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But like Harry Potter—and many other cultural sensations—The Simpsons have long been cause for division among Christians. Here's where history is helpful: You've got eighteen years of Simpsons to draw from between Sunday nights, syndication, and DVDs. If you're not a fan by this point, or if you regularly find yourself offended by the irreverent humor, take a pass, knowing that nothing has changed for the movie, other than the fact that it's now rated PG-13. No one goes so far as to drop an f-bomb, but Homer flips the bird on camera … and wait, was that a glimpse of Bart Simpson's "little doodle" (as Ned would say) while he was skateboarding in the nude through downtown Springfield?

The film also loses points for a technicality: I'm not sure if it can truly stand on its own two feet as a comedy. If you've seen less than ten or twenty episodes after all this time, at best you'll keep pace and catch most of the gags—but not all of them. Those who have followed the series with some measure of consistency over the years will find it more rewarding than someone who walked into it cold with no experience. It's a film for fans—not necessarily rabid fans, but fans nonetheless. (And yes fans, you'd be wise to stay through the credits looking for more humor throughout. It was filmed on location!)

Beneath all the satire and irreverence, there's much love

Which gets to the real question. Does The Simpsons Movie offer anything to fans that hasn't already been seen after nearly two decades? With humor this varied and boundless, it surely can, relying on historical gags from classic comedy and the show's past, to timely swipes at politics and pop culture. What I love about The Simpsons is the way it can draw a cheap sophomoric laugh one second, only to try and slide a subtle bit of satire past you in the next. When you watch it "correctly," it feels like both sides of your brain are engaged.

Moreover, Springfield and its characters have never looked better. The animation may be smooth and digital—I miss that rougher, hand-drawn charm—but it's nice to see some quality two-dimensional work as opposed to nothing but 3-D CGI these days. The directing, timing, voice acting, design, shading … really, everything's done with excellence here, taking the familiar look of the show to a new level.

So what took them so long to make this? It's a lot of work to keep a successful program running season after season. And yet, there's a sense it was worth the wait to get to this point, rather than release a movie before full development. With its growing population of characters, its history of inside jokes, and unique comedic style, The Simpsons Movie truly is a comedy eighteen years in the making. Fans won't be disappointed.

Talk About It

1. We all know Homer Simpson as a self-centered buffoon with no self-control. But does he have any redeemable traits? Is he an exaggeration, or an amalgamation of all we do wrong? What can we learn from Homer's character?
2. Discuss the Simpson family and their relationships with each other. How are they like the typical American family? Where do they fall short? Where do they get things right? Ultimately, are they committed to each other? Do you believe they're beyond improving themselves?
3. How does The Simpsons—television or movie—portray Christianity? Any truth to what's joked about? Is the show jabbing at faith, or more at overtly religious piety? Give examples of what would be appropriate Christian satire versus what would be too far, in your opinion.
4. What is Homer's epiphany in the movie? How does he reach it? With that in mind, how are we like Homer and what can we do to avoid being like him?
5. Why is Bart drawn to Ned Flanders as a father figure in the movie? Why is he still drawn to Homer? What can we learn about human nature from those two choices? What can Homer do to be a better father figure? Can Ned improve? If so, how?

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