In OLD FASHIONED, Clay asks an important question: “When did treating women with respect become a joke?”

OLD FASHIONED opens in theaters this Valentine’s Day weekend, the same time as a Hollywood blockbuster that takes a completely different view on relationships and respect. And that leads to a new question: When did offering an alternative become something bad?

Count the good folks at FamilyLife among those who are glad there is a faith-based film to counteract Hollywood’s idea of “romance.”

“Every year Hollywood releases one or two major movies as their offering for couples who like to take in a romantic movie on Valentine’s Day. Occasionally the movie is fairly wholesome, but far more frequently it’s not. This year’s primary offering from Hollywood runs about as far from wholesome as possible. …

“OLD FASHIONED delivers a great message about relationships, commitment, and marriage. … So whether you’re a dating couple or you’ve been married for years, you’ve got a romantic alternative to draw you to theaters on Valentine’s weekend and beyond.”

Read the full story here and then make your Valentine’s Day movie plans by finding a theater showing OLD FASHIONED!

The Old Fashioned Team

It would be hard for a prophet from the Bible to engage with our culture today; the negative feedback would be astounding: “Hater.” “God wouldn’t want you judging.” “It’s not hurting anyone.”

And while we would never compare a movie to a biblical hero, those are some of the phrases we’ve heard in posts encouraging people to see OLD FASHIONED on Valentine’s Day weekend instead of the movie Hollywood thinks is romantic film.

Thankfully, we’re not the only ones that see the potential harm. We’d like to encourage you to read what Michelle S. Lazurek wrote as an open letter to her daughter on Movieguide’s website.

“The movies you may watch do not portray women in a positive light. Hollywood does not view you the same way that God does. God wants to liberate you and allow you to be all you can be. He wants you to see yourself as special so you, as well as guys will cherish you as a special gift.”

It’s a powerful piece in its entirety, so be sure to read it. And know: we are grateful for all of you who join us in celebrating that love is patient … love is kind … love is OLD FASHIONED.

Get your tickets for Old Fashioned HERE.

The Old Fashioned Team

Okay guys, you know about the Super Bowl. But do you realize Valentine’s Day is only a few weekends away? In other words, you best start planning quickly.

Thankfully, there’s an easy solution: dinner and a movie. And the movie choice has never been easier: OLD FASHIONED. Check out what Bill and Pam Farrel, the directors of Love-Wise, say about the movie:

 “OLD FASHIONED is a fresh look at the real meaning of desire, romance, and love. We hope it becomes a new fashion to be a bit more old fashioned in the way we all handle relationships! Make an OLD FASHIONED movie date and share popcorn and a little true love.”

That’s right: relationship experts recommend OLD FASHIONED. Now that’s Valentine’s Day made simple!

Find a theater near you showing OLD FASHIONED this Valentine’s Day. 

The Old Fashioned Team

Have you seen the movie poster or the trailer for OLD FASHIONED in your theater? The film opens on Valentine’s Day weekend and we are hearing from lots of you who have.

When you see the poster, check out this fun line: Chivalry Makes a Comeback. Looking around today, it’s easy to say Chivalry is dead. But with OLD FASHIONED, we think there’s hope for change.

Why is that important? There are a couple of videos that have gone viral recently that help tell the story.

Take this video as an example. It has become a big “hit” on the Internet as it promotes respect and honor of women. Best of all, it features boys who understand what it means to be a man!

And then there’s this one, courtesy of the Huffington Post. As these men are reminded: mother knows best! Maybe these guys in Peru could learn something from the boys in Italy.

And we all be reminded anew that respect should never go out of style when we see OLD FASHIONED on Valentine’s weekend.

The Old Fashioned Team

There’s a great post at Crosswalk about the most important (and oftentimes the most difficult) questions you should ask if you are seriously considering marriage. Based on the book 12 Questions to Ask Before You Marry by Clayton and Charie King, the questions are worth asking. Among them:

• Are you willing to grow up?
• Have you talked about money?
• Are you compatible?
• Are you ready to marry an entire family?
• Are you ready to love?

Take the time to read through the post and then start asking the right questions. And no matter where you’re at in your relationship—just beginning to date or married for 40 years—the right question to ask this Valentine’s Day is:

Do you want to go see OLD FASHIONED this weekend?

The Old Fashioned Team

We are a month away from Valentine’s Day and the February 13 release of both OLD FASHIONED and Fifty Shades of Grey in theaters across the country. OLD FASHIONED received a PG-13 rating for “some thematic material.” It’s a fair rating for this faith-based film; the themes in OLD FASHIONED deal with romance and relationships, topics that aren’t designed for kids and pre-teens.

Fifty Shades earned an R-rating. Some of the book’s fans were disappointed it didn’t get an NC-17 rating (the equivalent of the old X-rating). They felt anything less than that would mean the filmmakers had diminished the book’s graphic nature.

While most observers expected the R-rating, the explanation given by the MPAA was unique: “strong sexual content including dialogue, some unusual behavior and graphic nudity, and for language.” The most interesting phrase? “Unusual behavior.”

In a story about the rating in USA Today, quotes industry executives, including Ethan Noble:

“He believes the MPAA used the term to describe the film’s sexual theme of dominance and submission, which is spelled out explicitly in the novel.

“‘Basically, it’s a way of letting parents know that it’s not your everyday sexual content,’ said Noble. ‘But you don’t put “submission and dominance” in the ratings description. (The MPAA is) rarely that specific, and parents that don’t know what it is might be scared off by the term.’”

Maybe it’s just us, but don’t you think “scaring off” parents in this instance might just be the best thing that could be done?

The Old Fashioned Team

So this whole Fifty Shades of Grey thing is not that big of a deal, is it? After all, it’s just a movie for adults (based, of course, on the multi-million selling book). No harm, no foul, right?

Well, while the movie just earned itself an R-rating from the MPAA, some retailers seem to think the book belongs in the Teen and Young Readers section. Think about that.

As author Nancy French blogged:

“In my hometown of Columbia, Tennessee … customers started noticing that ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ was being sold as a book for ‘teens and young readers.’ In fact, it was right next to Shel Silverstein’s ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends.’ Thankfully, when a mom expressed her concerns to the store manager, he promptly moved the kinky, erotic adult best seller from the kids’ shelves. …

“We need to all work together to protect unsuspecting kids from picking up a book that could potentially damage their sexual development at a young age.”

OLD FASHIONED opens in theaters on Valentine’s Day weekend, just like Fifty Shades. In addition to a heartwarming love story, OLD FASHIONED will help you talk about God-honoring relationships with your tween or teen.

The choice this Valentine’s Day at the movie theater is yours … and your teen’s.

The Old Fashioned Team

Starting a Relationship on the Right Path

What do bowling, having a picnic, a trip to the aquarium, and going to church have in common? According to The Praying Woman website, these each make for a good first date. And why are first dates important? As their story says:

 “Experts in dating and relationships say that the first date will tell you a lot about a person. … A good first date allows for conversation but at the same time takes some of the focus off you so that neither of you are feeling under pressure and tense.”

Take a look at their list of 10 suggestions and let us know if one of them is your idea of a great first date. Or let us know if you have an even better suggestion. Whatever your idea of a great first date, this is great first-date advice to remember: “Don’t rush things. Take your time and get to know (your date) a little better.”

And remember: no matter how long you’ve been married, dating (or not dating), this Valentine’s Day weekend you have a great date opportunity: go see OLD FASHIONED when it opens in theaters!

The Old Fashioned Team

Is the hook-up culture on college campuses changing the age-old baseball rules of physical intimacy?

A provocative story by Kimberly Thornbury in Christianity Today cites author Tom Wolfe’s summation of the new baseball analogy for consensual familiarity on campus:

“Today’s first base is kissing. … Second base is oral sex. Third base is going all the way. Home plate is learning each other’s names.”  

Wow. Where’s the umpire?

Interestingly enough, in Old Fashioned, Clay shares a similar observation with Amber during a conversation about the dating norms in our hypersexual culture: “A normal date? You mean where two strangers hop into bed and then try to figure out later if they have anything in common?”

Thornbury’s article states Wolfe’s play “Speak About It” is a popular resource among colleges in the Northeast for sex-education programs aimed at first-year students and offers some sensible reminders about safety and consent. However, her piece also makes it clear that this simply isn’t enough in terms of creating a healthy environment or fostering a healthy understanding of sex.

In our movie, Clay asks: “When did treating women with respect become the joke?”

Perhaps it’s time for a paradigm shift in how men and women treat each other—as well as how we regard sexual intimacy and what it was designed for. We don’t have to go around using each other and hurting each other. It doesn’t HAVE to be that way.

What do you think? What can be done to foster mutual respect and a healthy understanding of sex and its purpose? We’d love to hear your thoughts and perspectives.

– Nathan Nazario, Producer