Family-friendly films

HOLLYWOOD IS FREQUENTLY CRITICIZED for bombarding the public with violent and sexually explicit material in the guise of entertainment. Luckily, though, there are a few filmmakers whose work exemplifies the values parents may want to instill in their children: generosity of spirit, love of family, respect for others, and personal responsibility. The following films are among the best of 1995, inspiring and entertaining audiences with a minimum of objectionable language, violence, and sexual situations common in today's entertainment.

For All Ages

A Little Princess (G)

Family entertainment doesn't get much better than this film based on the classic children's story by Frances Hodgson Burnett. At a posh boarding school, young Sara Crewe (Liesel Matthews) is a favorite with classmates, who love her vivid imagination and generous heart, and with the school's matron, who loves her money. But when Sara's father is reportedly killed in World War I, she is left penniless and alone and must look inside herself to reclaim the magic she once believed in.

Visually stunning and richly detailed, A Little Princess may inspire parents and kids who have never read the book to open it and enjoy it together. (Warner Bros.)

The Indian in the Cupboard (PG)

A mystical adventure awaits Omri (Hal Scardino) when he receives a magical, old cupboard for his ninth birthday that brings his toy Indian to life. It's up to Omri to help his tiny friend survive in his new surroundings, which becomes more complicated when a toy cowboy is also transformed. But friendships are forged, perspectives are shared, and everyone grows from the experience.

Based on the book by Lynne Reid Banks, The Indian in the Cupboard is an entertaining fantasy with many positive messages. The PG rating stems from very mild language and violence, and most parents will find the film suitable for even their youngest children. (Paramount)

Pocahontas (G)

A real-life heroine is the subject of this animated musical adventure about the legendary Native American princess whose diplomacy enabled peace between her people and the settlers of Jamestown, Virginia. Disney may be guilty of rewriting history by cooking up a romance between Pocahontas and John Smith, but the result is a poignant love story that dramatizes the movie's larger theme of racial and cultural tolerance. The Indians and settlers view each other as "filthy heathens" and "white demons," prejudice based on fear rather than experience. Only through honest, face-to-face interaction can the two sides reach mutual understanding and acceptance.

Valiant, self-assured, and deeply spiritual, Pocahontas is Disney's most admirable heroine to date. Her real-life courage, compassion, and adventurous spirit make her an able role model for both girls and boys. (Walt Disney)

Apollo 2.3 (PG)

Tom Hanks stars in this film about the thwarted 1970 lunar mission that kept the nation in suspense for an agonizing four days. Fifty-five hours after liftoff, a series of explosions rocks the Apollo 13 command module, triggering Jim Lovell's (Hanks) famous understatement: "Houston, we have a problem." With the spacecraft miles from earth, the astronauts and ground crew must summon their best efforts to bring the vessel safely home. Although the story is a familiar one and most viewers know the ending, the film still manages to be? suspenseful without straying from the facts because, in this case, truth is far more exciting than fiction.

If parents can overlook the occasional profanity, Apollo 13 is a film the whole family can enjoy together, although very young children may lose interest when it becomes too technical for them to understand. (Universal)

For 13-and-up Viewers

A Walk in the Clouds (PG-:13)

Director Alfonso Arau (Like Water for Chocolate) presents a tale of love, family, and unbending integrity, starring Keanu Reeves as a young World War Il veteran trying to start a new life with the woman he married in haste before shipping overseas. On a business trip he meets an unwed, pregnant woman and agrees to pose as her husband to save her from her father's wrath. As they play out their charade at her family's Napa Valley vineyard, the two fall passionately in love, but honor keeps them apart. (Remember this is the 1940s, when the phrases "forsaking all others" and "until death do us part" were taken seriously.

In this charming, old-fashioned romance, sexual encounters are merely suggested, battlefield flashbacks are vivid but not horrifying, and family love endures. (20th Century Fox)

First Knight (PG-.13)

This exciting retelling of the Camelot legend is far more satisfying than the pretty but one-dimensional musical about the famous love triangle. In this version, Guinevere (Julia Ormond) is brave and honorable and deeply in love with the noble King Arthur (Sean Connery), and Lancelot (Richard Gere) is a wandering swordsman who falls in love with her without knowing who she really is. Despite her love for Arthur, Guinevere cannot deny her feelings for Lancelot, and in one moment of weakness shatters the faith of her adoring husband.

Men fight viciously in the film's numerous combat scenes; the violence is intense and sometimes graphic without being exploitative. Guinevere and Lancelot share nothing but a passionate kiss, heightening the romantic and tragic elements of the story and proving that less is more--a concept many Hollywood filmmakers don't seem to understand. (Columbia)

While You Were Sleeping (PG)

At a time when much of entertainment is either darkly violent or insipid, witty romantic comedies seem like a breath of fresh air, no matter how predictable the happy ending. While You Were Sleeping stars Sandra Bullock as a lonely woman mistaken for the fiancee of a comatose man by his warm and loving family. The film will charm audiences with its good-hearted characters, gentle humor, and tender romance.

The dialogue contains a few profanities and vulgarities, as well as mild sexual innuendos. If you're looking for a movie with no explosions, bathroom jokes, or "Saturday Night Live" alumni, put this one at the top of your list. (Hollywood Pictures)

Tall Tale: The Unbelievable Adventures of Pecos Bill (PG)

American folklore comes to life in this movie, a cross between your favorite western adventure and The Wizard of Oz. When a railroad baron threatens to gobble up the family farm, 12-year-old Daniel (Nick Stahl) is entrusted with the deed to the land by his father and embarks on a fantastic journey to try to save their farm and preserve their way of life. Along the way he meets up with Pecos Bill (Patrick Swayze), Paul Bunyon Oliver Platt), and John Henry (Roger Aaron Brown), who help Daniel find his way back home. Children will love the action and adventure in Tall Tale, as well as the fantasy and humor, and parents will appreciate the positive messages about family relationships, courage, hope, and the tradeoffs that come with progress. While the moderate violence may be a concern for parents of small children, Tall Tale is a superb family film that will be enjoyed by all ages. (Walt Disney)

ANN ROBERTS is the publisher of Parental Discretion: Movie Previews for Responsible Parents, available by contracting her at PO Box 758, Colleyville, TX 76034 (81 7-428-2001). She lives with her husband, Duane, and twin sons (2).

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