FAMILY FILMGOER By Jane Horwitz Special to The Washington Post Friday, September 22, 2000

Also Playing Mature Pre-Teens and Older "Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport" (PG) Moving documentary about 10,000 refugee children, mostly Jewish, brought from Europe to England just before World War II in unprecedented rescue. Wrenching accounts of goodbyes between children, parents; brief concentration camp footage; intense descriptions of loneliness, loss, gratitude. "The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack" (Unrated). Loving documentary on folk singer Ramblin' Jack Elliott, protege of Woody Guthrie, by daughter Aiyana Elliott, trying to understand dad's multiple marriages, unfocused parenting, lackluster career; backstage glimpses of 1950s-'60s folkies. Rare profanity; drinking, smoking, marijuana. Kids into folk. PG-13's "Bring It On." Kirsten Dunst as captain of cheerleading squad at wealthy high school in refreshing teen comedy that celebrates the sport, but chides backbiting, fanaticism. Crude language, profanity; verbal and visual sexual innuendo; homophobic jokes; flatulence, vomiting. R's "Duets." Huey Lewis, Gwyneth Paltrow as estranged father and daughter, two among six lost souls who come together as singers in karaoke contests in clumsy, corny, annoying slice-of-America fable. Strong verbal sexual innuendo; little graphic on-screen sexuality; profanity; muted violence; drinking, smoking. 15 and older. "Bait." Jamie Foxx as dumb small-time thief who's used as bait by Feds to lure murderous mastermind of gold heist into open in violent, forgettable, but amusing comedy-thriller. Intense gun, fist violence; strong profanity; graphic sexual situation; marijuana; out-of-wedlock child; child in jeopardy. 15 and older. "Nurse Betty." Renee Zellweger as naive waitress who lapses into blissful state of unreality after seeing her husband murdered, in witty tale; unaware hit men are following her, she goes to L.A. to find a "former fiance," who's actually star of her favorite soap, which she now believes is real. Brief, intense violence-a scalping, shootings; graphic sexual situation; profanity, toilet humor. 15 and up. "Solomon and Gaenor." Somber, atmospheric melodrama about son of Jewish immigrants in Wales circa 1911 who has affair with local girl, afraid to reveal his ethnicity, in face of antisemitic mobs during economic hard times. Explicit sexual situations; beatings; out-of-wedlock pregnancy. 15 and older.

"Almost Famous" (R)
A funny, endearing, idealized memory film about the golden days of rock 'n' roll, "Almost Famous" should appeal to teens as well as their parents. There are, of course, sex and drugs, making it an iffy proposition for kids under high school age, unless parents give the okay. Sexual situations aren't explicit, but there's much innuendo, strong language, the above-mentioned drugs, and drinking.

Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, "Almost Famous" is a fictionalized recollection of his days as an incredibly young rock reporter in the early 1970s. The hard edges are softened by Crowe's fond memories, but not so much that the chaos of the time doesn't show. Patrick Fugit plays William, a 15-year-old rock fan whose writing attracts Rolling Stone's editors. They hire him to profile a rising band, whose leaders (Billy Crudup, Jason Lee) and groupies (led by Kate Hudson) befriend William. William has a great relationship with his mom (Frances McDormand), who yells "Don't use drugs!" daily by phone. He doesn't.

"Urban Legends: Final Cut" (R)
Displaying surprising wit and cleverness, this sequel continues the tradition of killer-on-campus films, so successful in the first "Urban Legend" (R, 1998) and even more so in the "Scream" series (R, '96, '97 and '00). Too gory and profane for kids not yet in high school, "Urban Legends: Final Cut" is set among students at a prestigious film school, all competing for a prize that will launch one of them on a Hollywood career. They begin meeting graphic, untimely ends, via stabbing, bashing, hanging and beheading. The rating covers implied suicide, strong profanity, steamy sexual situations, smoking and drinking. The hint that all the slashing is a metaphor for Hollywood is mighty droll.

"Woman on Top" (R)
An adult romantic comedy laced with Latin American magical realism, "Woman on Top" treats sex and longing in a steamy, sophisticated way that could be inappropriate for many high-schoolers under 16. It is nonviolent and rarely profane but the sexual situations are explicit and show partial nudity. The story opens in Brazil, where a lovely young bride (Penelope Cruz) runs a seaside restaurant with her husband. When she catches him with another woman, she runs, heartbroken, to the United States. There she becomes host of a TV cooking show, enthralling male viewers with her sensuality and her recipes, until hubby comes to win her back. "Woman on Top" doesn't sustain the magic throughout, but it's got charm.

"The Exorcist" (R)
Still intense, though perhaps not as profoundly disturbing as it seemed in 1973, this parable of a child possessed by the devil (based on William Peter Blatty's bestseller) isn't for kids younger than high school age. There's much that could be nightmare-inducing or emotionally upsetting, especially with the enhanced sound and other effects in this 11-minutes-longer re-release. Linda Blair's swiveling head, the streams of obscene invective from the "demon" in her and the green vomit can creep out an audience today, too. There's an important subplot about the emotional toll of divorce on a child, and adult characters drink and smoke. Ellen Burstyn as the frantic mother, Jason Miller as the priest-psychiatrist and Max von Sydow as the exorcist remain searingly earnest and convincing.