NEW YORK (OSV News) – The following are capsule reviews of theatrical movies available now for streaming or scheduled for broadcast on network or cable television during the week of Dec. 8, as well as notes on TV programming for the same week. Televised films may or may not be edited for language, nudity, violence and sexual situations while the programs listed have not been reviewed and therefore are not necessarily recommended by OSV News.

Streaming Now:

"Mr. Peabody & Sherman" (2014; Netflix)

The chronology-defying adventures of a hyper-intellectual dog (voice of Ty Burrell) -- whose many accomplishments include the invention of a time machine -- and the perky human son (voice of Max Charles) he adopted as an infant turn perilous when the lad takes an unauthorized trip to the past in the company of a classmate (voice of Ariel Winter) he's anxious to impress. Director Rob Minkoff's updating of a popular TV cartoon of the 1950s and '60s adds a tiresome amount of potty humor to the elaborate, sometimes groan-inducing puns characteristic of the original material. But basic history lessons for the youngest moviegoers, together with a worthy message about respecting people of different backgrounds -- even if they do happen to be canines -- endow this more than usually literate children's film with some countervailing virtues. Scenes of mild peril, several scatological jokes and sight gags, a single double entendre. The OSV News classification is A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"The Personal History of David Copperfield" (2020; Hulu)

Of the numerous film adaptations of Charles Dickens' autobiographical 1850 novel, this may rank as the happiest. As directed by Armando Ianucci, who adapted the screenplay with Simon Blackwell, the movie finds Copperfield (Ranveer Jaiswal and Jairaj Varsani as a boy, Dev Patel as a man) facing life's challenges, which include child labor, rocky romances, financial instability and duplicitous colleagues, with a hero's grace and the joy of a secular saint. The large ensemble of characters he encounters on his path to success as a writer vary from the affectionate (Daisy May Cooper and Rosalind Eleazar) and the friendly (Aneurin Barnard) to the eccentric (Morfydd Clark, Peter Capaldi and Tilda Swinton), the unsettled (Hugh Laurie), the inebriated (Benedict Wong) and the malicious (Darren Boyd and Ben Whishaw). Multi-ethnic casting emphasizes the point that stories about human survival and ambition are universal while Dickens' sense of morality and belief that pure unselfish love and loyalty sustain lives remain unscathed by time. Mature themes, including mental illness, alcoholism and poverty. The OSV News classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

"The Pursuit of Happyness" (2006; Amazon Prime)

Feel-good tale based on the true story of a selfless medical supply salesman (an ever-appealing Will Smith) who, after his wife (Thandie Newton) walks out, raises his 5-year-old son (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith) on his own while pursuing a new career path as a stockbroker in an unpaid internship while enduring financial struggles, homelessness and other vicissitudes. A bit long and occasionally repetitive, but there's a lump-in-the-throat payoff, and director Gabriele Muccino's film scores high on the inspirational message scale, with Smith's character doing all he can to nurture his son under trying circumstances and projecting admirable decency throughout. A few instances of crude language and marital discord. The OSV News classification is A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Looking Ahead:

Sunday, Dec. 8, 3:30-5 a.m. EST (EWTN) "Eucharistic Concelebration With the New Cardinals." Pope Francis concelebrates Holy Mass with the new cardinals. Live coverage from Rome's St. Peter's Basilica. The liturgy will re-air 7-8:30 p.m. EST (TV-G -- general audience).

Sunday, Dec. 8, 9:45 a.m.-noon EST (AMC) "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947). Familiar seasonal favorite follows a department store Santa (Edmund Gwenn) as he strives to convince a lonely little girl (Natalie Wood) that he's the genuine article, despite the objections of her rigidly pragmatic mother (Maureen O'Hara) and a court trial that hinges on the U.S. Post Office. Director George Seaton's amusing romantic fantasy has its sentimental moments while spreading a reasonable amount of holiday cheer, largely due to Gwenn's charming performance as Kris Kringle. Problems of single parenthood. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. Not rated by the Motion Picture Association.

Sunday, Dec. 8, 1-5 p.m. EST (TCM) "Ben-Hur" (1959). Director William Wyler's classic Hollywood epic follows the Jewish prince of the title (Charlton Heston) after he's betrayed by his boyhood Roman friend (Stephen Boyd) and subjected to much misery until finally achieving retribution for all his suffering. The narrative's conventional melodrama is transformed by the grand scale of its spectacle, especially the chariot race, and by the stirring performances of its principals who manage to overcome the story's cliches and stereotypes. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-I -- general patronage. The Motion Picture Association rating was G -- general audiences. All ages admitted.

Sunday, Dec. 8, 8:31-11 p.m. EST (ABC) "The Lion King" (2019). Director Jon Favreau's remake of the 1994 animated musical uses a blend of live-action techniques and computer-generated imagery to tell the story of a lovable young lion (voice of Donald Glover) with a royal destiny. While his birth is greeted with joy by most of the animals over whom his parents (voices of James Earl Jones and Alfre Woodard) benevolently rule, the evil uncle (voice of Chiwetel Ejiofor) the young prince replaces as heir to the throne successfully schemes against him, eventually convincing him to go into self-imposed exile. Two friends (voices of Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen) he takes up with during his absence urge him to pursue a carefree existence, but his best pal from childhood (voice of Beyonce Knowles-Carter), with whom he ultimately shares a deeper bond, remains resolute that he should fulfill his weighty responsibilities. Although the two outlooks on life presented in Jeff Nathanson's script are strictly secular, it is the more ethically respectable view that prevails. The struggle to achieve a happy ending, though, involves animal combat that would likely prove upsetting to small kids. And some parents may not care much for the momentary gastrointestinal humor in which Nathanson dabbles. As for diehard fans of the original, they may find the whole project redundant. Considerable stylized violence among animals, characters in peril, nonscriptural rituals, fleeting scatological humor. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Monday, Dec. 9, 3-5 p.m. EST (EWTN) "Solemn Mass of the Immaculate Conception." From the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 10 p.m.-midnight EST (TCM) "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" (1969). Poignant screen version of Muriel Spark's novel about a bright, demanding teacher (Maggie Smith) who doesn't fit the mold of a conservative girls' academy in 1930s Edinburgh where she teaches her devoted, unquestioning "gurrls" until one of them (Pamela Franklin) betrays her confidence by posing in the nude for the art teacher. Director Ronald Neame handles the moral ambiguities of the situation with great sensitivity, leaving viewers to consider an inspiring teacher's power to influence the young, for good or ill. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG -- parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

Wednesday, Dec. 11, 9:30-10:30 p.m. EST (PBS) "Rebuilding Notre Dame." A look behind the scenes at the team of engineers, masons and timber workers who tackled the daunting challenges of restoring Paris' historic cathedral following its partial destruction in an April 2019 fire.

Saturday, Dec. 14, 8-9:50 p.m. EST (Cinemax) "The Devil Wears Prada" (2006). Entertaining comedy-drama about an aspiring writer (Anne Hathaway) who takes a job as junior assistant to an imperious editor (a delicious Meryl Streep) at a high-powered fashion magazine, while those around her, including her boyfriend (Adrian Grenier), chide her for losing sight of her real values as she gets caught up in the competitive environment. Director David Frankel's handsomely photographed adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's 2003 best-seller is a fast-moving morality tale with a simple but commendable message about staying true to your ideals and not selling out, with good performances all around, including those of Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci. Admirably light on objectionable content. A couple of implied premarital situations, some crass expressions, brief profanity and innuendo, a couple of uses of the S-word. The OSV News classification of the theatrical version was A-II -- adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating was PG-13 -- parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.- - - John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @JohnMulderig1.