‘Abduction,’ ‘Moneyball’ OK for the family
Published 12:01 am Monday, September 26, 2011
A guide to movies from a family perspective:
“Abduction”
Rated: PG-13.
Suitable for: Teens and older.
What you should know: Taylor Lautner plays a teen who stumbles upon an image of himself as a boy on a missing-persons website. He realizes his parents are not his
own and his life is a lie and he goes on the run. It has some irresponsible scenes in which he and a pal ride on the hood of a speeding vehicle, and Lautner’s character and others get drunk at a teen pool party.
Language: Some strong language.
Sexual situations and nudity: Lautner is seen without his shirt and there is a brief teen make-out session.
Violence/scary situations: There are explosions, and Lautner’s character shows off his martial-arts skills with much kicking and punching. There is some gunplay and a disturbing thread about a teen being stalked online.
Drug or alcohol use: Adults consume wine and teens drink beer at a house party.
“Dolphin Tale”
Rated: PG.
Suitable for: Kindergartners and older.
What you should know: This movie is inspired by a true story about a dolphin, later called Winter, who lost her tail after getting tangled in a crab trap. She is taken to a marine hospital where she is nursed back to health. Winter plays herself.
Language: None.
Sexual situations and nudity: None.
Violence/scary situations: Word of a serviceman injured in an explosion, and there are (generally uplifting) images of veterans and others with missing or artificial limbs. Brief talk about a mother who died.
Drug or alcohol use: None.
“Moneyball”
Rated: PG-13.
Suitable for: Mature tweens with an appreciation for baseball, and older.
What you should know: Brad Pitt stars in the real-life story of Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane, a high-school wunderkind whose professional career fizzled and whose team has been raided by bigger, richer outfits. He reinvents how players are recruited thanks to an Ivy Leaguer and stats geek (Jonah Hill).
Language: Two F-words and about a dozen milder three- or four-letter words.
Sexual situations and nudity: Clean, other than a reference to a strip club.
Violence/scary situations: Confined to outbursts of temper, of which there are many.
Drug or alcohol use: Adults are shown with drinks.
