TV film fare -- week of Jan. 13

NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Jan. 13. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.

Sunday, Jan. 13, 8-10 p.m. EST (TCM) "The Trip to Bountiful" (1985). Geraldine Page gives a memorable performance as a feisty old woman who can't stand living with her daughter-in-law and, when her son refuses to take her, sets off by herself to see her hometown of Bountiful, Texas. On this journey to a place that is now a ghost town, the viewer comes to respect the indomitable spirit of a strong personality who refuses to give up in spite of waning physical strength. John Masterson directs Horton Foote's story with dignity and compassion, though some of the old woman's difficulties might be upsetting to the very young. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Thursday, Jan. 17, 8-10 p.m. EST (TCM) "Casablanca" (1942). Classic romantic melodrama set in the refugee crossroads of French North Africa where an American expatriate (Humphrey Bogart) helps the woman who broke his heart (Ingrid Bergman) and her husband (Paul Henreid), an underground leader, escape the Nazi dragnet. Directed by Michael Curtiz, the story is replete with World War II intrigue, sardonic humor, punchy dialogue ("Here's looking at you, kid!") and a great cast, including Claude Rains as a suave Vichy police officer and Dooley Wilson's rendition of "As Time Goes By." Time stands still for this one, though the wartime atmosphere may be too menacing for children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Saturday, Jan. 19, 10-11:45 p.m. EST (Cinemax) "The Fountain" (2006). Love story weaving together three interrelated tales set in the present, past and far future, with the couples in each ably played by Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz: a medical researcher racing to find a cure to save his terminally ill wife; the characters in a novel she's writing about a 16th-century conquistador questing after the fabled Fountain of Youth for his lover, the queen of Spain; and the same scientist, who hasn't aged a bit, traveling to a distant star in the 26th century, still searching for the secret of eternal life. Written and directed by Darren Aronofsky, the script is by turns poignant and confusing but the visuals are striking and the film's unifying themes of love and mortality provide for some thoughtful reflection on the way death helps delineate our humanity and give our lives meaning. Some violence, a suggested marital sexual encounter, a bloody scene of self-mortification, brief torture images and an instance of rough language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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