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 May 18, 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
“Far from the Madding Crowd” (2015; Hulu)
Thomas Hardy’s 1874 novel about romantic entanglements in the English countryside returns to the big screen in this fourth film adaptation, directed by Thomas Vinterberg. After unexpectedly inheriting a farm and a fortune, an independent-minded woman (Carey Mulligan) is determined to achieve success in a world run by men. She’s pursued by three suitors: a kindly shepherd (Matthias Schoenaerts), a lonely bachelor (Michael Sheen) and a caddish army sergeant (Tom Sturridge). A top-rank cast, lush cinematography and high drama combine into a treat that’s suitable for teens as well as grownups, with a lesson in true love and commitment thrown in for good measure. Brief violence, some sensuality, a single disturbing image. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
“Flushed Away” (2006; Netflix)
Frolicsome animated tale about an urbane pet mouse (voiced by Hugh Jackman) whose cushy lifestyle is turned topsy-turvy when he’s flushed down a toilet and into the bustling underground world of London’s sewer system where he teams with a spunky rat (Kate Winslet) to foil the doomsday plot of a frog kingpin (Ian McKellen) who wants to exterminate the sewers’ rodent population. Co-directors David Bowers and Sam Fell combine zippy animation, a simple but smartly entertaining script and topnotch voice talent to delightfully zany effect, while imparting a warm message about the importance of friendship and family. Some mildly rude humor and language, cartoonish violence. 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.
“Fried Green Tomatoes” (1991; Amazon Prime)
The youthful reminiscences of a nursing home resident (Jessica Tandy) about an unsolved, half-century-old murder mystery involving two spunky Alabama women (Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker) inspire her newfound friend, a frustrated Southern housewife (Kathy Bates), to put her own house in order. An initially sluggish script hampers director Jon Avnet’s beautifully acted movie but can’t submerge its warm-hearted tribute to friendship, female solidarity and respect for people of color. Very brief violence and a few sexual references. The OSV News classification is A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
Looking Ahead
Sunday, May 18, 6:30-9 p.m. EDT (AMC) “Back to the Future” (1985). Above-average entertainment about a teenager (Michael J. Fox) who is transported back through time and obliged to serve as matchmaker for his parents or face retroactive nonexistence. A major problem is that his mother-to-be finds him far more attractive than she does his father-to-be. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, it is funny and clever with a bit of genuine sentiment, but unfortunately is marred by casual profanity, the depiction of violence as manly and, though there is no depiction of it, an implicit acceptance of sexual promiscuity as standard teenage behavior. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
Tuesday, May 20, 8-10 p.m. EDT (TCM) “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969). Stylish seriocomic Western set at the end of the 19th century when a pair of outlaws, Butch (Paul Newman) and the Kid (Robert Redford), realize that civilization has overtaken their profession and head for the Bolivian frontier. Director George Roy Hill brings off the action scenes with gusto and the proper amount of humor, though beneath the surface of the laughter and the silly mishaps there are enough realistic scenes to show that their criminal exploits have serious consequences. Much stylized violence and a sexually suggestive situation. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG — parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.
Wednesday, May 21, 8-9 p.m. EDT (PBS) “Equus: Story of the Horse: Origins.” First episode of a two-part miniseries in which anthropologist Niobe Thompson looks at the relationship between human beings and horses. The series concludes in the same timeslot Wednesday, May 28. A “Nature” presentation.
Thursday, May 22, 8-9:45 p.m. EDT (TCM) “Broken Arrow” (1950). Thoughtful Western set in 1870 Arizona, where an ex-Army officer (James Stewart) persuades the warring Apache leader, Cochise (Jeff Chandler), to make peace, then takes an Apache bride (Debra Paget) who’s soon killed by vengeful whites out to break the treaty. Directed by Delmer Daves, the fact-based story has plenty of colorful period action, some Indian lore and a bit of romance, but was notable at the time for its sympathetic treatment of Native Americans as fellow humans rather than howling savages. Frontier violence in a meaningful context. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.
Saturday, May 24, 4-5 p.m. EDT (EWTN) “Faith Deposit.” On this episode of the series “Called to Communion With Dr. David Anders,” the host, a convert and catechist, answers questions about the church’s guardianship of the deposit of faith and other topics (TV-G — general audience).
Saturday, May 24, 4:35-6:37 p.m. EDT (HBO) “Kong: Skull Island” (2017). Impressive monster movie, set in 1973, in which an ensemble of scientists and soldiers — the civilians led by a fringe researcher (John Goodman), the troops by a hard-bitten colonel (Samuel L. Jackson) — travel to a previously uncharted island where they encounter an updated version of King Kong. As a World War II-era Air Force officer (John C. Reilly) who bailed out over the isle and has been stranded there ever since eventually explains to them, however, while the outsized ape may be the monarch of this hidden realm, he is far from the most lethal threat its new visitors will have to face there. Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ action adventure, which also features Tom Hiddleston as the group’s guide and Brie Larson as a Vietnam War photographer who has decided this is her next big story, references everything from a range of science fiction movies to Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 film “Apocalypse Now” and its partial source material, novelist Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness.” Amid an exploration of the destructive human aggressiveness that gives rise to armed conflict, the multiple dangers the cast confront lead to some unsettling mayhem and a few grisly deaths, marking this as a journey strictly for grownups. Stylized but grim combat and other violence with little gore, a few gruesome images, a couple of uses of profanity, at least one rough term, occasional crude and crass language. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
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