Web site TV for Feb. 14 – Feb 20, 2010

TV film fare -- week of Feb. 14

The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies on network and cable television the week of Feb. 14. Please note that televised versions may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence, and sexual situations.

Wednesday, Feb. 17, 8-10 p.m. EST (TCM) "Bang the Drum Slowly" (1973). Director John Hancock's humorous and touching portrait of a young baseball player who wants to play one last season before he dies made Robert De Niro a name to remember. Michael Moriarity co-starred as the best friend who shares his hopes and pains. Realistic but sensitive treatment of terminal illness. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Thursday, Feb. 18, 8-9:45 p.m. EST (TCM) "The Crowd" (1928). Extraordinary picture of ordinary American life follows a young man (James Murray) as he comes to New York, gets work as a clerk in a big company, marries (Eleanor Boardman), tries to make good but loses his job and goes on the skids until the tragic death of his little boy shocks him out of self-pity and into trying again. Director King Vidor's silent masterpiece achieves its impact not through plot or story devices but by capturing the human details of everyday life from its simple joys to it humdrum routines which viewers recognize as not far different from their own. Domestic problems and the intensely felt loss of a child. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America.
 
Friday, Feb. 19, 8-10 p.m. EST (ABC) "Meet the Fockers" (2004). Glossy, good-natured, often intentionally tasteless sequel to "Meet the Parents" as Gaylord Focker (Ben Stiller) and his soon-to-be bride, Pam (Teri Polo), and in-laws (Robert De Niro and Blythe Danner) drive to Florida to meet his gregarious, unconventional parents (Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman) with predictably farcical results. The chief pleasure of director Jay Roach's fitfully funny film is watching the stars go through their anything-for-a-laugh paces so gamely, but though the film ultimately espouses good family values, much of the humor, language and setups are on the crude side. Sexual situations and innuendo, coarse language and brief rear nudity. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Saturday, Feb. 20, 8-10 p.m. EST (HBO) "Frost/Nixon" (2008). Successful expansion of Broadway and London stage hit about the genesis of talk-show host David Frost's (Michael Sheen) historic TV talks with disgraced former U.S. President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) in 1977. Director Ron Howard and writer Peter Morgan build a good deal of suspense into Frost landing the interview and then getting Nixon publicly to admit for the first time his wrongdoing in the Watergate break-in scandal, with the stars giving pitch-perfect performances. Some conversational rough language, brief profanity and crude expressions, implied nonmarital relationship and fleeting rear nudity; acceptable for older teens. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

Saturday, Feb. 20, 8-10:30 p.m. EST (AMC) "The Queen" (2006). Absorbing British drama about the days following the death of Princess Diana, as new Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) tries to convince Queen Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) to express public remorse about her former daughter-in-law, as public grief reaches fever proportions. Stephen Frears directs beautifully, and even if Peter Morgan's script is mostly speculative, what we see on-screen plays convincingly, with a fine cast (including Alex Jennings, Helen McCrory and Roger Allam) and Mirren, whose crusty yet vulnerable impersonation softens the anti-monarchist tone of the screenplay. A couple of instances of mild profanity and a few crass expressions. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Saturday, Feb. 20, 8-11 p.m. EST (ABC) "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004). Richly textured fantasy in which the young wizard (Daniel Radcliffe), aided by his two best friends (Emma Watson and Rupert Grint), seeks out a violent escapee (Gary Oldman) accused of killing his parents -- who also is suspected of plotting to murder Harry. Director Alfonso Cuaron's adaptation of J.K. Rowling's third Harry Potter novel covers darker emotional territory in masterful cinematic fashion, blending fantastical images with Harry's need to reconcile past familial tragedy and a mounting desire for vengeance. Some frightening images and scenes of intense menace. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Saturday, Feb. 20, 9-11:15 p.m. EST (Showtime) "The Reader" (2008). Necessarily bleak but well-played and directed (by Stephen Daldry) adaptation of Bernhard Schlink's controversial best-seller set in postwar Germany about the morally complex relationship between a lawyer (Ralph Fiennes) and the older woman (superb Kate Winslet) with whom he had an affair when he was a teenager (18-year-old David Kross), and to whom he would read the great works of literature. Though that early liaison is morally unacceptable, it serves as a metaphor for Germany's collective guilt and its impact on later generations, gingerly suggesting the possibility of emotional reconciliation. Underage sexual relationship including several encounters, nudity, divorce, suicide and disturbing Holocaust material. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification of the theatrical version was L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating was R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

TV program notes -- week of Feb. 14

 

Here are some television program notes for the week of Feb. 14 with their TV Parental Guidelines ratings if available. They have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by the Office for Film & Broadcasting.

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 9-10 p.m. EST (History) "America's Ice Age." A program charting the progress of different ice ages through the history of the planet, from "Snowball Earth" hundreds of millions of years ago to the recent ice ages. Part of the series "How the Earth Was Made."

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 10-11:30 p.m. EST (PBS) "Mine/Home." This episode of the series "Independent Lens" features two documentaries by Geralyn Pezanoski examining the impact of Hurricane Katrina. "Mine" tells the story of animals left behind during the storm, while "Home" mixes imagery from the filmmaker's childhood home before and after the 2005 disaster (TV-PG -- parental guidance suggested).

Wednesday, Feb. 17, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EST (EWTN) "Holy Mass with the Blessing of the Ashes (Live)." Pope Benedict XVI celebrates Ash Wednesday Mass from Rome's Basilica of St. Sabina, marking the beginning of Lent.

Thursday, Feb. 18, 10-11 p.m. EST (PBS) "Faith Hill, Greatest Hits." Backed by a full orchestra, country star Faith Hill performs selections from her most popular songs at the Sears Centre Arena outside Chicago. A "Soundstage" presentation (TV-PG -- parental guidance suggested).

Saturday, Feb. 20, 8-10 p.m. EST (EWTN) "Fatima." This special recounts the events of Fatima through the eyes of a Catholic peasant singer whose boyfriend is converted from atheism by the supernatural grace of the apparitions.