The R-rated movie portrays the final 12 hours of Jesus' life in graphic detail, including the crucifixion and a beating that lasts 45 minutes. But many parents and church leaders plan to have kids as young as 10 see the film, which opens Feb. 25, Ash Wednesday.
"The violence is necessary to understand the sacrifice Jesus made," says First Family pastor Jerry Johnston. His Baptist church has rented out a half-dozen theaters in Kansas City, Kan., and has reserved auditoriums the night of Feb. 27 for children 11 and older.
Johnston concedes they'll be shaken by the violence. "I hope they're disturbed enough to make their peace with Jesus."
There is plenty in the two-hour film to make children and adults alike squirm:
* Roman guards employ a cat-o'-nine-tails that rips the flesh from Jesus' back.
* As Jesus is being crucified, a supervisor scolds one man for not nailing his hands properly. He yanks Jesus' other hand, pulling the arm out of the socket.
* To see whether Jesus is dead, a Roman soldier pierces his side with a lance. Blood showers down on the soldier.
"Most images of Christ on the cross are too tame," says Matt Stoehr, pastor of the West Coast Christian Center in Vista, Calif. "They minimize the sacrifices he made. Scripture tells us that he was beaten to a pulp. I think seeing that on screen will be more powerful for kids than any sermon."
His church, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles, has rented out a theater Feb. 29 and will admit children 10 and older if they are accompanied by adults. Stoehr says he is thinking of raising the minimum age to 12, "but a lot of kids are already mature for their age. Look at what they see on MTV."
That's no reason to subject youngsters to Passion's adult themes, says columnist Nell Minow, "Movie Mom" for Yahoo! Movies. She has not seen the movie.
"Disturbing images can be what sticks with a child, not the message behind it," she says. "I would have severe concerns about exposing children to that kind of violence."
But theater owners already are bracing for a first: children flocking to a violent R-rated film with their parents' blessings. Regal Entertainment Group, which has 550 theaters and is the nation's largest theater chain, has issued consent forms that church leaders must sign to indicate they got parents' permission before showing the film to children in rented theaters.
"It's still an R-rated movie," Regal's Dick Westerling says. "Kids (under 17) still must have a parent or guardian with them."
