TV film fare -- week of Feb. 24

NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Feb. 24. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.

Sunday, Feb. 24, 12:30-3 p.m. EST (TCM) "The Bells of St. Mary's" (1945). Director Leo McCarey's sequel to "Going My Way" (1944) pulls out all the emotional stops in a sugary confection that takes happy-go-lucky Father O'Malley (Bing Crosby) to a poor parish with a crumbling school run by overworked Sister Benedict (Ingrid Bergman). Though their conflicting views on education have less to do with the plot than the chasm between their personal relations, Bergman's shining performance as the idealistic nun is still worth watching. Sentimental yet warm picture of Catholic life in an age of innocence. 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.

Sunday, Feb. 24, 8-10:30 p.m. EST (TCM) "Mr. Holland's Opus" (1996). Satisfying drama in which an aspiring composer (Richard Dreyfuss) reluctantly takes a job as a high school music teacher to support a wife and deaf son and spends his life inspiring generations of adolescents with his dedication and love of music. Helped by Dreyfuss' fine performance, director Stephen Herek's sentimental tale of a good man stresses old-fashioned virtues, as well as the importance of good teachers and of the arts in developing young minds. Mild sexual innuendo and fleeting profanity. 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.

Thursday, Feb. 28, 8-10:15 p.m. EST (TCM) "A Man for All Seasons" (1966). Engrossing drama of the last seven years in the life of Thomas More, Henry VIII's chancellor, who met a martyr's death rather than compromise his conscience during a period of religious turmoil. Robert Bolt's script is masterfully directed by Fred Zinnemann, with a standout performance by Paul Scofield in the title role, among other notable performances from a uniformly fine cast. The historical dramatization achieves an authentic human dimension that makes its 16th-century events more accessible and its issues more universal. Profoundly entertaining but heavy going for children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.

Saturday, March 1, 8-10 p.m. EST (TCM) "Crimes and Misdemeanors" (1989). Writer-director Woody Allen once again examines the limits of our moral universe by focusing on an influential ophthalmologist (Martin Landau) who has his mistress (Angelica Huston) murdered when she threatens to spill the beans to his wife (Claire Bloom) and reveal his embezzlement of philanthropic funds. Allen uses humor, pathos and melodrama to depict the man's struggles with feelings of guilt and accountability ingrained in him by his devout Jewish father while interweaving a tapestry of other Manhattanites who have moral choices to make as well. Some rough language, explicit sexual innuendoes and a ruthless, off-camera murder. 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.

Saturday, March 1, 8-9:45 p.m. EST (HBO) "Disturbia" (2007). Reasonably suspenseful thriller in the tradition of Hitchcock's "Rear Window" about a teen (Shia LaBeouf) -- under house arrest after an emotional outburst stemming from his dad's death -- who begins to spy on the neighbors, eventually suspecting one (David Morse) of being a serial killer. Director D.J. Caruso ("Taking Lives") handles his serial-killer theme with relative restraint, with the emphasis squarely on suspense. Some violence including two murders, an image of a corpse and some discreet shots of other dead bodies, a disturbing car accident, some crude and crass language and profanity, skimpy costuming, underage drinking, suggestive dancing, brief suggestions of infidelity and underage viewing of pornography. 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.

Saturday, March 1, 10 p.m.-midnight EST (Cinemax) "300" (2007). Noisy, testosterone-charged telling of the legendary battle between ancient Sparta's meager 300 soldiers led by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) against the vast Persian army headed by the fearsome Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), while Sparta's queen (Lena Headey) futilely attempts to sway a corrupt politician (Dominic West) to bolster her husband's troops. With Frank Miller's graphic novel as a springboard, director and co-writer Zack Snyder takes a highly stylized approach -- most of the film is shot in sepia tones, with the impossibly buffed soldiers facing off against digitalized weapons, creatures and seemingly thousands of Persians -- soon grows tiresome, though the pervasive battlefield violence is somewhat tempered by the often artful cinematography. Much slow-motion fighting with bloodshed, impalings and decapitations, an adulterous episode with an implied rough sexual encounter, brief upper female and rear nudity, innuendo, some exotic dancing with a lesbian kiss during a brief orgy sequence, and skimpy male attire throughout. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

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