TV film fare -- week of April 20

NEW YORK (CNS) -- The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of April 20. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations.

Sunday, April 20, 8-10:30 p.m. EDT (AMC) "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (1986). Director John Hughes turns in a lighthearted spoof about a teenager (Matthew Broderick) who has made a science out of truancy because he likes to take a break now and then to observe the world around him. The cheerfully implausible plot serves as the catalyst in changing the attitudes of his sister and best friend. Some vulgar language. 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-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Monday, April 21, 8-10 p.m. EDT (TCM) "Tom Sawyer" (1973). Reader's Digest musical adaptation of the Mark Twain classic with Johnny Whitaker as Tom, Jeff East as Huck, Jodie Foster as Becky and Celeste Holm as Aunt Polly. Directed by Don Taylor, the movie is a quite diverting though undistinguished bit of nostalgia that, if it misses the wit and cultural perceptions of the original, succeeds nonetheless in being continually engaging. Young viewers will be delighted. 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.

Wednesday, April 23, 8-10:15 p.m. EDT (TCM) "Murder on the Orient Express" (1974). Stylish screen version of the Agatha Christie mystery with Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Albert Finney) solving the murder of a man (Richard Widmark) whom everyone on the train apparently had good reason to kill. Set in the 1930s, director Sidney Lumet emphasizes the elegance of the period, has an enthusiastic all-star cast (Ingrid Bergman, Wendy Hiller, Vanessa Redgrave, Lauen Bacall, John Gielgud, et al.) and is faithful to the original's wit and verve. Exceptionally well-done escapist entertainment for those who enjoy murder mysteries but the murder here is rather brutal and definitely not for pre-teens. 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, April 26, 8-11 p.m. EDT (ABC) "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005). Fourth film in the series based on J.K. Rowling's fantasy novels, in which Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) competes against students from two rival schools in a perilous wizard's tournament that ends up being sabotaged by the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), who uses it to ensnare Potter. Director Mike Newell continues the darker tone set by 2004's "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," and though this go-round feels a tad long, it still conjures enough movie magic to cast a satisfying spell over audiences. Frightening images, scenes of intense menace and some sexual innuendo. 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-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Saturday, April 26, 10-11:45 p.m. EDT (Cinemax) "The Reaping" (2007). Former minister (Hilary Swank) whose family was killed several years before while doing missionary work in Africa is now a nonbelieving university professor called upon to investigate strange happenings mirroring biblical plagues in the Louisiana swamplands, after a river turns to blood and a strange child (AnnaSophia Robb) is blamed for her brother's horrific death. A first-rate locust attack and some creepy river sequences notwithstanding, director Stephen Hopkins' horrorfest is more silly than scary, with a disjointed plot and choppy camerawork, while the putative religious elements, including discussions about faith and a priest (Stephen Rea) who tries to warn the professor that she's (gasp) "in danger," are hardly inspirational. Some intense horror effects, killings, blood, images of sick and dead people, a nongraphic sexual encounter, mild innuendo and facts-of-life discussion, a few rough and crude expletives and brief profanity, and many deceased cows and frogs. 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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