UNLIKELY PRO-FAMILY THEMES FROM L.A.(movies - A.I Artificial Intelligence, Baby Boy)(Brief Article)

Usually outsiders have to plead with Hollywood to honor family values. This summer, however, two movies appeared that, in their own way, resonated with surprising pro-family themes.

Steven Spielberg's A.I. Artificial Intelligence, about a robot boy in the future who yearns to feel real love, is one of the most debated movies of the year. One of its central themes is the value of familial love. David, the robot played by Haley Joel Osment, is adopted by Monica and Henry Swinton because their biological son has been cryogenically frozen while they wait for a cure for his disease to be found. At first a fixture in their loving home, David is cast aside when the Swintons' son miraculously recovers. David's ensuing journey--a fascinating adventure through a futuristic world, part dreamy fairy tale, part harrowing science fiction--is driven by his desire to become a "real live boy" so he'll be accepted by his parents. The film is partly a warning about the dangers of evolving reproductive technology, but under Steven Spielberg's direction it's also a testament to the idea that family love is a defining element of what it means to be human.

Baby Boy is a very different movie, set in the strife-ridden streets of contemporary South Central Los Angeles, which is also where writer-director John Singleton's first film, Boyz N the Hood, took place. On the ...