TV film fare -- week of Feb. 17

NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Feb 17. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.

Sunday, Feb. 17, 10:15 p.m.-1 a.m. EST (TCM) "Amistad" (1997). Uneven dramatization of the 1839 legal battle over the fate of 53 Africans who massacre the crew of a Spanish slave ship, then are captured by an American naval vessel and put on trial for murder and piracy in a case that ultimately reaches the Supreme Court, where former President John Quincy Adams (Anthony Hopkins) defends their right to freedom. Director Steven Spielberg's ambitious attempt to re-examine the contradictions of a society that proclaimed the equality of all and yet accepted slavery succeeds in dramatizing the obvious injustices done to the enslaved Africans (led by Djimon Hounsou), but the legal and political issues argued in the lengthy case are treated in stiff historical tableaus. Some gory violence, brutalizing conditions of slavery and brief frontal nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Monday, Feb. 18, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. EST (TCM) "Quo Vadis" (1951). After a Roman general (Robert Taylor) falls in love with a Christian maid (Deborah Kerr), the situation is complicated by the loony emperor deciding to burn Rome and blame the Christians. In director Mervyn LeRoy's version of the Henryk Sienkiewicz novel, the epic production overpowers the pallid love story and is less interested in the conflict between Christianity and paganism than that between the mad Nero (Peter Ustinov) and his rationalist adviser (Leo Genn). A mixed bag of religious fervor and pagan frolics, there's a lengthy suicide scene, some sexual innuendo and stylized violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Monday, Feb. 18, 8 p.m.-midnight EST (AMC) "The Godfather" (1972). Blockbuster screen version of the Mario Puzo novel about a Mafia family's rise, decline and resurgence in the murderous world of New York racketeering. Marlon Brando plays the aging but indomitable don with James Caan and Al Pacino as leading family members. Francis Ford Coppola's direction is a study in control and pacing with all the right touches in establishing the proper 1940s ambience. The murders are plentiful and gruesome, with little spared in detailing the intricacies of mob life. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Wednesday, Feb. 20, midnight-2:15 a.m. EST (TCM) "Samson and Delilah" (1949). Flat-footed biblical epic from producer-director Cecil B. DeMille lumbers along with Victor Mature rarely credible as the Israelite hero, Hedy Lamarr less than subtle as the pagan seductress and a labored spectacle hardly worth the effort. Stylized violence and sexual innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Friday, Feb. 22, 8-9:45 p.m. EST (TCM) "Heaven Can Wait" (1978). Charming remake of the 1941 comedy "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" has a past-his-prime quarterback (Warren Beatty) die prematurely but the bungling angel responsible (James Mason) places him in the body of an eccentric millionaire just as he is done in by his wife (Dyan Cannon) and her lover (Charles Grodin). Enlisting the aid of his former coach (Jack Warden) to get his new body into playing form, the now-rich quarterback returns to the gridiron and wins the love of a good woman (Julie Christie). Co-directed by Beatty and Buck Henry, the entertainment succeeds in being very innocent and yet wise and funny. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Saturday, Feb. 23, 6-8 p.m. EST (HBO) "Firehouse Dog" (2007). A pampered Hollywood pooch rescues an inner-city station house from closure and helps a father and son (Bruce Greenwood and Josh Hutcherson) bond in this catch-all family comedy, which tries to be parody, mystery and action-adventure rolled into one. Director Todd Holland's too-long-for-the-kids movie has too many plot strands and some cruder than expected language, toilet humor and innuendo, although mostly in reference to canines. Mild crass language and gags, scenes of action peril and one brief instance of physical violence. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II - adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Saturday, Feb. 23, 8-11 p.m. EST (ABC) "Forrest Gump" (1994). Inspired by the faith his mother (Sally Field) has in him, a slow-witted Southerner (Tom Hanks) becomes a football All-American, Vietnam hero and millionaire entrepreneur, despite intermittent rejection by his troubled, lifelong friend and sweetheart (Robin Wright). Director Robert Zemeckis' big-hearted love story cleverly incorporates gimmicks into the narrative without ever losing focus on the emotional and spiritual development of the title character. A few discreet bedroom scenes, some intense battlefield violence, fleeting drug use and an instance of rough language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

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Saturday, Feb. 23, 10 p.m.-midnight EST (Cinemax) "Fracture" (2007). Generally effective mystery thriller about a wealthy man (Anthony Hopkins) who shoots his unfaithful wife and afterward baits the career-minded young prosecuting attorney (Ryan Gosling) who can't nail him unless the murder weapon is found. Director Gregory Hoblit's detached style and the stylishly cold production design prove a bit distancing, but the protagonists are compelling, the mostly literate script tries hard to avoid the predictable, and several ethical issues (satisfactorily resolved) add further texture to the whole. Brief shots of the shooting, suicide, murder, rough language and vulgar expressions and profanity, innuendo, adultery and implied premarital encounters. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops