Parents? Guide to upcoming films

Parents? Guide to upcoming films

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What it’s about Fast-food fatale Sally (Drew Barrymore) has a whopper of a time trying to cope with the death of the man who impregnated her.
Will kids want to watch it? Drew is definitely a draw, but this tepid black comedy will leave a bad taste in their mouths.
MPAA Rating PG-13
Sex/Nudity None
Drugs/Alcohol Sally’s dad is an alcoholic; a pilot has a beer.
Violence/Scariness A man suffers a fatal heart attack; Sally’s father holds children at gunpoint.
Objectionable words/Phrases About 35
What’s good about it? Sally’s determination and her ability to handle problems on her own
What’s not so good? It may over-glamorize single motherhood to impressionable teens.
Appropriate ages 12 and up

Very Bad Things
What it’s about A bachelor party (guests include Christian Slater and Jon Favreau) goes terribly wrong when the stripper hired for the night is killed in a freak accident.
Will kids want to watch it? They might be curious, but this is a sicko story; Cameron Diaz is far from a blushing bride.
MPAA Rating R
Sex/Nudity The bare breasts and derriere of a prostitute; one guy’s bare butt
Drugs/Alcohol The guys indulge in drug abuse and excessive drinking.
Violence/Scariness The stripper gets impaled; bodies are hacked up and buried in the desert.
Objectionable Words/Phrases More than 100
What’s good about it? The message that you can’t get away with murder
What’s not so good? The way the guys try to rationalize their actions
Appropriate ages 17 and up

Babe: Pig in the City
What it’s about That precocious porker takes a walk on the wild side when he leaves the farm for a trip to the urban jungle.
Will kids want to watch it? Yes, but this sequel has more of a dark side than its charming predecessor.
MPAA Rating G
Sex/Nudity None
Drugs/Alcohol None
Violence/Scariness Babe’s owner is injured; Babe is pignapped and chased by savage dogs
Objectionable Words/Phrases None
What’s good about it? Babe’s heart is even bigger than his belly.
What’s not so good? The lack of compassion many of the humans feel toward animals
Appropriate Ages 5 and up

Ringmaster
What it’s about A graphic behind-the-scenes look at the guests who appear on a controversial TV talk show hosted by Jerry Farrelly (Jerry Springer) to discuss their sordid sex lives.
Will kids want to watch it? Unfortunately, yes, your teens probably will.
MPAA Rating R
Sex/Nudity Many, many sexual situations and topless women
Drugs/Alcohol A mom tells her daughter it’s okay to drink during pregnancy.
Violence/Scariness The usual on-air brawls and catfights
Objectionable Words/Phrases More than 100
What’s good about it? Your own teens will feel like their lives are great, compared with these losers’.
What’s not so good? Morality takes a backseat to the guests’ hunger for fame.
Appropriate Ages 15 and up

Enemy of the State
What it’s about Attorney Robert Clayton Dean (Will Smith) is targeted by a ruthless National Security Agency head (Jon Voight) who uses high-tech surveillance methods to try to cover up a murder.
Will kids want to watch it? Yes, teens will especially love the cutting-edge gadgets that play a big part in this action thriller.
MPAA Rating R
Sex/Nudity Scantily clad lingerie-store saleswomen model their wares.
Drugs/Alcohol Mobsters drink; Dean has a glass of wine.
Violence/Scariness A shoot-out leaves almost everyone dead; lethal injections, explosions, car accidents.
Objectionable Words/Phrases More than 100
What’s good about it? All the bad guys get their just deserts.
What’s not so good? The prospect that privacy may no longer be an inherent civil right
Appropriate Ages 15 and up