The following are capsule reviews of movies recently reviewed by the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. USCCB and Motion Picture Association of America ratings are in parentheses.

Aurora Borealis (Regent)
Overly long tale of unmotivated Minnesota man (an appealing Joshua Jackson) who takes on a maintenance job at an assisted living facility to be near his ailing grandfather (Donald Sutherland) and falls in love with his granddad's home health aide (Juliette Lewis), while allowing his philandering brother (Steven Pasquale) to use his apartment for extramarital trysts. James Burke's downbeat film scores points for its compassionate portrayal of the elderly and their need for care and the acting is generally good, but the result is not terribly interesting. The script goes beyond empathizing with the grandfather's fervent wish to be spared a debilitating decline into almost making a case for euthanasia, despite a morally sound ending on all fronts. Pervasive rough and crude language, euthanasia theme, adultery, acceptance of premarital sex, some heavy groping and innuendo, a couple of violent brawls and a drug reference. (L, R)

The Black Dahlia (Universal)
Adaptation of James Ellroy's novel built around the never-solved, true-life case of a young Hollywood hopeful (Mia Kirshner) --- whose mutilated body was found in a vacant lot in 1947 --- focusing on two L.A. cops (Josh Hartnett and Aaron Eckhart) who are involved in the case. The Hartnett character finds himself in a platonic menage with his partner and the latter's longtime girlfriend (Scarlett Johansson), then falls under the sway of a seductive rich girl (Hilary Swank) who resembles the murder victim. Brian DePalma's film-noir homage is uneven as drama (with its overly complex script), despite his customary stylish flourishes and good, if occasionally over-the-top, performances, but the pileup of sordid revelations, though expected in the noir genre, and sundry other lurid plot elements preclude recommendation. Rough and crude language, general decadence, sexual situations and innuendo, much violence, a couple of brutal boxing matches, some grisly imagery, a re-creation of the lesbian underworld, pornography, adultery, incest, rear nudity, murder, suicide and drug use. (O, R)

Confetti (Fox Searchlight/BBC)
Three couples --- played by Martin Freeman and Jessica Stevenson, Stephen Mangan and Meredith MacNeill, and Robert Webb and Olivia Colman --- vie for "most original wedding in Britain" in a competition run by the executives at a British bridal magazine, and plan themes of Hollywood musicals, tennis and nudism for their ceremonies, respectively, under the guidance of a couple of campy wedding planners (Vincent Franklin and Jason Watkins). Director Debbie Isitt's largely improvised satire generates some laughs and contains truths about human relationships, but some may be put off by a fair amount of expletives and by the uninhibited --- if utterly nonsexual --- nudity of the naturalist pair. Conversational rough language and profanity, full male and female nudity, some innuendo, a brief hint of a gay marriage at end of film and a couple of rough brawls. (L, R)

Everyone's Hero (20th Century Fox)
Charming Depression-era animated tale about a young boy (voiced by Jake T. Austin) who sets out --- with the help of a magical talking baseball (Rob Reiner) --- to recover the stolen lucky bat (Whoopi Goldberg) of his idol Babe Ruth (Brian Dennehy) during the 1932 World Series. Directors Daniel St. Pierre and Colin Brady --- building on work started by Christopher Reeve before his 2004 death --- hit a home run with this visually delightful fable that has heart and a simple but winning message about familial love and perseverance. A mildly gross sight gag. (A-I, G)

Gridiron Gang (Columbia)
Inspiring truth-based sports drama about a juvenile detention camp probation officer (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) who organizes a football team from among the teen inmates (including Jade Yorker and David Thomas) to teach them discipline and teamwork, and through his tough-love determination succeeds in instilling self-esteem and turning their lives in a positive direction, while competing for the regional high school championship. Despite formulaic plot elements, director Phil Joanou's uplifting movie shows the heart of a winner, with emotional performances and a surprisingly strong redemptive theme of second chances. Pervasive crude language, scattered profanity, an instance of the f-word, intense street violence, brief sexual humor, football roughness and a few racial slurs. Some parents may feel the worthy message makes it acceptable for older adolescents. (A-III, PG-13)

Keeping Mum (THINKFilm)
Picturesque, nicely acted, but rather muted English film about a world-weary country vicar (Rowan Atkinson), his boy-crazy daughter (Tamsin Egerton), bullied son (Toby Parkes) and frustrated wife (Kristin Scott Thomas) who's having a dalliance with a sleazy golf instructor (Patrick Swayze), all of whose lives are altered for the better by a resourceful housekeeper with a mysterious past (a delightful Maggie Smith). Director and co-writer Niall Johnson's quirky black comedy gets better as it progresses, but overall could have been sharper. While some may view the film's central conceit --- murder without retribution --- problematic, the satirical context tempers objections. Unnecessary conversational uses of the f-word, some profanity and crude language, an adulterous affair (though not consummated), brief and distant upper female nudity, innuendo, voyeurism and nongraphic violence. (L, R)

Little Miss Sunshine (Fox Searchlight)
Immensely likable film about an Albuquerque, N.M., couple --- gung-ho motivational speaker (Greg Kinnear) and his wife (Toni Collette) --- who, with their alienated son (Paul Dano), the wife's gay brother (Steve Carell) who's recovering from a suicide attempt, and the husband's crusty, drug-addicted father (Alan Arkin) in tow, trek to Los Angeles in a creaky van so their daughter (Abigail Breslin) can compete in a beauty pageant. Despite an unfortunately high quotient of expletives and some sexual references (mostly courtesy of the Arkin character), husband-and-wife team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris have directed a refreshingly offbeat tale that, underneath the zaniness, comes over as an extremely positive validation of family and genuine values. Rough and occasionally profane words, sexual references, suicide element, a minor gay plot element, a sight gag involving adult magazines and brief drug use. (L, R)

Saint of 9/11 (IFC)
Sir Ian McKellen narrates this moving tribute to Franciscan Father Mychal Judge, the New York fire chaplain who was the first official casualty of the World Trade Center terror attack of Sept. 11, 2001. Director Glenn Holsten's sentimental documentary features heartfelt testimonials from those whose lives he touched: firemen, alcoholics, the homeless, gays and AIDS patients, along all too little footage of Father Judge himself. Father Judge's homosexual orientation and status as a recovered alcoholic are not avoided, but there's an unfortunate inference in the film that in ministering to those groups he was being more compassionate than the church itself. Some disturbing images of the World Trade Center, reference to his gay orientation and former alcohol abuse, and remarks offering questionable criticisms of the church. (A-III, no MPAA rating).

---CNS