Robert De Niro, as Frank, visits his daughter Rosie, played by Drew Barrymore, in “Everybody's Fine.”

‘Everybody’s Fine’

Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements and brief strong language.

What it’s about: A widowed dad makes surprise visits to his unhappy adult children and their grandchildren.

The kid attractor factor: A little shtick, some cute Robert DeNiro moments, a holiday glow that pops up now and then.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Being the stern parent doesn’t make your kids warm up to you, and nobody wants to disappoint dad.

Violence: None, though health issues play a part.

Language: There’s golf, and where there’s golf, there’s profanity.

Sex: A comic encounter with an NYC hooker.

Drugs: Wine.

Parents’ advisory: Not much here for kids, but it’s an inoffensive and warm movie about a broken family and a dad and kids who want to make it right.

‘Old Dogs’

Rating: PG for some mild rude humor.

What it’s about: A couple of single-guy 50somethings adjust when one of them discovers he has twins and must help raise them.

The kid attractor factor: Robin Williams, John Travolta and Seth Green go for the goofy.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Parenting is something you pick up as you go along.

Violence: None.

Language: “Mild rude humor” about bar pick-ups, gorilla love.

Sex: Well, the guy was careless enough to father twins during a one-night stand.

Drugs: None.

Parents’ advisory: Nothing here to offend, though a bit more slapstick would have made this kid-friendlier.

‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’

Rating: PG for action, smoking and slang humor.

What it’s about: A married fox decides to revisit the thieving ways of his youth, with potentially deadly consequences.

The kid attractor factor: Stop-motion animation, just like in Coraline.

Good lessons/bad lessons : “There’s something kind of fantastic about being different.”

Violence: Against chickens, mostly. And a fox loses his tail.

Language: A new way for kids to swear, “What the cuss are you talking about?”

Sex: None.

Drugs: Cider.

Parents’ advisory: Kids will dig the screwy animation and action, adults the whimsy and the droll wit of Roald Dahl and Wes Anderson.

‘Planet 51’

Rating: PG for mild sci-fi action and some suggestive humor.

What it’s about: A world enduring the do-wop black-and-white-TV global paranoia of its own “1950s” is visited by an alien — a NASA astronaut.

The kid attractor factor: Animation, a cute robot, a cute alien dog.

Good lessons/bad lessons: “If an alien came all this way, wouldn’t it be smart enough to come in peace?”

Violence: Gun play. And tank play.

Language: Quite clean.

Sex: A repeated anal “cork” joke, a penis joke.

Drugs: None.

Parents’ advisory: A “Shrek” writer scripted it, so there’s a hint of the naughty hanging around the edges of this kids-only cartoon.

‘A Christmas Carol’

Rating: PG for scary sequences and images.

What it’s about: A bitter old miser learns to give his cash and himself to others after ghosts show him the consequences of his stinginess.

The kid attractor factor: Animation (motion-capture), a few gags and some very spooky ghosts.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Charity changes you and how others look at you — for the better.

Violence: A couple of deaths, some scary corpses and spirits.

Language: Humbug.

Sex: Not in this Dickens, oh no.

Drugs: Wine and beer are served.

Parents’ advisory: Not the warmest or funniest “Christmas Carol,” but a great introduction to the story for small children.

The Family Movie Guide should be used along with the Motion Picture Association of America rating system for selecting movies suitable for children. Only films rated G, PG or PG-13 are included in this weekly listing, along with occasional R-rated films that may have entertainment value or educational value for older children with parental guidance.