Home viewing roundup: What's available to stream and what's on horizon

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 Aug. 24, 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

“Father Stu” (2022; Amazon Prime)

Hard-edged yet deeply moving dramatization of the life of Stuart Long (Mark Wahlberg). With the continuance of his somewhat successful boxing career rendered too dangerous by a medical condition, he moves to Los Angeles and tries to reinvent himself as a Hollywood star, winding up instead as a directionless supermarket clerk. But things begin to turn around for him when he falls at first sight for a devout CCD teacher (Teresa Ruiz). To please her, he goes through the motions of becoming Catholic, his conversion only becoming real after a near-death experience that also sets him on an unlikely path toward the priesthood, much to the consternation of his emotionally abusive father (Mel Gibson) and caring but unbelieving mother (Jacki Weaver). A tribute to a future cleric who showed dogged determination and grit in the face of a series of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, writer-director Rosalind Ross’ profile also showcases his unconventional but effective approach to preaching the Gospel. Grown viewers will easily get past the earthy language with which the script is filled to appreciate the film’s faith-inspiring core. But the persistent vulgarity, while justified in context, may prove more problematic for younger movie fans who might otherwise benefit from this portrait of a vocation. Some physical violence, a bloody accident, offscreen premarital sexual activity, about a half-dozen uses of profanity, several milder oaths, pervasive rough and crude language. The OSV News classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association rating is R — restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

“Journey to Bethlehem” (2023; Hulu)

This lively musical version of the Nativity story marks the directorial debut of Swedish producer Adam Anders (who also co-wrote the script with Peter Barsocchini). As Mary (Fiona Palomo) and Joseph (Milo Manheim) try to add personal commitment to their arranged betrothal, a comic version of the Magi (Omid Djalili, Geno Segers and Rizwan Manji) tangle with evil King Herod (Antonio Banderas) and with his morally wavering son, Antipater (Joel Smallbone), along their way to worshiping the newborn Savior. Though much of the incidental humor infused into the film to keep things rolling along feels strained, there’s an upbeat tone to the production. So what it may lack in solemnity many will feel it makes up for with pep, pazzazz and unmistakable good intentions. Aside from the pesky questions that might be prompted among little ones by the miraculous conception of Jesus and the plight in which it leaves his mother, the movie as a whole is suitable for all. Brief, highly choreographed physical violence. 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.

“Journey to the Center of the Earth” (2008; Netflix)

Enjoyable update of Jules Verne’s classic 1864 novel with a present-day geology research professor (Brendan Fraser), his late explorer brother’s son (Josh Hutcherson) and their Icelandic guide (Anita Briem) finding themselves deep below the earth’s surface, reliving most of the incidents from the book. Though not as memorable as the Hollywoodized 1959 version, this retread, from director Eric Brevig, provides plenty of nifty special effects and together with personable leads and squeaky clean content make this wholesome family viewing for all but the very youngest who might be frightened by some of the intense, though bloodless, action sequences. 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. (The sequel “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” (2012) is also streaming.)

Looking Ahead

Sunday, Aug. 24, 2-3:45 p.m. EDT (TCM) “A Big Hand for the Little Lady” (1966). Henry Fonda, Joanne Woodward, Jason Robards, Burgess Meredith, Paul Ford and Kevin McCarthy are among the ensemble playing cards in the Old West’s most comical and colorful poker game. Director Fielder Cook places emphasis on the personalities and the plot’s ingenious bluffing makes for fascinating entertainment, even without the clever surprise ending. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II — adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association. (Part of an intermittent series of films featuring Fonda, beginning with “The Male Animal” (1942), 6-7:45 a.m. EDT, and ending with “The Rounders” (1965), 4:15-5:40 a.m. EDT, Monday, Aug. 25.)

Sunday, Aug. 24, 8:33-11 p.m. EDT (ABC) “The Princess Diaries” (2001). Conventional comedy about a gawky 15-year-old girl (Anne Hathaway) who suddenly discovers she is the sole heir to the throne of a tiny European country and with the help of her newfound grandmother (Julie Andrews) must learn to act like a princess. Although mildly pleasant, director Garry Marshall’s film has a prefab quality that even the classy Andrews cannot overcome. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association rating was G — general audiences. All ages admitted.

Monday, Aug. 25, 8-10:15 p.m. EDT (TCM) “Carousel” (1956). Rodgers and Hammerstein musical from Ferenc Molnar’s tragic romance in which a macho carnival worker (Gordon MacRae) dies in a robbery trying to provide for his pregnant wife (Shirley Jones), then gets a chance to come back in spirit to set things right for his still-grieving widow and teen daughter. Directed by Henry King, the dramatic portions seem stilted and out of place in the lovely 19th-century New England setting, though the production numbers are eye-filling and the songs memorable, notably “If I Loved You” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Romantic complications. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II — adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.

Tuesday, Aug. 26, 10:30 p.m.-1 a.m. EDT (AMC) “The Italian Job” (2003). High-octane caper flick about a gang of professional thieves (including Mark Wahlberg and Edward Norton) who must track down and outfox one of their own who double-crosses them after they steal millions in Italian gold, and makes off to Los Angeles with the loot. A formulaic revamping of the Michael Caine-Noel Coward 1969 heist classic, director F. Gary Gray’s film scores points with deftly orchestrated action sequences, but flounders with a predictable premise and threadbare characters. A benign portrayal of theft, an implied sexual encounter, an instance of rough language, some profanities, brief interludes of violence. 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.

Thursday, Aug. 28, 12:10-1:30 p.m. EDT (EWTN) “The Catholic University of America: Mass of the Holy Spirit.” Live coverage as The Catholic University of America in Washington marks the opening of the academic year with the Mass of the Holy Spirit (TV-G — general audience).

Friday, Aug. 29, 9-10:30 p.m. EDT (PBS) “Vienna Philharmonic Summer Night Concert 2025.” This episode of the series “Great Performances” showcases an annual concert at the Austrian capital’s Schonbrunn Palace conducted for the first time by Tugan Sokhiev.

Saturday, Aug. 30, 5:52-8 p.m. EDT (Cinemax) “Blue Beetle” (2023). The resilience of the indestructible loving family, in this case, a Mexican American clan, forms the heart and soul of this DC Comics-derived adventure which, under the direction of Ángel Manuel Soto, mixes its fantasy elements with social realism and introduces the screen’s first Latino superhero (Xolo Maridueña). As the titular character’s youthful and ambitious alter ego and his equally hard-working relatives face a series of travails, he accidentally acquires the ability to fly, imperviousness to bullets and other powers (not to mention a nifty azure-highlighted outfit) after getting mixed up in the struggle between the scheming CEO of a powerful conglomerate (Susan Sarandon), who’s out to build a world-conquering army by the use of a magical amulet, and her morally upright niece (Bruna Marquezine). A comedy-lightened struggle against the forces of evil ensues, though some of the cliche-ridden humorous detours seem disappointingly out of place in a work that aspires to be viewed as pioneering. Still, screenwriter Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer keeps both the mayhem and the smattering of vulgarity in the dialogue restrained while commendable basic values and a positive, if flawed, portrayal of Hispanic life make this an acceptable and attractive option for a fairly broad audience. Stylized but intense action, fleeting crude and crass language, a couple of scatological references. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II — adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Home viewing roundup: What’s available to stream and what’s on horizon

Streaming Now

Looking Ahead

Read More Movie & TV Reviews

Netflix’s ‘Train Dreams’ captures the beauty of an ordinary life