USCCB - (Office of Media Relations) - <i>The Game</i> Plays on this Week's Movie Review Line

The Game Plays on this Week's Movie Review Line

WASHINGTON (September 19, 1997) -- The Game heads the 1-800-311-4CCC movie review line for September 19-25. Also included on the toll-free line is a review of Sleeping Beauty, this week's suggested home video for family viewing.

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

The September 19-25 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.

The Game -- Because of stylized violence, occasional profanity and frequent rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. The Game offers a twisty thriller with Michael Douglas as an arrogant banker whose estranged brother Sean Penn gets involved with a bizarre game-playing organization that results in the banker becoming the target of unknown assailants. The imaginatively contrived proceedings are absorbing and quite suspenseful until the plot proves to be clearly illogical.
A Thousand Acres -- Because of references to child sexual abuse, adulterous relationships, a flash of nudity and a few instances of rough language and profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. A Thousand Acres is an earnest but slow-moving drama with Jessica Lange and Michelle Pfeiffer as sisters battling their nasty father and younger sister over the ownership of a rich Iowa farm. The overly contrived story of a family in conflict fails to generate much sympathy from dark family secrets and bad male stereotypes.
The Full Monty -- Because of its comic treatment of sexuality, brief rear nudity, fleeting homosexual innuendo, some rough language and occasional profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. The Full Monty is a droll British comedy in which an unemployed steelworker convinces five jobless buddies they can make some easy money performing in a one-night male strip show. The result downplays the story's sleazy aspects by focusing on the characters' financial plight and ridiculous ineptitudes as would-be performers.
L.A. Confidential -- Because of recurring violence, fleeting nudity, recurring sexual innuendo, some profanity and intermittent rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. L.A. Confidential offers a stylish cop drama set in 1950's Los Angeles where a trio of police detectives begin to link a series of murders to corrupt city officials. The darkly cynical story is densely plotted with murders most foul and gobs of chicanery and deceit.
In & Out -- Because of its flippant treatment of homosexuality, a brief scene of gay men kissing, occasional profanity and an instance of rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-IV -- adults, with reservations. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. In & Out follows the comic confusion of a 40-year-old small-town teacher (played by Kevin Kline) when days before his wedding, a former student announces to the world that the teacher is gay. The farce uses some warm-hearted humor and broadly funny performances in poking fun at gay and straight stereotypes.
Wishmaster -- Because of much fantasy violence, recurring rough language and a few instances of profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Wishmaster is a monster movie in which a powerful evil spirit can conquer the world if it can persuade a vulnerable young woman to make three wishes. Except for some imaginative visuals and special effects, the result is little more than a run-of-the-mill horror film.

The family video of the week is Sleeping Beauty. The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G -- general audiences. Sleeping Beauty is a 1959 animated feature retelling the old tale of a handsome prince getting some help from a trio of good fairies to break the spell which has cast his beloved princess into a perpetual sleep. This classic story of love conquering evil was Walt Disney's last great achievement of storytelling in fully-detailed animation and remains fine family entertainment.

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."