New to DVD: ‘Around the Bend,’ ‘It Happened to Jane’

NEW YORK (CNS) — The following are capsule reviews of DVD and home video releases from the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Offbeat but appealing story of intergenerational bonding as ex-con grandfather (Christopher Walken), single dad (Josh Lucas), and young son (Jonah Bobo) travel to Albuquerque spreading the ashes of great-grandfather Henry (Michael Caine). Though writer-director Jordan Roberts’s film — which, at its core, is all about reconciliation and forgiveness — is not without its flaws, he has fashioned a winning film with excellent performances, touching sentiment, considerable humor, an eclectic soundtrack and pretty scenery to counterbalance what could otherwise have been a downbeat story. Some rough and crude language, brief bloody images, and an irreligious dispersal of ashes. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III — adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. (Warner Bros.)

Quirky comedy about an angst-ridden environmental activist (Jason Schwartzman) who hires a married team of existential detectives (Dustin Hoffman and Lily Tomlin) to unravel the mystery behind the meaning of life. Eccentrically directed by David O. Russell, the film is a madcap mix of philosophy and slapstick, resulting in a brainy farce which, while intellectually loaded, is emotionally empty. A sexual encounter and much rough and crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III - adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R — restricted. (Fox)

Enjoyable comedy in which a widow (Doris Day) with two children and a lobster business gets her lawyer friend (Jack Lemmon) to sue the railroad for ruining one of her shipments, but the company’s mean-spirited representative (Ernie Kovacs) escalates the case into a national media circus. Directed by Richard Quine, it’s a predictable underdog story of small-town widow and lawyer persevering until they win the case and each other, with plenty of comic confusions along the way. The DVD displays excellent print quality for one of Day’s lesser-known vehicles, but no significant extras. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I — general patronage. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Columbia/TriStar)

Updated musical version of the 1942 comedy with two sisters from Ohio coming to New York to seek careers as a writer (Betty Garrett) and an actress (Janet Leigh), with wacky results involving their Greenwich Village basement apartment, a contingent of Brazilian naval cadets, a smug magazine editor (Jack Lemmon) and a shy soda jerk (Bob Fosse). Directed by Richard Quine, the songs and dance numbers add an agreeable dimension to the entertainment. Sexual situations and innuendo. The DVD has a sparkling letterboxed print of the story that Leonard Bernstein musicalized in the Broadway hit "Wonderful Town," but this version utilized a new — inferior — score by Jule Styne. The menu allows viewers to choose individual scenes from the movie, rather than — as usual with musicals — the musical numbers. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III — adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Columbia/TriStar)

Screwball comedy in which a Broadway producer (John Barrymore) turns a model into a star (Carole Lombard), but goes bust after she deserts him for Hollywood, then tries to win her back on the train journey from Chicago to New York. Directed by Howard Hawks from a script by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, the squabbles between this egocentric duo pace the madcap proceedings aboard the title train and put over by a top supporting cast (Walter Connolly, Roscoe Karns and Etienne Giradot as an escaped lunatic). Sexual situations and innuendo. The DVD offers superior technical quality for a film often shown on television in creaky prints. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III - adults. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association of America. (Columbia/TriStar)