The Dialog

By John Mulderig

Catholic News Service

A great American novel doesn’t always, it seems, translate into a sure-fire film property. A case in point: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic 1925 tale, “The Great Gatsby.”

Director and co-writer Baz Luhrmann’s current 3-D adaptation is at least the fourth effort to bring Fitzgerald’s chronicle of the Jazz Age to the big screen, the first of which dates back to the silent era.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan star in a scene from the movie “The Great Gatsby.” The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults.

Since that 1926 production has long been lost, it’s impossible to assess its merits from this remove. But neither of its successors, director Elliott Nugent’s 1949 version starring Alan Ladd and Betty Field and Jack Clayton’s 1974 release featuring Robert Redford and Mia Farrow, generated much critical enthusiasm.

Despite its star power and a script by Francis Ford Coppola, Clayton’s offering was widely regarded as pretty but listless. Though that’s unlikely to be anyone’s assessment of Luhrmann’s film, which is, if anything, overcharged and bursting at the seams, there are other problems afoot.

In particular, Luhrmann’s splashy, sometimes cartoonish approach to the material creates a fablelike setting that distances viewers from Fitzgerald’s characters, and thereby lessens the emotional impact of their downfall.

Here’s the setup: Narrator Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), Mid-western-bred scion of the WASP establishment, moves to New York, becomes a tyro bond salesman and rents an inexpensive summer cottage on Long Island as a venue for weekend getaways.

His neighbor there, the occupant of a vast, fantastical mansion, is iconic self-made man and would-be social insider Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). Gatsby’s past is shadowy; so too is the source of his seemingly inexhaustible wealth.

Besides sharing the same neighborhood, Nick and Gatsby have something else in common as well: Nick’s alluring cousin Daisy (Carey Mulligan), whom Gatsby, as a World War I-era G.I., once romanced and for whom he continues to carry an obsessively blazing torch. There’s just one difficulty: Daisy is now married to old-money millionaire and despicable cad Tom Buchanan (Joel Edgerton).

At Gatsby’s request, Nick engineers a reunion for the duo, hardly guessing that the renewed connection will lead on, first to adultery, then to a disastrous confrontation with Tom and finally, through convoluted circumstances, to tragedy.

Luhrmann revels in the frenzied decadence of Gatsby’s lifestyle, choreographing the riotous, gin-laden parties the mystery man hosts in a manner that suggests Busby Berkeley on hallucinogens.

Additionally, Luhrmann’s script, penned in collaboration with Craig Pearce, tends to glamorize the sinful relationship at the heart of the story, suggesting that an unpleasant spouse and the inherent superiority of the illicit lovers are reason enough to ignore the Sixth Commandment.

As Gatsby himself might put it: Not so, old sport.

The film contains scenes of both lethal and nonlethal violence with minimal gore, an uncritical view of adultery, brief semi-graphic adulterous activity as well as some other sexual content, a glimpse of partial nudity, a few uses of profanity, a couple of crude terms and a religious slur. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III – adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13.

By John Mulderig

Catholic News Service

To paraphrase the title of an earlier movie about the national pastime, hate strikes out in the historical drama “42.” Writer-director Brian Helgeland’s uplifting, if sometimes heavy-handed, film recounts the 1947 reintegration of professional baseball after decades of segregated play.

As Helgeland’s script shows us, this racial breakthrough — which marked a significant milestone in the onward march of the civil rights movement — was made possible by the collaborative efforts of Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey (Harrison Ford) and Negro League star Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman).

Lucas Black and Chadwick Boseman star in a scene from the movie “42.” The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults.

In the aftermath of World War II, Rickey was determined to add a black player to the roster of “Dem Bums.” In Robinson — whose Dodgers uniform, once he eventually donned it, bore the number of the title — Rickey found a sportsman with sufficient character to endure all the abuse that would have to be faced to make this change a reality.

Rickey’s motivation was in part, of course, financial; in a diverse city like New York, integrated play would lead to an expanded fan base. But, if the narrative here is accurate, both his vision and Robinson’s courage also can be attributed to their shared Christian faith.

This bond is first indicated in a humorous way when Rickey, reviewing Robinson’s file, observes that everything is going to work out fine since “he’s a Methodist, I’m a Methodist, God’s a Methodist … .”

Later, in describing to Robinson the forbearance he will need to demonstrate, Rickey gravely compares it to that of “our Savior.” And, while remonstrating with a racist opponent, Rickey reminds him — albeit somewhat jokingly — that he will someday stand before God to be judged.

Catholicism is only specifically referred to in passing — and in a retrospectively curious light. Rickey learns from the commissioner of baseball that his manager, the legendary Leo Durocher (Christopher Meloni), is being suspended from the game for a year. The Catholic Youth Organization, it seems, objects to the flagrantly adulterous affair Durocher has been carrying on with his mistress. The organization’s threat of a boycott, so the commissioner assures Rickey, is not to be ignored.

Robinson’s marriage, by contrast, is shown to be both a model of success and a crucial source of support in his struggle. As he courts and marries his sweetheart Rachel (Nicole Beharie) — and as they embark on parenthood together — she proves a tower of strength to her husband, by turns egging him on and cooling him down.

Swelling music and other atmospherics occasionally convey the impression that Helgeland’s picture is too convinced of its own importance. But the proceedings are buoyed by the feisty righteousness with which Ford, in a splendid turn, endows Rickey and by the inspiring example of Robinson’s unbreakable determination.

While the elements listed below would normally exclude youthful viewers, the moral impact of Rickey and Robinson’s history-altering partnership may make their story acceptable for older teens.

The film contains an adultery theme, racial slurs, fleeting humor implicitly referencing homosexuality, a few uses of profanity, at least one crude term and occasional crass language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

By John Mulderig

Catholic News Service

Large-scale landscapes and shiny gadgets make for arresting visuals in the science fiction epic “Oblivion.” But director Joseph Kosinski’s emotionally shallow adaptation of his own graphic novel is further undermined by logical lapses and some dubious philosophizing.

While mature moviegoers may shrug off the amateur metaphysics of Karl Gajdusek’s script easily enough, taken together with its ethical complexities, difficult to probe for fear of spoilers, they make this convoluted dystopian drama wholly unsuitable for young or impressionable viewers.

Olga Kurylenko and Tom Cruise star in a scene from the movie “Oblivion.” The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (CNS photo/Universal)

Protagonist Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) does his best to fill us in: It’s 2077; 60 years ago invading aliens known as Scavengers shattered the moon and almost conquered Earth. Though they failed, the consequences of lunar fragmentation and worldwide combat made global warming seem like meteorological chump change. Fortunately, humanity managed to find itself a new home on Saturn’s moon Titan.

So what’s Jack, a trained technician, doing back on the home planet? Along with a navigator named Victoria (Andrea Riseborough), Jack has been dispatched to tend machinery that allows the folks on Titan to continue harvesting Earth’s natural resources, especially water. A romantic as well as professional pair, Jack and Victoria lead a cozy, placid life under the watchful guidance of mission control.

All that begins to change with the unexpected arrival of Julia (Olga Kurylenko), an astronaut from the days before the intergalactic war. Her crash landing draws an unexpected and troubling response from Jack’s superiors.

Jack’s peace of mind is further disturbed by his encounter with a group of guerilla freedom fighters. Beech (Morgan Freeman), their chief, challenges the inquisitive repairman to test the version of history mission control has long been feeding him.

The far end of Jack’s journey of discovery offers audiences some self-sacrificing heroics and a resolution that sees pride-based blasphemy receive its comeuppance. Yet potentially troubling questions about the relationship of physical and spiritual identity also are thrown into the mix. The revelation of Julia’s true role makes Jack’s initial domestic situation retrospectively problematic.

Well-grounded audience members may succeed in winnowing through all these elements. But they may also wind up asking themselves whether the material at hand justifies so much prudential effort.

The film contains an objectively immoral living arrangement, a scene of sensuality with shadowy rear and partial nudity, a couple of uses of profanity, at least one rough term and a smattering of crude and crass language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III, adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13.

By Joseph McAleer

Catholic News Service

Dynamite and decibels are the real stars of the explosion-laden, ear-splitting 3-D extravaganza “G.I. Joe: Retaliation.”

Director Jon M. Chu (“Step Up 3D”) clearly enjoys using every toy in the special effects box to craft elaborate blasts, gunfights, and kung-fu combat. Fortunately, the violence is more cartoonish than graphic (toymaker Hasbro co-produced the film), and frequent interludes of buddy-bonding talk provide welcome relief to the eyes and ears.

The film picks up where its predecessor, 2009’s “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra,” left off. With the help of shape-shifting nanotechnology (think cyborg mosquitoes), the wicked Zartan (Arnold Vosloo) has kidnapped the president (Jonathan Pryce) and assumed his identity. Zartan’s mission is world domination (of course) via a monster space-based weapon, code-named Zeus. Read more »

By John Mulderig

Catholic News Service

Derived from a novel by “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer, the ponderous, dramatically inept science fiction tale “The Host” is clearly aimed at teen viewers. But the murky circumstances of its central love affair make it too morally obscure for most adolescents.

As for those in a more mature demographic, while they may be better equipped to discern an ethically acceptable path through it all, they may not want to bother.

This ill-conceived dystopian project rests on the premise that alien spirits have taken over the bodies of most human beings. Read more »

By Joseph McAleer

Catholic News Service

Dustin Hoffman steps behind the camera for his directorial debut with “Quartet,” a comedy-drama about musical artists who face the ultimate curtain call: a date with the Grim Reaper.

Based on the play by Ronald Harwood (who also wrote the screenplay), “Quartet” casts senior citizens in the same warm and fuzzy glow as last year’s “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” Amid the gags and catfights, however, lie serious reflections on the challenges of aging and a reminder to embrace the talents of our still-vital elderly.

Billy Connolly, Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay and Pauline Collins star in a scene from the movie “Quartet.” The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults.

Beecham House in the picturesque English countryside is a home for retired singers and musicians. As such, it’s a haven for eccentrics and outsize egos, ringing true Bette Davis’ famous observation, “Old age is not for sissies.”

Impresario Cedric Livingston (Michael Gambon) corrals the residents to put on a fundraiser every year on composer Giuseppe Verdi’s birthday. His dream is to reunite four legendary opera singers who once performed the “Quartet” from Verdi’s “Rigoletto.”

“It would be as if Maria Callas made her comeback,” he predicts.

The ensemble is made up of newly arrived, acid-tongued diva Jean Horton (Maggie Smith), her gentle ex-husband Reginald Paget (Tom Courtenay), dotty Cecily Robson (Pauline Collins), who’s in the early stages of dementia, and randy rogue Wilfred Bond (Billy Connolly). Wilf, as he’s known, is forever flirting with the young staff.

All of the singers are keen for the reunion, except Jean, who fears stepping into the spotlight again. “My gift deserted me,” she tells Reginald.

“It deserted us all,” he says. “It’s called life.”

Jean has an ulterior motive: to reconcile with Reginald, whom she abandoned for an affair with a rival tenor. She regrets the indiscretion, but Reginald is still bitter.

“I wanted a dignified senility,” he muses. “Fat chance now that she’s here.”

Still, the show must go on, and nothing tempts an aging performer more than the smell of greasepaint and the glare of the footlights.

The salty language in “Quartet’ and the script’s rather juvenile obsession with sex (it’s ripe with British euphemisms like “rumpy-pumpy”) distract somewhat from the fun of watching the veteran actors perform as well as from the pleasures afforded by the glorious soundtrack.

The film contains sexual innuendo and some profane and rough language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

By John P. McCarthy

Catholic News Service

In “Silver Linings Playbook,” filmmaker David O. Russell attempts to fashion a winsome romantic comedy that also addresses mental illness with perceptiveness and sensitivity.

It’s not an easy maneuver to pull off. But it works because the source material, a novel by Matthew Quick, is rooted in an actual place populated by relatable characters, the acting ensemble is terrific, and Russell, who writes and directs, doesn’t shy away from awkwardness or feel-good sentiment.

Jacki Weaver and Robert DeNiro star in a scene from the movie “Silver Linings Playbook.” The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults.

By turns uncomfortable, funny and touching, “Silver Linings Playbook” is big-hearted, off-kilter entertainment. The volume of four-letter words is the only major drawback, although one is more inclined to excuse foul language when it’s symptomatic of clinically verifiable anxiety.

Neuroses, disorders and syndromes abound in the middle-class Philadelphia neighborhood where the Solitano family lives. Exhibit A is Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), whose mother Dolores (Jacki Weaver) checks him out of a Baltimore psychiatric hospital early in the movie. Ignoring professional advice, she’s willing to take legal responsibility for her son. “I don’t want him to get used to the routine here,” she tells a protesting doctor.

Turns out, Pat caught his wife Nikki (Brea Bee) cheating on him and beat up the interloper: a colleague of Nikki’s from the high school where they both taught. That incident, plus other unbalanced behavior only alluded to, resulted in a court-ordered stint in the mental institution and a restraining order barring him from coming within 500 feet of Nikki.

Pat moves into his parents’ house and, armed with an empowering motto (“Excelsior!”), pledges to remake himself by getting into better physical shape and reading all the books Nikki assigns to her students. His sole aim is to get back together with her and salvage their marriage.

During Pat’s eight-month absence, his father Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro) lost his pension and became a bookmaker. A Philadelphia Eagles fanatic, the elder Solitano is fervent about football in general. While profiting from taking people’s bets, he superstitiously follows a set of rituals that point to an obsessive-compulsive personality. The fact he’s been banned for life from Eagles home games for fighting indicates he too is prone to violent outbursts.

Shortly after coming home, Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a young widow in the neighborhood who reacted to her husband’s sudden death by acting out sexually. The two have much in common, most noticeably a lack of verbal inhibition that makes social interaction difficult. In due course, Tiffany volunteers to deliver a letter to Nikki, thereby circumventing the restraining order. In return, she asks Pat to help her train for an upcoming dance competition.

Ornamented with colorful secondary figures, the plot trajectory is familiar, but the character-driven screenplay manages to avoid cliche. Russell gets superbly naturalistic performances from the cast. Cooper, best known for raunchy comedies, proves he’s got real acting chops and Lawrence continues to demonstrate she’s a major talent. Doing his best work in years, De Niro gives an empathetic performance.

Like Pat and Tiffany, “Silver Linings Playbook” is volatile and moody. Yet beneath the genuine anguish there’s an abundance of sincere emotion.

The message about silver linings, about our ability to overcome unfortunate circumstances feels less like a Hollywood contrivance than the truth. And the notion that the line between normal and crazy isn’t as clear as we often assume suggests that being judgmental short-circuits both hope and understanding.

The film contains brief glimpses of a violent assault, fleeting rear and partial female nudity, some profane language, frequent crude and crass terms and sexual innuendo. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III , adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R, restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

By Joseph McAleer

Catholic News Service

If your Christmas wish list includes a lavish, big-budget musical crafted in the classic Hollywood manner, then “Les Miserables” is just the ticket.

This rousing entertainment offers something for everyone: soaring anthems, tear-jerking romance, thrilling drama — and a positive portrayal of the Catholic faith.

In fact, this faithful adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel, which was transformed into a worldwide stage sensation by impresario Cameron Mackintosh, is a deeply moral story. Characters rise and fall calling on God for grace and mercy, seeking personal redemption while trying to better the lives of others.

As the central character, ex-convict Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman), comes to realize, “To love another person is to see the face of God.”

Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway star in a scene from “Les Miserables,” the big-screen adaptation of the long-running stage show. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. (CNS photo/Universal Studios)

Director Tom Hooper (“The King’s Speech”) paints with an enormous brush and “Les Miserables” is staged on an epic scale, overstuffed with grand set pieces and hundreds of extras. Hooper’s fondness for extreme close-ups heightens the emotional wallop, and will likely send some viewers scrambling for tissues.

The labyrinthine story spans two decades in post-revolutionary France and revolves around three characters: Valjean, who breaks his probation and seeks a fresh start; Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe), obsessed with finding Valjean and bringing him to justice; and the doomed Fantine (Anne Hathaway), who sacrifices everything for the care of her out-of-wedlock daughter, Cosette (Isabelle Allen).

The kindness of a Catholic bishop (Colm Wilkinson) convinces Valjean to amend his life. Over time, he changes his identity, becoming the benevolent mayor of a village and a factory owner. When Fantine is unjustly fired from his factory and forced into a life of prostitution, Valjean steps in, promising the now-dying woman that he will raise Cosette as his own.

Cosette has been living with the Thenardiers (Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter), wicked tavern owners and professional pickpockets. Their collusion with Javert makes for a narrow escape for Valjean.

Years pass, and Cosette has blossomed into a refined young woman (Amanda Seyfried). On a Paris street she meets a young revolutionary, Marius (Eddie Redmayne). It’s love at first sight, much to the chagrin of fellow rebel Eponine (Samantha Barks), who happens to be the Thenardiers’ daughter.

Can Cosette and Marius’ love survive the rising tensions of the mob, as streets are barricaded and weapons drawn? Is Javert closing in on Valjean at long last? “Les Miserables” barrels along to a satisfying climax that is profound in its endorsement of the power of faith.

With little spoken dialogue and 50 songs from composer Claude-Michel Shonberg, and lyricist Herbert Kretzmer, “Les Miserables” is more opera than musical. Fortunately the actors’ pipes are up to the challenge, especially Hathaway, whose heartbreaking rendition of the signature tune, “I Dreamed a Dream,” is sensational.

The film contains scenes of bloody violence, a prostitution theme, and nongraphic nonmarital sexual activity. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III, adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13.

By Joseph McAleer

Catholic News Service

The Greek philosopher Aristotle observed, “There is not great genius without a mixture of madness.” Case in point: “Hitchcock,” an absorbing portrait of the legendary film director during the making of his biggest success, the 1960 horror classic “Psycho.”

The “Master of Suspense” gets quite a dressing-down in this adaptation of Stephen Rebello’s 1990 book “Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho,” directed by newcomer Sacha Gervasi. The famously corpulent director (Anthony Hopkins, unrecognizable under layers of prosthetics) was, apparently, a psychological mess, a compulsive voyeur who fantasized about his leading ladies and terrorized his staff.

Anthony Hopkins stars in a scene from the movie “Hitchcock.” The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults.

Hitchcock was also, it seems, a control freak who suspected the motives of just about everyone, even his devoted wife, Alma (Helen Mirren).

Intriguingly, Alma seems to have been his muse and the power behind the throne. A talented editor in her own right, this endlessly patient spouse knew how to sober “Hitch” up and save the day. The tender story of their tempestuous yet faithful marriage is a high point of the film.

In 1959, Hitchcock was the world’s greatest director with a string of stylish thrillers to his name, most recently “Vertigo” and “North by Northwest.” But he was always searching for his next hit, and Hollywood was changing fast.

“Audiences want to be shocked,” Hitchcock observes. “They want something different.”

To meet the challenge, he settles on “Psycho,” a sensational novel by Robert Bloch, based on the real-life case of notorious serial killer Ed Gein. The lurid story is rejected by the studio, so Hitchcock opts to go it alone, financing the movie himself and crafting a sensational publicity campaign.

At one point, he orders this staff to purchase every copy of “Psycho” in the United States to prevent the public from knowing the plot and the ending.

“Hitchcock” goes behind the scenes of the production, with stars playing stars, including Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, whose character was destined to die in that famous shower scene; and James D’Arcy as Anthony Perkins, playing Norman Bates, the twisted motel owner who is dominated by his mother.

Even the ghost of Gein (Michael Wincott) pops up on set, to ask Hitchcock tauntingly why he would make such a shocking film.

Why indeed. Raised a Catholic and reconciled to his faith before his death in 1980, Hitchcock can be said to have done a great disservice with “Psycho.” As this film shows, he battled the Hollywood censors to allow an unprecedented degree of explicitness: In addition to the infamous shower scene, “Psycho” was also the first mainstream movie to show an unmarried couple in bed together.

There were long-term implications to Hitchcock’s “victory.” His triumph over the censors contributed to the breakdown of the long-standing production code that had regulated movie content since the 1930s.

The film contains graphic recreations of movie-making violence, a scene of implied adultery, sexual innuendo and some profane and rough language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III, adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13.

By John Mulderig

Catholic News Service

With the unsurprising exception of Jesus Christ, more books are said to have been written about President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) than about any other person in history.

As for the screen, our most fascinating, and arguably greatest, chief executive has been portrayed by such Hollywood luminaries as Walter Huston (“Abraham Lincoln,” 1930), Henry Fonda (1939′s “Young Mr. Lincoln”) and Raymond Massey (“Abe Lincoln in Illinois,” 1940).

Actor Daniel Day-Lewis portrays U.S. president Abraham Lincoln in a scene from the movie “Lincoln.” The Catholic News Service classification is A-III — adults.

Those estimable names notwithstanding, it’s hard to imagine that any actor has ever inhabited the persona of the legendary rail-splitter quite as convincingly as Daniel Day-Lewis does in director Steven Spielberg’s splendid historical drama “Lincoln.” Day-Lewis’ bravura performance is undeniably the highlight, though by no means the only asset, of this engrossing profile.

The plot focuses on the Civil War president’s passionate yet wily struggle, during the closing days of that conflict, to steer a constitutional amendment abolishing slavery through Congress. Aided by his secretary of state, William Seward (David Strathairn), but distracted by his troubled personal life, Sally Field plays his wife, Mary, Lincoln uses rhetoric to win over his hesitant Cabinet and patronage to woo his congressional opponents.

As for the Great Emancipator’s ostensible allies on Capitol Hill, irascible Rep. Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania (a marvelous Tommy Lee Jones) hurls withering sarcasm at all and sundry and openly avows his mistrust of Lincoln.

Whether in line with history or not, a scene showing Stevens sharing his bed with his mixed-race housekeeper presents a curious moral quandary: Assuming that they could not marry by law, but would have tied the knot if permitted to, the guilt, if any, attaching to their relationship must have been considerably mitigated by the force of unjust circumstances.

Along with the tension created by Mary’s neurotic behavior, Lincoln is also burdened by grief over the untimely death of his son Willie two years before the events of the movie. Though not especially close to his oldest son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) — whose intense desire to join the Army poses a threat to Mary’s sanity, and thus presents his father with a terrible dilemma — Lincoln dotes on his youngest child, Tad (Gulliver McGrath). Like the Lincoln marriage, however, their touching bond is tinged by the tragedy of Willie’s absence.

The trajectory of Spielberg’s tale is, by its nature, uplifting, while Lincoln’s multifaceted personality, which encompassed idealism, political shrewdness, melancholy, humor and even a few endearing foibles, is vividly illuminated in Tony Kushner’s screenplay. As his script reveals, however, Lincoln was not above telling an earthy anecdote if it advanced a point he wished to make, nor were those around him too refined to employ vulgarity for the sake of emphasis from time to time.

Still, some parents may consider the educational value and moral import of the film, which is based, in part, on Doris Kearns Goodwin’s 2006 book “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln,” sufficient to overcome the elements listed below, thus allowing for patronage by older adolescents.

The film contains intense but mostly bloodless battlefield violence, a scene involving severed limbs, cohabitation, about a dozen uses of profanity, racial slurs, a couple of rough terms and occasional crude and crass language. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III, adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13.