The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television during the week of Sept. 15, as well as notes on TV programming for the same week. Televised films may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations while the programs listed have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by OSV News.
Streaming Now
“Bedtime Stories” (2008; Hulu)
The fanciful yarns a hotel handyman (Adam Sandler) spins about his own life while baby-sitting his niece and nephew (Laura Ann Kesling and Jonathan Morgan Heit) start to come true, affecting his competition with the hostelry’s toadying manager (Guy Pearce) for their boss’ (Richard Griffiths) favor, and shifting his romantic interest from his employer’s glamorous daughter (Teresa Palmer) to his sister’s (Courteney Cox) down-to-earth friend (Keri Russell). Aside from some mildly crude gags, director Adam Shankman’s adventure comedy — which affirms perseverance and family unity — is unobjectionable, and the fantasy sequences are entertaining, though the humor is clearly geared to the grade-school set. The OSV News classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
“In the Heights” (2021; Amazon Prime)
Vibrant musical, set in northern Manhattan’s Washington Heights, charts the efforts of a youthful bodega owner (Anthony Ramos) to return to his native Dominican Republic, the scene of his idealized childhood, and reopen the beachside bar his father once ran there. But this “little dream” has complicated implications for his warmhearted adoptive grandmother (Olga Merediz), the younger cousin (Gregory Diaz IV) he mentors and the aspiring fashion designer (Melissa Barrera) for whom he’s fallen. Director Jon M. Chu’s sweeping adaptation of composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award-winning 2008 Broadway hit, scripted by the writer of the stage show’s book, Quiara Alegría Hudes, also follows the parallel romance linking the protagonist’s best friend (Corey Hawkins) with a gifted college student (Leslie Grace) and introduces a variety of neighborhood characters. As it touches on themes of racial dignity and the plight of immigrants who lack legal papers, the generally upbeat and uplifting film maintains a solid moral core. But a few rough spots around the edges make it safest for grown-ups. Possibly acceptable for older teens. Brief sexual references, including to homosexual activity and contraception, a couple of profanities, about a dozen milder oaths, several crude and a few crass terms. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
“Paul Blart: Mall Cop” (2009; Netflix)
Largely good-natured slapstick comedy relies on the physicality of Kevin James, who, in addition to co-writing the script, portrays the titular plus-size security guard defending a New Jersey mall from a pack of acrobatic thieves on the busiest shopping day of the year. Because the loveably hapless hero embodies numerous qualities infrequently championed on-screen nowadays — including chivalry, diligence and honesty — any moderately untoward moments in director Steve Carr’s effort are eclipsed by a positive message concerning respect for those not usually deemed successful or attractive, particularly those who don’t fit the ideal body mold in our looks-conscious society. Frequent violence of a slapstick nature, some suggestive humor, several instances of crude and crass language. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children. (The sequel “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” (2015)
is also streaming.)
Looking Ahead
Sunday, Sept. 15, 10:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. EDT (EWTN) “53rd International Eucharistic Congress: Closing Mass.” This Eucharistic liturgy is broadcast from Bicentennial Park in Quito, Ecuador (TV-G — general audience).
Sunday, Sept. 15, 8-11 p.m. EDT (ABC) “The 76th Emmy Awards.” Father-and-son Eugene and Dan Levy host this annual ceremony honoring the best in primetime television programming, broadcast live from the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE (TV-14/D/L/V – parents strongly cautioned; intensely suggestive dialogue, strong coarse language, intense violence).
Tuesday, Sept. 17, 6-8 p.m. EDT (TCM) “The Secret Garden” (1949). Durable version of the Frances Hodgson Burnett children’s classic about an orphaned girl (Margaret O’Brien) who is given a home in the remote Yorkshire mansion of her sour uncle (Herbert Marshall) then discovers a hidden garden whose secret transforms her 10-year-old cousin (Dean Stockwell) and others. Directed by Fred M. Wilcox, the eerie mansion and past family tragedies are balanced by the girl’s spunk and the healing powers of nature. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.
Tuesday, Sept. 17, 9-11 p.m. EDT (PBS) “Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined.” This episode of the series “American Masters” looks at the life and work of one of America’s most celebrated Latina writers.
Saturday, Sept. 21, 1:30-5 p.m. EDT (AMC) “The Departed” (2006). Hard-hitting if overlong tale of two rookie cops in South Boston — one (Matt Damon) an informant for the mob, the other (Leonardo DiCaprio) secretly assigned by senior officers (Martin Sheen and Mark Wahlberg) to infiltrate the crime ring run by a notorious mob boss (an over-the-top Jack Nicholson) — with both young cops pushed to the mental breaking point in their double-dealing roles and frantic to uncover the other’s identity. Director Martin Scorsese has lost none of his flair for the genre, and DiCaprio and Damon are extremely good. But the setup seems far-fetched, and there’s predictably a high quotient of violence, with the nonstop barrage of expletives excessive even for the underworld environment. Pervasive rough language, racial epithets, profanity, extremely crude expressions, heavy violence, grisly images, nongraphic sexual situations and encounters, irreverent remarks about the church. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was L — limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association rating was R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Saturday, Sept. 21, 5:45-8 p.m. EDT (TCM) “Jeremiah Johnson” (1972). Robert Redford stars in the story of a 19th-century mountain man from his arrival in the Rockies through his years as a self-sufficient trapper, then as family man and, finally, a Crow Indian fighter of legendary proportions. Director Sydney Pollack’s story offers the awesome natural spectacle of the mountain locales, the swift frontier action, intense cultural conflict and colorful characters rendered without the burdens of sentimentality and contrivance. Stylized violence. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
Saturday, Sept. 21, 8-10:21 p.m. EDT (HBO) “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (2022). Surreal fantasy in which a harried Chinese American laundromat owner (Michelle Yeoh) discovers that there are innumerable parallel universes, each of which contains a different version of herself. Traveling among these worlds under the guidance of an iteration of her sweet-natured husband (Ke Huy Quan), she battles a cosmic villain who takes the shape of her grown daughter (Stephanie Hsu). As the protagonist uses her wild experiences to work through her feelings about her spouse and her offspring as well as her sense of unfulfilled potential, co-writers and directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert blend comedy and drama while promoting mostly sound values. Yet their narrative outlook is more in line with the Absurdist stripe of Existentialist philosophy than Christian faith and the inclusion of a duo of lesbian relationships makes the film inappropriate for young people. Much violence, some of it gory, mature themes, including homosexuality, strong sexual imagery, a same-sex kiss, about a dozen mild oaths, several uses each of rough and crude language. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating was R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
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