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
Raise Your Voice
(PG) - Hilary Duff's young fans may enjoy her latest film, in which she plays a student at a performing arts summer school. Brief, mild profanity, but a plot that involves the death of a teenager in a car accident could be upsetting to sensitive viewers.
Shark Tale
(PG) - DreamWorks aims for another Shrek-sized animated hit with the story of a fish (voice of Will Smith) involved with undersea mobsters. Mild profanity and crude humor are par for the course, but the film's portrayal of Mafia-style fish has drawn criticism from Italian-American groups.
Sky Captain and theWorld of Tomorrow
(PG) - Good old-fashioned fun patterned after 1930s serial adventures, a la Raiders of the Lost Ark. The science fiction violence is bloodless and not especially frightening for children.
RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS
Ladder 49
(PG-13) - Firefighters are vividly portrayed as heroes in John Travolta's latest film, in which a new firefighter (Joaquin Phoenix) is trapped in a burning building. The action sequences are intense, and a few profanities slip out under pressure.
NOT RECOMMENDED
The Final Cut
(PG-13) - Child endangerment is a key theme, from the tense opening scene all the way to strongly suggested sexual abuse. Other mature themes include mortality, murder and "playing god" with memories and lives. Moderate profanity, violence, brief sensuality.
The Forgotten
(PG-13) - Small children are likely to be creeped out by a mother (Julianne Moore) searching for a missing son who may have never existed. Pervasive themes of insanity and danger, plus brief violence and profanity, make this thriller more appropriate for teenagers and adults.
Friday Night Lights
(PG-13) - An economically depressed Texas town comes alive through its high school football team, a true story that should appeal to teenagers. Parents should know that the off-the-field problems include alcoholism, psychological abuse and sexual conflict. Profanity is strong, and the football action often veers into unsportsmanlike conduct.
The Grudge
(PG-13) - Young children will be frightened by ghostly apparitions, while adults may be bored with the movie's horror cliches. Child murder is a central theme. Brief profanity, violence and sensuality.
(PG-13) - Heroin addiction and other vices are key themes, but the inspiring way the late music legend Ray Charles (Jamie Foxx) overcame those demons can provide positive lessons for teenagers. Charles' infidelity, moderate profanity and mature themes including racism make this unsuitable for young children.
Shall We Dance?
(PG-13) - The midlife crisis of a businessman (Richard Gere) won't entertain many children, and Jennifer Lopez's role is more subdued than her tabloid appeal. Sexual situations are minor, mostly suggestions of adultery and sensual dancing. Profanity is moderate, but an angry f-word sneaks in.
Surviving Christmas
(PG-13) - A wealthy loner (Ben Affleck) rents a family and their home for the holidays. The MPAA rating is due to sexual content and brief drug references, and any movie co-starring Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) must include profanity.
Taxi
(PG-13) - Queen Latifah and former Saturday Night Live star Jimmy Fallon team up for an action comedy featuring moderate profanity, sensuality and violence, not to mention comedic defiance of traffic laws.
