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Film

Family Movie Guide

By STEVE PERSALL
Published March 24, 2005

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.

SUITABLE FOR FAMILIES

(PG) - Child abandonment is a key theme in Wayne Wang's Southern-fried tearjerker. Otherwise, only a few rude words interrupt a wholesome tale of a girl (AnnaSophia Robb), her scruffy dog and a town filled with good-hearted folks.

(G) - Like The Princess Diaries, this Disney release about an aspiring skater (Michelle Trachtenberg) is squeaky clean and aimed at a young, female audience.

(G) - Absolutely nothing objectionable here, except Disney's packaging of a 68-minute movie created for home video as a feature-length theatrical release. Primarily geared to ages 6 and younger.

(PG) - An animated world populated by robots (with voices by Robin Williams, Halle Berry and Mel Brooks) is visually appealing to children. The MPAA rating results from mildly crude language and a few double-entendres to keep grownups interested.

SUITABLE, WITH RESERVATIONS

(PG-13) - Oscar-nominated French film, set in a boys school where a new music teacher uses choral singing to inspire students. Positive messages abound, but the English subtitles and classical song selections may not excite some young viewers. Profanity, mild sexual references and brief violence.

(PG-13) - Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher co-star in a remake of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, putting a funnier spin on interracial marriage than 1967 conditions allowed. The MPAA rating is the result of sex-related humor.

(PG-13) - Sandra Bullock returns as a tomboy FBI agent forced into a feminine undercover role, this time as a Las Vegas showgirl, to catch kidnappers. Sex-related humor.

(PG) - Action star Vin Diesel goes the family-film route, playing a special operations commando protecting the children of a murdered scientist. Action-violence, crude humor and brief profanity give rise to the rating.

NOT SUITABLE

(PG-13) - The sequel to Get Shorty (originally rated R) features more characters making threats through violence, an equal amount of sensuality, and crude language, including an f-word and several sexual references. Strictly for adults.

(PG-13) - Tyler Perry's stage play becomes a movie that's unsure if it wants to be a gospel inspiration, a feminist soap opera, a gritty street drama or a Big Momma's House-style comedy. The film's strong themes of drug abuse, profanity, sexual situations and brief violence - not to mention its crude humor - might be frowned upon in church.

(PG-13) - Will Smith is popular with young viewers, but the sexual references and profanity (including an f-word) are strictly for grownups.

(PG-13) - Clint Eastwood's mature drama about a female boxer (Hilary Swank) is more about personalities than pugilism, with a tragic turn that may disturb young viewers. The film also contains profanity (including an f-word uttered by a priest) and boxing violence.

(PG-13) - Sequel to the 2002 hit about a cursed videotape that kills its viewers. Child endangerment is a key factor in the violent, terrifying and disturbing images that earned the MPAA rating. Also includes profanity.

[Last modified March 23, 2005, 10:29:06]