Family Movie Guide
This guide includes "family films," potential blockbusters, and movies that might interest young people. Only films with G ratings are tagged as all-family fare by Hollywood. Most have stronger MPAA ratings that call for extra alertness from parents.
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The Family Movie Guide and the Monitor's more-comprehensive movie guide appear on alternate Fridays.
Our star ratings indicate the overall quality of movies, not their suitability for children. Star ratings that precede the credits are by Monitor critic David Sterritt. Star ratings that follow the credits are from a Monitor panel of at least three viewers.
Film Critic Monitor Panel Meaning
o o Forget it
* * Poor
** ** Fair
*** *** Good
**** **** Excellent
L5: FIRST CITY IN SPACE [Not rated]
**** Directed by Toni Myers and Allan Kroeker. With Rachel Walker, Denis Akiyama, Colin Fox, Genevieve Langlois, Martha Henry. Running time: 35 minutes.
PLOT A seven-year-old girl grows up in a humanly made city between Earth and the moon, and she looks on as her father single-handedly solves a water-supply problem that threatens the community's existence.
MESSAGE Technology will make life richer and happier in the future.
SEX, VIOLENCE, PROFANITY, DRUGS/ALCOHOL None.
MICROCOSMOS [G]
**** Directed by Claude Nuridsany and Marie Perennou. With members of the insect kingdom. Running time: 77 minutes.
PLOT A close-up look at the world of insects.
MESSAGE Insect life is varied and colorful.
SEX, PROFANITY, DRUGS/ALCOHOL None.
VIOLENCE Some natural violence among insects.
SMALL WONDERS [G]
**** Directed by Allan Miller. With Roberta Guaspari-Tzavaras, Isaac Stern. Running time: 80 minutes.
PLOT A dedicated New Yorker helps change the lives of inner-city children by teaching them to play the violin and helping them showcase their achievements at Carnegie Hall.
MESSAGE Devoted teaching can work wonders despite arts-related budget cuts and other obstacles.
SEX, VIOLENCE, PROFANITY, DRUGS/ALCOHOL None.
THE FIRST WIVES CLUB [PG]
*** Directed by Hugh Wilson. With Diane Keaton, Goldie Hawn, Bette Midler, Maggie Smith, Dan Hedaya, Marcia Gay Harden, Bronson Pinchot. Running time: 105 minutes. ***
PLOT Outraged that their husbands have left them for younger companions, three middle-aged women get together and plot revenge.
MESSAGE Women can fight sexism through solidarity and single-mindedness.
SEX None, but a sensual atmosphere in some scenes.
VIOLENCE A little comic fighting.
PROFANITY A few four-letter words.
DRUGS/ALCOHOL A few drinking scenes, and one main character is a problem drinker.
THE GRASS HARP [PG]
*** Directed by Charles Matthau. With Walter Matthau, Edward Furlong, Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Nell Carter. Running time: 107 minutes.
PLOT A boy is raised in the South by his highly eccentric aunts and their feisty maid.
MESSAGE Eccentrics can teach us worthwhile lessons if we accept them as real and valuable individuals.
SEX, DRUGS/ALCOHOL None.
VIOLENCE A little comic fighting.
PROFANITY A few vulgarities.
INFINITY [PG]
*** Directed by Matthew Broderick. With Matthew Broderick, Patricia Arquette, Peter Riegert. Running time: 119 minutes.
PLOT Bright young scientist Richard Feynman falls in love, marries, and cares for his increasingly ill spouse while developing his expertise in physics and working on the Los Alamos nuclear project in the 1940s.
