USCCB - (Office of Media Relations) - <i>G.I. Jane</i> Panned on 1-800-311-4CCC Movie Review Line

G.I. Jane Panned on 1-800-311-4CCC Movie Review Line

WASHINGTON (August 29, 1997) -- G.I. Jane is panned August 29-Sept, 5, on the 1-800-311-4CCC movie-review line. Also included on the toll-free line is a review of Tom Sawyer, this week's suggested home video for family viewing.

The 800 movie review line is funded by the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC).

The August 29-September 5 list includes the following theater releases and their classifications according to moral suitability. Movies are evaluated according to artistic merit and moral suitability by the U.S. Bishops' Office for Film and Broadcasting.

G.I. Jane -- Because of much brutality, some violence, several sexual situations, occasional profanity and recurring rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. G.I. Jane is a hokey military melodrama with Demi Moore as a woman officer going through the brutal rigors of combat training with an elite Navy unit. The story offers no real insights about women in the military, concentrating instead on the character's determination to prove she's as tough as any man but the result is hardly worth the effort.
Excess Baggage -- Because of brief violence, underage drinking, sexual innuendo and profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Excess Baggage is a mirthless comedy with Alicia Silverstone in the role of a neglected teen who winds up being inadvertently kidnapped by a car thief. The witless proceedings ramble aimlessly on as a host of unsympathetic characters vie to cash in on the ransom.
Kull the Conqueror -- Because of much stylized violence, brief bedroom scenes, sexual innuendo and crude expressions, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Kull the Conqueror is a brawny fantasy with Kevin Sorbo as a king who loses his throne to a sorceress, then regains it with the help of a beautiful slave. It's a sword-and-sorcery tale with some visual imagination but too much overacting and silly dialogue.
Hoodlum -- Because of gory violence, brief sexual encounters, continual rough language and much profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Hoodlum is the stylish but violent tale of the deadly struggle between gangsters Laurence Fishburne and Tim Roth for control of the numbers racket in 1934 Harlem. The fact- based drama tends to glamorize the criminals' lifestyle until events lead to a final retribution.
She's So Lovely -- Because of some violence including a rape, sexual references, occasional profanity and much rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A- IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. She's So Lovely is about a woman torn between her first husband who's just been released from a psychiatric asylum and her present husband who has provided a good home for her and their children. This gritty, unappealing love story involves three unlikeable people in sordid situations that evoke little sympathy, despite occasional flashes of wit and originality.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation -- Because of excessive violence, a flash of nudity, much rough language and frequent profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation is a sadistic horror yarn in which rural psychopaths torture and murder teens on prom night. The sick proceedings border on the depraved in the movie's jokey treatment of graphic mayhem.

The Family Video of the Week is Tom Sawyer. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. The 1973 version of Tom Sawyer turns Mark Twain's classic tale of boyhood into a zestful musical with Johnny Whitaker as Tom, Jodie Foster as Becky and Celeste Holm as Aunt Polly. The mood is nostalgic, the songs are diverting and the action's mix of comedy and suspense will delight young viewers.

The classifications are A-I - general patronage; A-II - adults and adolescents; A-III - adults; A- IV - adults, with reservations (an A-IV classification designates problematic films that, while not morally offensive in themselves, require caution and some analysis and explanation as a safeguard against wrong interpretations and false conclusions); O - morally offensive.

The movie reviews are produced by the U.S. Catholic Conference (USCC) Office for Film and Broadcasting, which each week provides full length movies reviews, brief capsules and film classifications of new theater releases.

Reviewers include Henry Herx, Director, and Gerri Pare, Associate Director, of the Film and Broadcasting Office, which is funded by the CCC.

The capsule reviews are available on the World Wide Web. They can be found on two sites: http://www.nccbuscc.org and http://www.CatholicDigest.org/stops/movies/movies1.html.

Full-length reviews of the above and other movies are available through America Online at the Catholic News Service site on AOL, and can be accessed by AOL members using the keyword, "CNS."