WASHINGTON (April 9, 1999)--The 1-800-311-4CCC movie line reviews Never Been Kissed for the week of April 9-15. Also included on the toll-free line is a review of Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco, 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 9-15 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.

• Never Been Kissed -- Because of implied affairs and sexual references, a sex-education scene involving condoms and occasional 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. Never Been Kissed is a bogus romantic comedy in which 25-year old rookie reporter Drew Barrymore goes undercover as a high school senior to write about teen life and ends up reliving her adolescent insecurities before winning the heart of her English teacher. Movie cliches and stereotypes abound, and Barrymore's clunky performance further sinks the contrived coming-of-age tale.

• The Out-of-Towners -- Because of sexual references and situations, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of American rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned that some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. In The Out-of-Towners Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn play a Midwestern couple who arrive in New York City for a job interview but are immediately mugged, leaving them penniless, homeless and increasingly crazed to survive the city's nighttime perils. The comedy is a sluggish re-make of Neil Simon's 1970 hit, with an updated but only fitfully funny script that lacks a consistently madcap quality.

• 10 Things I Hate About You -- Because of brief violence, crass sexual references and some underage drinking, 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. 10 Things I Hate About You is a sometime crude high school comedy in which a surly senior is paid to date a pretty but hostile classmate so that her younger sister will be allowed to date as well. The lame proceedings present adults as hapless or horrible and adolescents as having mostly one thing on their minds.

• The Matrix -- Because of excessive violence and recurring profanity, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification, O -- morally offensive. Motion Picture Association of America rating, R -- restricted The Matrix is a convoluted sci-fi tale in which a tiny band of cyber rebels led by Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne do battle with virtually indestructible humanoid killers from the 22nd centry. The action movie's violence is glorified, glamorized and made to look exciting with a dazzling array of eyepopping special effects.

• Go -- Because of recreational drug use, a multi-partner sexual encounter, some nudity, brief violence, grand larceny, occasional profanity and much rough language, the U.S. Catholic Conference classification is O -- morally offensive. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Go is a smirky comedy that divides its time between a smalltime drug deal gone awry with near deadly consequences and a gambling jaunt to Las Vegas also culminating in violence. The energetic but mindless comedy takes a benign view of promiscuity, substance abuse and drug dealing.

• Cookie's Fortune -- Because of a suicide, an implied affair and some 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. Cookie's Fortune is a droll Southern comedy of manners in which bossy spinster Glenn Close attempts to cover up the suicide of her aunt, resulting in the arrest of the aunt's devoted caretaker (played by Charles S. Dutton). The human dimension of the movie's quirky characters and their gently comic interactions provide steady charms.

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/index.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."

For media inquiries, e-mail us at commdept@usccb.org
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