The Deep End of the Ocean
What it's about:
Nine years after their 3-year-old son disappears, Beth (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Pat (Treat Williams) discover he's back in the neighborhood.
Will kids want to watch it?:
No, the story is far too disturbing for preteens.
MPAA Rating:
PG-13
Sex/Nudity:
A little birth-control talk
Drugs/Alcohol:
The couple's older son is arrested for drunk driving.
Violence/Scariness:
Nothing graphic, but kids may find the subject matter terrifying.
Objectional words/phrases:
About 30
What's good about it:
The film shows just how easy it is to abduct a child.
What's not so good:
The film shows just how easy it is to abduct a child.
Appropriate ages:
13 and up
Analyze This
What it's about:
Mob boss Paul Vitti (Robert De Niro) demands help from psychiatrist Ben Sobel (Billy Crystal) when he begins to experience anxiety attacks.
Will kids want to watch it?:
Yes, the pairing of these wise guys will trigger bursts of laughter.
MPAA Rating:
R
Sex/Nudity:
Paul has sex with his mistress under the covers.
Drugs/Alcohol:
Social drinking
Violence/Scariness:
Bloodless shoot-outs; a man is thrown off a hotel balcony.
Objectional words/phrases:
More than 100
What's good about it:
Paul realizes a life of crime can be unhealthy.
What's not so good:
Should we really feel sympathy for a mobster?
Appropriate ages:
13 and up
Cruel Intentions
What it's about:
Spoiled rich kid Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) makes a bet with the equally manipulative Sebastian (Ryan Phillippe) that he can't seduce the virginal Annette (Reese Witherspoon).
Will kids want to watch it?:
They'll get a kick out of seeing their favorite actors in a modern-day Dangerous Liaisons.
MPAA Rating:
R
Sex/Nudity:
Sebastian's bare butt; endless sex talk; lots of couplings under the covers
Drugs/Alcohol:
Kathryn snorts cocaine; champagne drinking
Violence/Scariness:
A man dies after being hit by a cab.
Objectional words/phrases:
About 60
What's good about it:
Annette's ''manifesto'' to wait for marriage before having sex
What's not so good:
How easily she gives up her convictions
Appropriate ages:
17 and up
200 Cigarettes
What it's about:
Young New Yorkers (including Ben and Casey Affleck, and Christina Ricci) look for love — or settle for sex — on New Year's
Eve, 1981.
Will kids want to watch it?:
The hip cast and soundtrack — and the strong push by MTV — may lure them in.
MPAA Rating:
R
Sex/Nudity:
Nonstop sexual references; friends grope in a bathroom stall; provocative paintings
Drugs/Alcohol:
A cabdriver tokes on a joint; constant drinking and smoking.
Violence/Scariness:
None
Objectional words/phrases:
About 80
What's good about it:
Despite their quirks, most everyone manages to find a soul mate.
What's not so good:
The overall consensus that you must have sex on New Year's Eve
Appropriate ages:
15 and up
The Corruptor
What it's about:
The trust between decorated New York cop Nick Chen (Chow Yun-Fat) and rough-hewn rookie Danny Wallace (Mark Wahlberg) gets tested as they fight Chinatown gangs.
Will kids want to watch it?:
There's no denying the appeal of heartthrob Wahlberg and action legend Chow.
MPAA Rating:
R
Sex/Nudity:
Topless prostitutes and the backsides of their male clients; nude female corpses
Drugs/Alcohol:
Cops have beers; Danny's dad nips from a flask.
Violence/Scariness:
Lots of shootings, explosions, and bloody bodies
Objectional words/phrases:
About 60
What's good about it:
Its emphasis on the sacred bond between partners
What's not so good:
Most of the female characters are here just to bare their breasts.
Appropriate ages:
17 and up
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