Media"}, {"document_url": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013.html", "unformatted_src": "/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-7.jpg", "src": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-7.jpg", "formatted_filename": "donjon", "alt_text": "Copyright, Relativity Media"}, {"document_url": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013.html", "unformatted_src": "/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-8.jpg", "src": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-8.jpg", "formatted_filename": "donjon", "alt_text": "Copyright, Relativity Media"}, {"document_url": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013.html", "unformatted_src": "/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-9.jpg", "src": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-9.jpg", "formatted_filename": "donjon", "alt_text": "Copyright, Relativity Media"}, null, {"document_url": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013.html", "unformatted_src": "/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-150.jpg", "src": "https://christiananswers.net/spotlight/movies/2013/donjon2013-150.jpg", "formatted_filename": "donjon", "alt_text": "Copyright, Relativity Media", "rendered_height": 111}, null, null, null, null]
Don Jon also known as âDon Jonâs Addictionâ
 for strong graphic sexual material and dialogue throughout, nudity, language and some drug use.

Reviewed by: Leonard Capobianco

Romance Comedy Drama
October 18, 2013 (wideâ2,200+ theaters)
DVD: December 31, 2013 manipulation of women by men, and men by women

emotional immaturity




 

âa porn addict sets out to become a less selfish and better personâ

This film was tauted as a âComedy.â Some of the secular worldâs reviews were âFunny,â âEdgy,â âA surprising gem.â Thatâs the popular cultureâs perspective.

Soon after the film started, as a Christian, I found myself embarrassed to even be seen in the theater. Yes, it was that bad.

Thereâs no denying Joseph Gordon-Levitt Too bad he didnât apply his skills to achieve a teachable moment for persons lost in sensuality.

He plays a single guy who âloves his pornâ and boasts among his friends that he âpullsâ a different woman every weekend. He is not interested in a relationship and only seeks pleasure from women giving them nothing of himself in return.

Scarlett Johanssonâs acting skills help us believe she really is a manipulative, shallow woman. Levitt becomes entwined in her web until she catches him viewing porn on his computer and leaves. He tries to win her back and, in the process, realizes she isnât worth the effort.

Julianne Moore plays an older woman attending night school with Levitt, and they make a connection on a deeper level than he has ever experienced. ***SPOILER*** He stops watching porn, and the film ends with him having sex with her. ***END SPOILER*** Of course, we donât know how long that relationship will last, but one can make an educated guess.

While I appreciate Levittâs attempt at redemption, it is disappointingly limited from even a basic religious perspective.

He could have shown his character overcoming his sex drive and moving on to a more spiritual awakening. No one is saying a Christian should avoid sexâit is Godâs gift to loving married couples. It is one of the pleasures of life, but weâre not to make sex âtheâ center of the universe.



Paul refers to Christians as living in the flesh and writes that part of us remains corrupt while awaiting final redemption when we go to heaven (Romans 8:12-17). And though we are subject to human desires, we are to struggle against the flesh and not supposed to so easily give in to them (Romans 7:14-25).

Jesus clearly and lovingly calls us to Him with this caveat: âIf anyone wishes to come after me he must deny himselfâ (Luke 9:23).

And this is where Levittâs character comes up short. The end of the film shows Don Jonâ¦ having sex in bed with Julianne Moore!

Levitt missed that teachable moment which could have helped guide others who are lost in the flesh. But he simply didnât.

Thereâs an old saying, âIf you canât control yourself you wonât be able to control anything.â

Had the story taken us into his future, I predict the character Don Jon would eventually have an unsatisfying life, sadly lost in a world of desires that control him.

Therefore, this film cannot be recommendedâexcept for the more jaded and âlostâ audience.

Violence: Moderate / Profanity: ExtremeââJesusâ (5), âJ*sus F*ck*ng Chr*st,â âJ*sus F*cking,â âJesus Christ,â âAh Chr*st,â âFor Chr*stâs sake,â OMG (3), âG*d-damnâ (2), âdamnâ (2), âhell,â f-words (over 100), s-words (30), and various vulgar slang words for human sexual anatomy / Sex/Nudity: Extreme PositiveâOkay, first of all I would NOT recommend this to Christians. However, I think the point is being missed by many, especially the non-viewers who commented on this. This movie does not make his addiction funny, and it does recognize that it's a problem and it does ruin Jon's relationship with his girlfriend. But this movie isn't about the porn addiction, it's about sexualization in all forms of media, not just porn. And how this causes false expectations of what makes a man or woman. Jon think women have to be these perfect 10s.

Barbara thinks that men have to be romantic but typical men with a good job. She freaks out when Jon talks about cleaning his own house because she doesn't think this is how a man should act. Jon's dad doesn't consider Jon a man until he brings his beautiful girlfriend home. Jon's mom doesn't feel comfortable with herself because she is an older lady with no grandchildren.

It's a movie that tries to point out that there are problems with both sexes in society. Men who treat women like things, and women who manipulate men. And then Jon meets Esther who tells him that sex and his views about women due to the media isn't real. It changes him. Sure, it's not the Christian answer, but it is better than the way he was before. He stops watching porn and realizes he needed an emotional connection with someone. I really can't recommend this movie, but I do think that it was an accurate satire about modern society and it's sick exploitation of people in every form of media.

O., age 21 (USA)
NeutralâSupported by many friends from his show HitRecord, Joseph Gordon Levitt directs in confidence his first feature movie, which isnât the conventional romantic comedy. The characters explore the meaning of relationship by dealing with their self-centredness coupled with the fantasy of perfect relationships. All actors give pleasant performances. The editing offers some very clever montages and dialogues. However, the over-abundance of nudity, swearing and women objectifying at the beginning can be quite repelling, but the movie grows on us as the characters evolve and learn about their addictions and the impact on relationships.

Furthermore, there is a great parallel between pornography and romantic comedies, as well as going to church and going to the gym. In the end, if you decide to pursue the movie, youâll discover many topics for gospel-centred conversations such as sex, relationships, marriage, family respect, friendship and confrontation, anger management, addictions and idols, church and penanceâ¦

NeutralâThis is unfortunate. As a man that has struggled with such an addiction, I was looking forward to watching this and what it might do to shed light on such a matter. I may now give it a miss. â¦

R, age 28 (United Kingdom)
NegativeâThis movie has a lot of things wrong with it: first, we have a young adult male whoâs obsessed with porn. In the movie itâs depicted as being funny but in real life such an addiction ruins peopleâs relationships with their family and friends, as it causes secrecy and eventually guilt. Second, he likes to have sex with girls he meets at night clubs. Thatâs dangerous in and of itself when you consider the amount of STDs going around. Third, he meets a woman who he has a true courtship with, but they sleep together while still in the dating stage (itâs really sad how writers canât resist including premarital sex).

A strong word of advice: donât see this movie. Even if you are young, Iâm young too and this film didnât appeal to me, mainly because it sounds disgusting. Yes, he tries to get help for his porn addiction, but meanwhile he sleeps with women who he barely even knows. I seriously wonder why every single movie thatâs been coming out nowadays is absolute trash. What is wrong with people?! We really have to pray for these writers and actors/actresses.

T., age 20 (USA)
