Descriptive Videos A - F

The Addams Family – 1 hr. 40 min.
VC 1000
The spooky Addams Family, of cartoon and television fame, in their first movie.
AD, YA
rated PG-13

(Disney's) Aladdin – 1 hr. 30 min.
VC 1002
In this animated adventure, a street-wise peasant attempts to win the heart of a princess.
J
rated G

(Walt Disney's) Alice in Wonderland – 1 hr. 15 min.
VC 1003
An animated version of Lewis Carroll's classic story about a girl who falls into a magical realm.
J
rated G

Alien – 2 hrs.
VC 1004
The crew of a spaceship is terrorized by an alien lifeform that could annihilate humanity.
AD
rated R

Amelia Earhart: The Price of Courage – 1 hr.
VC 1005
The life of this legendary aviator is explored, including her motivations and aspirations, and the publicity machine that kept her in the limelight. An American Experience broadcast.
AD, YA
not rated

America and the Holocaust – 1 hr. 30 min.
VC 1006
This documentary explores the United States government's disbelief in reports of the Holocaust and the ensuing political pressure which led to the creation of the War Refugee Board. An American Experience broadcast.
AD
not rated

Amistad – 2 hrs. 35 min.
VC 1007
Chronicles the 1839 revolt on board a slave ship bound for America, and the ensuing court battle.
AD
rated R

Anne of Avonlea (2 cassettes) – 3 hrs. 45 min.
VC 1250
Sequel to L. M. Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables." Anne is now an independent woman learning about love, friendship, and the ways of the world.
YA
rated G

Anne of Green Gables (2 cassettes) – 3 hrs. 20 min.
VC 1008
An award-winning special based on the novel by L. M. Montgomery, about an orphan girl with an overactive imagination.
YA, J
rated G

ANTZ – 1 hr. 25 min.
VC 1009
Animated tale of a neurotic worker ant who switches places with a soldier pal and ends up trying to stop a ruthless general from destroying the colony.
AD
rated PG

Apollo 13 – 2 hrs. 20 min.
VC 1010
Three astronauts fight a desperate battle to make it back to Earth in their damaged spacecraft, in this fact-based film.
AD, YA
rated PG

Arthur series – 30 min ea.
Arthur's Chicken Pox / Arthur and the True Francine
        VC 1014
Arthur's Eyes / Francine's Bad Hair Day
        VC 1015
J
not rated

B-29: Frozen in Time – 1 hr.
VC 1025
A perilous mission to repair a rare B-29 bomber stranded on a Greenland icecap for nearly 50 years. A NOVA broadcast.
AD
not rated

Babe – 1 hr. 30 min.
VC 1288
Babe, an orphaned piglet, turns life upside down for the inhabitants of Hoggett's farm.
J
rated G

Bambi – 1 hr. 10 min.
VC 1028
Bambi, a baby deer, learns life's lessons in love, loss, and growth with his forest friends, in this animated film.
J
rated G

Batman Begins – 2 hrs. 20 min.
VC 1289
A retelling of Batman’s origin, starring Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne, the Batman.
AD, YA
rated PG-13

Battle of the Bulge – 1 hr. 30 min.
VC 1039
Utilizing footage from newsreels and military archives, this documentary captures the single biggest and bloodiest battle in U. S. military history. An American Experience broadcast.
AD
not rated

Beaches – 2 hrs.
VC 1040
Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey play two women who share a friendship that survives both good and bad times.
AD
rated PG

A Beautiful Mind – 2 hrs. 15 min.
VC 1251
Academy Award-winning movie starring Russell Crowe as troubled mathematician John Nash who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics. Based on the novel by Sylvia Nasar.
AD
rated PG-13

Beethoven – 1 hr. 30 min.
VC 1041
A puppy adopts the Newton family, and promptly grows into a 185-pound, romping, drooling, disaster-prone St. Bernard.
J
rated PG

Beverly Hills Cop – 1 hr. 45 min.
VC 1042
Eddie Murphy portrays a street-smart Detroit police detective on the trail of a friend's murder in Beverly Hills.
AD
rated R

Big – 1 hr. 45 min.
VC 1043
Twelve-year-old Josh Baskin's wish to "be big" comes true when he wakes up in the body of a thirty-year-old man, played by Tom Hanks.
AD
rated PG

Bridget Jones’s Diary – 1 hr. 40 min.
VC 1252
Renee Zellweger stars as Bridget, a fun-loving, thirty-something Brit looking for true love in this romantic comedy.
AD
rated R

Broadcast News – 2 hrs.10 min.
VC 1046
A romantic comedy about three ambitious workaholics in a newsroom, where their professional and personal lives become tangled.
AD
rated R

Bruce Almighty – 1 hr. 40 min.
VC 1270
Jim Carrey stars as Bruce Nolan, a TV reporter with a negative attitude, in this comedy. When Bruce is fired and asks God why, God (played by Morgan Freeman) gives him the chance to be God for a week.
AD
rated PG-13

The Bruce Partington Plans – 50 min.
VC 1047
When a young man is found brutally murdered, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson follow a trail through London to find the killer. From the PBS series starring Jeremy Brett.
AD
not rated

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – 1 hr. 50 min.
VC 1048
A blend of romance, comedy, and adventure that recounts the true story of the West’s most likable outlaws, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
AD
rated PG

Casablanca – 1 hr. 45 min.
VC 1049
The 1943 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman as former lovers reunited in Morocco during World War II.
AD
not rated

Casper – 1 hr. 40 min.
VC 1050
A ghost therapist is hired to exorcise a friendly young ghost and his three mischievous uncles from Whipstaff Manor in this comedy.
AD
rated PG

Chaplin – 2 hrs. 15 min.
VC 1051
Robert Downey, Jr. portrays Charlie Chaplin, the famed silent screen star.
AD
rated PG-13

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – 1 hr. 55 min.
VC 1297
Johnny Depp stars as candy maker Willy Wonka in this story about Charlie, a poor boy who wins a tour of Willy’s chocolate factory.
AD, YA
rated PG

Cheaper By the Dozen – 1 hr. 40 min.
VC 1276
The chaotic and comic home life of Tom and Kate Baker, played by Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, and their twelve children.
AD
rated PG

Chicago – 1 hr. 55 min.
VC 1271
Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones star as dancers whose crimes of passion bring them and their lawyer, played by Richard Gere, make them public figures in this Academy Award-winning musical set in the 1920s.
AD
rated PG-13

(Walt Disney's) Cinderella – 1 hr. 15 min.
VC 1055
An animated version of the rags-to-riches story of a beautiful girl whose dreams come true with the help of a fairy godmother.
J
rated G

Cinderella Man – 2 hr. 25 min.
VC 1291
Russell Crowe plays impoverished boxer Jim Braddock during the depression
AD
rated PG-13

The Civil War (9 parts)
Ken Burns' landmark documentary for PBS.
Episode 1: "The Cause: 1861" – 1 hr. 40 min.
        VC 1056
Episode 2: "A Very Bloody Affair: 1862" – 1 hr.
        VC 1057
Episode 3: "Forever Free: 1862" – 1 hr. 15 min.
        VC 1058
Episode 4: "Simply Murder: 1863" – 1 hr.
        VC 1059
Episode 5: "The Universe of Battle: 1863" – 1 hr. 35 min.
        VC 1060
Episode 6: "Valley of the Shadow of Death: 1864" – 1 hr. 10 min.
        VC 1061
Episode 7: "Most Hallowed Ground: 1864" – 1 hr. 10 min.
        VC 1062
Episode 8: "War is all Hell: 1865" - 1 hr. 10 min.
        VC 1063
Episode 9: "The Better Angels of Our Nature: 1865" – 1 hr. 10 min.
        VC 1064
AD
not rated

Cocoon – 2 hrs.
VC 1066
Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy head an all-star cast of veteran actors in this story of a group of senior citizens who are given a second chance at being young.
AD
rated PG-13

Cold Mountain – 2 hrs. 35 min.
VC 1277
Ada has vowed to wait for Inman, a Confederate soldier in the Civil War, but as the war drags on and letters go unanswered, she must find the will to survive. Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Renee Zellweger star in this adaptation of Charles Frazier’s novel.
AD
rated R

The Color Purple – 2 hrs. 35 min.
VC 1253
The story of a rural, southern, black family in the early 1900s, focusing on Celie, who, as a young girl, gave birth to two children that were taken from her. Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Gover star in this adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel.
AD
rated PG

Dante's Peak – 1 hr. 50 min
VC 1068
Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton star as a long dormant volcano erupts, threatening the residents of a small town.
AD
rated PG-13

Daredevil – 1 hr. 45 min.
VC 1254
Based on the Marvel comic book. Ben Afleck stars as Matt Murdock who is the victim of a hazardous waste accident that leaves him blind and with a heightened “radar sense” that lets him “see” better than any human.
AD
rated PG-13

Dead Poets Society – 2 hrs. 10 min.
VC 1069
Robin Williams stars as a passionate English professor who inspires his students to live life to the fullest.
AD, YA
rated PG

The Devil's Foot – 50 min.
VC 1070
Sherlock Holmes investigates when a young woman is found dead with no trace of injury, sickness, or violence. From the PBS series starring Jeremy Brett.
AD
not rated

Dick Tracy – 1 hr. 45 min.
VC 1071
The film version of the famous comic strip police detective, starring Warren Beatty.
AD
rated PG

Dirty Dancing – 1 hr. 45 min.
VC 1072
Jennifer Grey stars as a young woman who learns about life and dancing, and Patrick Swayze stars as the man who teaches her.
AD
rated PG

The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood – 2 hrs.
VC 1255
Sandra Bullock, Ellen Burstyn, Ashley Judd, Maggie Smith, and James Garner star in this humorous drama about a modern-day mother-daughter rift and the childhood secrets that help repair it.
AD
rated PG-13

Do the Right Thing – 2 hrs.
VC 1073
Spike Lee's critically acclaimed tale of racial tension in a Brooklyn neighborhood over the course of a scorching twenty-four-hour period.
AD
rated R

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas – 1 hr. 45 min.
VC 1235
Jim Carrey stars as the Grinch in this live action remake, narrated by Anthony Hopkins.
AD
rated PG

Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat – 1 hr. 20 min.
VC 1278
Mike Myers brings the children’s book character to life in this live-action movie.
AD
rated PG

The Dream – 50 min.
VC 1074
A pork-pie magnate asks for Hercule Poirot's advice about his suicidal dreams. From the Agatha Christie's Poirot series on PBS.
AD
not rated

Dracula – 1 hr. 15 min.
VC 1238
Bela Lugosi in this classic vampire film from 1931, based on Bram Stoker’s novel.
AD
not rated

Driving Miss Daisy – 1 hr. 40 min.
VC 1075
The 1989 Academy Award Winner for Best Picture stars Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman in a comedy about a headstrong southern lady and her ever-patient chauffeur.
AD
rated PG

E. T. – 1 hr. 55 min.
VC 1077
A heartwarming story of the love that grows between a lost alien and the ten-year-old boy who befriends him.
AD, YA, J
rated PG

Eisenhower (2 cassettes) – 1 hr. 30 min.
VC 1078
The life of the 34th President of the United States. An American Experience broadcast.
Part 1: "Soldier"
Part 2: "Statesman"
AD
not rated

El Dorado – 2 hrs. 5 min.
VC 1079
John Wayne and Robert Mitchum play a gunfighter and sheriff who join forces to clean up a dirty town.
AD
not rated

The English Patient – 2 hrs. 45 min.
VC 1080
During World War II, American Allies care for a mysterious stranger rescued from a fiery plane crash. Based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje.
AD
rated R

Erin Brockovich – 2 hrs. 10 min.
VC 1232
Julia Roberts won an Oscar for her portrayal of Brockovich, a true-life grassroots legal crusader.
AD
rated R

Fantastic Four – 1 hr. 45 min.
VC 1294
Live-action movie based on the Marvel Comics title about a group of astronauts who gain superpowers after being exposed to cosmic radiation.
AD, YA
rated PG-13

Fatal Attraction – 2 hrs.
VC 1091
Glenn Close plays the vengeful "other woman" whose obsessive love for a man, played by Michael Douglas, leads to terror.
AD
rated R

Father of the Bride – 1 hr. 45 min.
VC 1092
Steve Martin stars as a befuddled father planning his daughter's wedding in this comedy.
AD, YA
rated PG

FDR (4 parts)
A look at Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the man and President. An American Experience broadcast.
Part 1: "The Center of the World 1882-1921" – 1 hr.
        VC 1093
Part 2: "Fear Itself 1921-1933" – 1 hr.
        VC 1094
Part 3: "The Grandest Job in the World 1933-1940" – 1 hr. 15 min.
        VC 1095
Part 4: "The Juggler 1940-1945" – 1 hr 15 min.
        VC 1096
AD
not rated

Fever Pitch – 1 hr. 45 min.
VC 1293
Romantic comedy starring Jimmy Fallon as Ben and Drew Barrymore as Lindsey. Ben and Lindsey hit it off when they meet, but once baseball season starts, Lindsey must compete with the Boston Red Sox for Ben’s attention.
AD
rated PG-13

Field of Dreams – 1 hr. 45 min.
VC 1097
A farmer in Iowa, portrayed by Kevin Costner, is inspired by a voice he cannot ignore, to build a baseball field in the middle of his farm.
AD, YA
rated PG

Finding Nemo – 1 hr. 40 min.
VC 1272
An animated film from Pixar/Disney about a curious young clownfish who has been taken from his home in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and his father’s attempt to find and rescue him.
J
rated G

Finding Neverland – 1 hr. 45 min.
VC 1301
Johnny Depp stars as J.M. Barrie, the author of Peter Pan, focusing on his relationship with the family that inspired him.
AD, YA
rated PG

40 Year Old Virgin – 1 hr. 55 min.
VC 1292
A nerdy guy who's never "done the deed," is pressured by his friends to make a move when he meets a single mother.
AD
rated R

The Fugitive – 2 hrs. 10 min.
VC 1101
A Chicago surgeon, played by Harrison Ford, is falsely convicted of killing his wife. When he escapes from prison to find proof of his innocence, he’s pursued by a U.S. Marshall, played by Tommy Lee Jones.
AD
rated PG-13

The Full Monty – 1 hr. 35 min.
VC 1102
In this heartfelt comedy, six unemployed men, inspired by a group of male strippers, decide they can make a small fortune by doing the same.
AD
rated R

Titles G - O

Titles P - Z