USCCB - (Office of Media Relations) - Parrot with the Gift of Gab Stars in Paulie

Parrot with the Gift of Gab Stars in Paulie

WASHINGTON (April 17, 1998) -- The 1-800-311-4CCC movie line reviews Paulie for the week of April 17-23. Also included on the toll-free line is a review of Swiss Family Robinson, this week's suggested home video for family viewing.

The 800 movie review line is a project of the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC).

The April 17-23 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.

Paulie -- Because of a crude expression and a muttered instance of profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Paulie is a uneven comedy about the misadventures of a mischievous talking parrot as he searches across the country for the little girl who first owned him. The wisecracking bird is surrounded by good-hearted people (including Gena Rowlands) and one cardboard villain (played by Bruce Davison) in a colorful but weak story.
Major League: Back to the Minors -- Because of fleeting violence, brief sexual innuendo, occasional profanity and an instance of rough language, 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. Major League: Back to the Minors is a forgettable baseball comedy in which novice manager Scott Bakula turns a motley crew of eccentric minor leaguers into a winning team. The characters are a mostly genial bunch but a sneaky rival manager and the predictable course of events make the movie strike out.
My Giant -- Because of fleeting violence and occasional profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. My Giant is a sweet-natured but cloyingly sentimental comedy in which talent agent Billy Crystal hopes to make the big time with an 8-foot tall Romanian he's lured to the U.S. with promises he can't keep. The comic proceedings suffer from excessive sentimentality as the manipulative agent learns to put his client's needs first.
The Object of My Affection -- Because of its positive theme of unmarried love, numerous sexual situations, rough language and profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. The Object of My Affection is a failed romantic comedy in which a pregnant social worker comes to love a homosexual teacher who only wants to be her friend. The movie places its charmless characters in a repetitive series of unconvincing situations which never get beyond moral muddlement.
City of Angels -- Because of minor violence, restrained sexual situations and fleeting nudity, 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. City of Angels offers the wispy tale of angel Nicolas Cage who longs to become human after falling in love with Los Angeles heart surgeon Meg Ryan. Though the treatment touches on the limitations of science and the mystery of faith, the result is little more than a visually striking but ultimately sappy love story.
Species II -- Because of gory images combining sex and violence, some nudity, rough language and profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Species II is an ugly sci-fi sequel in which a slimy creature from Mars takes over the body of a man, then begins mating with women who die in agony after bearing its alien offspring. The story is boring and unimaginative, serving only to set up bloody scenes of the monster skewering people with its deadly tentacles.

The family video of the week is Swiss Family Robinson -- The U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Swiss Family Robinson presents the classic adventure of a shipwrecked family (headed by John Mills and Dorothy McGuire) learning to survive on a deserted island. The 1960 Disney production offers a delightful picture of family devotion and solidarity, with much fun for the youngsters as the family makes friends with the island's wildlife and builds a treehouse with many inventive conveniences.

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 movie 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."