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New films from a family perspective

Submitted by administrator on Thu, 12/27/2007 - 14:56

A guide to movies from a family perspective:"Water Horse: Legend of the Deep"-- Rated: PG.-- Suitable for: Elementary school-age children and up.-- What you should know: In 1942 Scotland, a boy named Angus finds a stone that proves to be an egg on the beach. It hatches into a water horse in this coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of World War II.-- Language: Mild, nothing you wouldn't hear on TV.-- Sexual situations and nudity: None, although a couple of adults briefly flirt and dance.--Violence/scary situations: A dog chasing the water horse through the house creates havoc. The scariest scenes come late in the movie when the creature is in the water and under attack from the military. Angus is put in danger with the water horse, and although the boy initially won't accept it, his father has died and will not be returning home.-- Drug or alcohol use: A couple of adults take nips from flasks, some scenes are set in a pub, and drinks are served at a formal dinner."The Great Debaters"-- Rated: PG-13.-- Suitable for: 9- or 10-year-olds and up.-- What you should know: Denzel Washington directs and stars in this movie about an undefeated 1930s African-American debate team from a small Texas college that sets its sights on challenging Harvard. Inspired by a real story but fictionalized (some characters are real, others composites), it's a rousing underdog story that moved a preview audience to applause.-- Language: The N-word, plus mild profanity.-- Sexual situations and nudity: Couples kiss, and one unmarried pair wake up in bed after obviously spending the night together.-- Violence/scary situations: Sporadic but intense, with the most disturbing image that of an African-American who has been killed, burned and strung up on a tree, with an angry mob nearby. A description is delivered later of the mutilation lynching victims suffer (genitals, fingers or toes cut off). A union-organizing meeting is interrupted by violence, there is an anger-fueled tussle between friends, and racial intimidation is in evidence.-- Drug or alcohol use: Some scenes are set in juke joints, students drink from a flask, and one of the debaters has a taste for alcohol."Juno"-- Rated: PG-13.--Suitable for: Mature high school students and above.-- What you should know: A high school girl, played by Ellen Page, unexpectedly gets pregnant and shops for the perfect adoptive parents in the Penny Saver. That's where she finds a suburban couple played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman.-- Language: One use of the f-word and other milder four-letter words.-- Sexual situations and nudity: The movie opens with the discreetly filmed sex act that launches the story. In a scene that lasts just seconds, a teenage girl slips off her panties and approaches a teenage boy who is seated in a chair. There is also a crude reference to scented condoms.-- Violence/scary situations: A noose turns out to be red licorice, and Juno is briefly seen in the throes of labor pains.-- Drug or alcohol use: Nothing by teens. "National Treasure: Book of Secrets"-- Rated: PG.-- Suitable for: 9- or 10-year-olds and up.-- What you should know: This is the sequel to the successful 2004 movie starring Nicolas Cage as a treasure hunter or protector. Here, he and relatives and pals set out to restore the good name of an ancestor implicated in President Lincoln's assassination.-- Language: None.-- Sexual situations and nudity: Limited to some kisses.-- Violence/scary situations: Sporadic but intense. Lincoln's murder is dramatized and another person is shot to death as his young son watches. Lots of peril, with an attack, car chases, knife held to the throat and other threats of harm or death.-- Drug or alcohol use: Nothing notable.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com.)