Marshall, Same Kind of Different as Me and More in This Week's MPAA Ratings Bulletin

By Chris Kavan - 06/28/17 at 07:41 AM CT

It looks like the Ratings Board is gearing up for a big 4th of July weekend as the update this week is a bit light. Still, the lack of movies aside, at least they gave me something to talk about. First up is the Thurgood Marshall biography starring the talented Chadwick Boseman as the first African-American Supreme Court Justice as we follow him through an early case - and one that will help cement his legacy. The other film is yet another faith-based story that Paramount gave up and Pure Flix is releasing that, based on the book, follows an art dealer who befriends a homeless man in order to save his marriage with all three going on a journey that will change their lives. So, one good, one I could live without - I bet you know which is which.

MPAA Official Logo

If you don't know, I am pretty much against watching any faith-based film, but biographies, on the other hand, if done right, can be quite informative and entertaining. Thus I have some hope that Marshall can be both. The lead, Chadwick Boseman, is no stranger to larger-than-life true stories, having already portrayed Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in Get On Up - sadly, T'Challa aka Black Panther is not based on anyone from the real world (that I am aware of). In any case, Boseman seems like a solid choice to take on a young Thurgood Marshall. Set long before he wasn't nominated to the Supreme Court, Marshall follows the young lawyer, along with another greenhorn Sam Friedman (Josh Gad) as they take on a case of black chauffer (Sterling K. Brown) who is accused by his white employer (Kate Hudson) of sexual assault and attempted murder. James Cromwell plays the judge presiding over this case while Dan Stevens plays the prosecutor. It is being released in the midst of awards season and it will be interesting to see if it garners the attention of the voters. Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, sexuality, violence and some strong language.

What is never going to garner the attention of Oscar voters is pandering to a specific crowd and, holy cow (pun intended) do faith-based films ever pander. There are always exceptions to the rule (The Shack from earlier in the year comes to mind) but by and far most faith-based films tend to push their agenda down your throat while hardly addressing any issues. At least Same Kind of Different as Me has the decency to put together a good cast: Greg Kinnear, Djimon Hounsou, Jon Voight and Renée Zellweger lead the charge. Still, with Pure Flix taking on distributing, it also doesn't lead me to believe this is going to escape the trap of most films of this ilk. It's obvious people are going to question their lives and beliefs, have some kind of revelation and will be saved! Eh, if can actually be dramatic without getting too deep in the faith-based part, it may not be a lost cause, but I don't see this playing to much outside the niche audience it so wants to impress. Rated PG-13 for thematic
elements including some violence and language.

Those are the only two wide releases for this week - with July 4th falling on Tuesday, I don't know if there will even be any update next week, so you may have to be content with the standard updates.

MARSHALL

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, sexuality, violence and some strong language.


ON THE WINGS OF EAGLES

Rated PG-13 for some violent images.


SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including some violence and language.


SIX AND A HALF

Rated PG for unsettling moments.


A WITCHES' BALL

Rated PG for some mild rude humor.


WONDER WHEEL

Rated PG-13 for thematic content including some sexuality, language and smoking.

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