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By STEVE PERSALL
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 5, 2000
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. Films are categorized as "recommended" for family viewing, "recommended with reservations" and "not recommended" for family viewing, with a description of content that led to that categorization. Compiled by St. Petersburg Times film critic Steve Persall.
Digimon: The Movie
(G) Recommended, but only if it's absolutely necessary to keep peace with children at home. Mild cartoon violence balanced by bumper-sticker philosophy about good citizenship. Nothing offensive, unless the idea of Pokemon inspiring imitators-for-profit gets under your skin.
(Not rated, probably G) Space flight is a grabber for children, and this IMAX documentary blends textbook knowledge and zero-gravity stunts into a decent documentary. No profanity, nudity, sex or violence. Running only 40 minutes, the film and the massive IMAX exhibition process don't have time to lose children's attention.
Bring It On C+
(PG-13) Teen girls may go gaga for this tale of a championship high school cheerleading squad's efforts to secure its title. Kirsten Dunst is likable as captain of the coed group, and so is a love interest played by Jesse Bradford, and a new cheerleader portrayed by Eliza Dushku. The cheerleading sequences are as energetic as they ought to be. There's no nudity and just a sprinkling of profanity, but crude sexual remarks and gestures are abundant. And the filmmakers aren't exactly fighting against sexual objectification of young women. Not appropriate for the under-13 crowd.
(PG) Denzel Washington coaches a newly integrated high school football team to victories and brotherhood. Mature themes include dealing with racial prejudice, sexism and homophobia, with some locker room taunting possibly offensive to viewers. Profanity is relatively mild and within the usual PG-rating parameters. Violence is mostly football field mayhem.
(PG-13) Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland and James Garner strike a blow for senior citizens as world-saving astronauts. Appeal is limited for youngsters beyond the third-act special effects. Moderate profanity, including one pantomimed f-word. Mild violence. Sutherland's character brings sexual humor to the mix. Comical rear nudity from the four sagging stars.
The Crew D
(PG-13) The problems of four senior citizen mobsters won't have much relevance for young viewers. Much of the humor is sexually charged and juvenile. Numerous profanities. Nudity (or costuming close to it) is a recurring, needless backdrop. Violence mostly occurs off-screen (including a shotgun blast to a corpse), played for weak laughs.
(PG-13) Loads of jokes about sex, religion, drug abuse and scatology make this inappropriate material for some children. Not much profanity, although Ben Stiller's suggestive character name is a running gag. No nudity and only a dash of sexual tension for laughs. Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller are fine comic foils, but this film definitely isn't aimed at small children.
(PG-13) This ghost story steeped in adultery is too scary and risque for young children. Violence includes a bloody chase. Frightening images include drowning and a decomposed corpse. Profanity includes one f-word. No nudity, although one steamy scene and a few foreplay discussions are more than many parents will want to share with youngsters. Restless alert.