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Family Movie Guide
By STEVE PERSALL, Times Film Critic
© St. Petersburg Times
published September 12, 2002
The Family Movie Guide should be used along with the Motion Picture Association of America rating system for selecting movies suitable for children. Only films rated G, PG or PG-13 are included in this weekly listing, along with occasional R-rated films that may have entertainment or educational value for older children with parental guidance. Compiled by St. Petersburg Times film critic Steve Persall.
RECOMMENDED
Little Secrets C+
(PG) -- Some mature themes of honesty and confidentiality led to the rating. Otherwise, this is a sweet, low-budget tale of a young girl (Evan Rachel Wood) making money by keeping her friends' secrets the way other children operate lemonade stands. The film won the grand prize at the family-oriented Heartland Film Festival.
The Master of Disguise
(PG) -- Silly comedy starring Dana Carvey as a waiter who can transform himself into any person or object while pursuing a criminal. Mild profanity, crude humor.
RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS
Simone B
(PG-13) -- Al Pacino plays a movie producer who creates a computer-generated movie star, then helplessly watches her become a celebrity. Mild profanity, but the PG-13 rating mostly results from sensuality and themes that aren't likely to appeal to children.
NOT RECOMMENDED
The Adventures of Pluto Nash
(PG-13) -- Eddie Murphy's naughty side emerges on occasion as he plays a nightclub owner on the moon being muscled by lunar gangsters. Moderate profanity and sexually charged humor, plus gangland violence with a sci-fi touch.
Austin Powers in Goldmember B
(PG-13) -- The world's most shagadelic secret agent returns with more risque jokes, carnally suggestive sight gags and a general impudence toward good taste. Satirical spy violence, sexual situations, profanity. Think James Bond on Viagra and you'll get the idea.
Barbershop B
(PG-13) -- This bawdy comedy barely skirted an R rating despite an abundance of profanity (including a few F-words), genial criminals, numerous punch lines based on sex and one scene of marijuana smoking. Some worthwhile lessons in accountability, fidelity and friendship shine through in the third act, but the remaining comedy may be unsettling to parents watching with children.
Blue Crush C
(PG-13) -- Beach parties aren't what they were when Frankie and Annette were catching rays. The modern style features skimpier bathing suits, a stronger sexual dynamic and a more violent fight. Girls may be inspired by the females tackling the male-dominated surfing world, but kids shouldn't try some of these stunts at their home beach.
Possession B
(PG-13) -- Children won't be very interested in parallel romance among Victorian era poets and modern-day literary scholars inspired by them. Brief sensuality and profanity are the only questionable factors for parents to consider, but spending money for children to fidget or sleep should be reconsidered.
Serving Sara
(PG-13) -- Matthew Perry (TV's Friends) takes another stab at movie stardom, this time as a process server with divorce papers for an elusive woman (Elizabeth Hurley). Moderate profanity, crude humor, fairly tame mob violence and sexual humor.
Signs B+
(PG-13) -- Mel Gibson plays a widower protecting his family from alien invasion. This is not a slam-bang adventure like Independence Day, however. Signs is a moody parable of post-9/11 fear, with doomsday themes that might upset young viewers. The film contains two mildly violent episodes and a few comic-relief profanities, but no nudity or sex. Mature themes include a parent's gruesome death and a crisis of faith for Gibson's character, a former minister.
Swimfan
(PG-13) -- The sexual and violent dynamics of Fatal Attraction are calmed down just enough for a PG-13 rating. Erika Christensen (Traffic) plays a high school student whose one-night stand with an athlete (Jesse Bradford) leaves her obsessed and agitated. The rating is due to those mature themes, sexual content, disturbing images of violence and profanity.
XXX
(PG-13) -- A new breed of secret agent (Vin Diesel) brings a lot of violence with him. XXX (pronounced Triple-X) is wall-to-wall action, with a hero breaking the law as much as enforcing it. The rating is from "non-stop action sequences, sensuality, drug content and language."
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