Ah, the return of school. The sounds of lockers slamming, pencils sharpening and books opening.

Hollywood has been mining the books read in English classes for story ideas since the movies were created. Some endeavors have been successful, others surely have caused many an author to weep tears of humiliation.

For this weekend’s rentals, we’ll look at two examples of the former, both of which won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. One novel was written by a woman and adapted for the screen by an actress. The other was written by a contemporary author who long had thumbed his nose at Hollywood; he eventually succumbed and adapted his own book.

SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

Rated PG

The Dashwood women are in trouble. Mr. Dashwood has suffered an untimely passing, and due to the inheritance laws of nineteenth century England, all of his worldly goods must pass to his son from a previous marriage. What is a mother and her daughters to do?

“Sense and Sensibility” begins by introducing us to themes from another one of Jane Austen’s novels, pride and prejudice. Mrs. Dashwood and her girls move from their stately mansion to a cottage, while the Dashwood heir, the milquetoast Fleet, and his shrewish wife, Fanny, take over the tonier digs.

Class structure and manners are staples of any Austen book, and Emma Thompson - doing double duty as actress and screenwriter - plumbs the novel and expertly finds the highlights. Elinor (Thompson) loses her sensibility and discovers her senses, as Marianne (Kate Winslet) undergoes the opposite transformation.

The hook comes in the form of Fate. Elinor meets Fanny’s brother, Edward (Hugh Grant, doing that irritating thing with the blinking eyes again), and instantly becomes besotted. Fanny, however, has Edward earmarked for a worthier (read: wealthier) match, so Elinor bravely gives up and retreats to the cottage, content to live without the love of her life.

Not so Marianne. While riding a horse, she suffers a fall - and not just of the equine sort. As she sits in the fields, rubbing her leg, along comes rescue in the studly form of Willoughby (Greg Wise). Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman) also longs for Marianne, but he’s dependable and nowhere near the dashing rapscallion of his competitor.

And so we watch the adventures of the Dashwood girls. Will Elinor get the man of her dreams? Which suitor will Marianne choose? And what about that appropriately named Fanny?

Watching “Sense and Sensibility” is sort of like eating broccoli that’s been dipped in Belgian chocolate. You can get carried away with the sweetness, but at the core lies something that’s good for you. It also offers barbed looks at class and titles.

Directed by Ang Lee, “Sense and Sensibility” features some good performances. Thompson and Winslet were nominated for theirs, and Alan Rickman finally breaks away from his villainous roles (think Prince John in “Robin Hood and the Prince of Thieves;” think the bad guy in the first “Die Hard” movie) and goes for romance.

There is nothing the slightest bit offensive about “Sense and Sensibility.” Its PG rating is more for a sophisticated story line than anything else. It is fine for preteens on up, although by no means is watching a movie a substitute for reading the book.

On a scale of 1 to 5, “Sense and Sensibility” deserves a 4.

THE CIDER HOUSE RULES

Rated PG-13

Anyone who has read any of John Irving’s novels knows ahead of time that they’re in for a weird, wild trip of morality and fantastical characters - a place where the children are smarter than everyone else. And anyone who read “A Prayer for Owen Meaney” and then saw the horrid screen version of “Simon Birch” might be apprehensive about seeing Hollywood butcher a fine book.

Fortunately, Mr. Irving himself adapted “The Cider House Rules” and therein lies half of the goodness of this movie. The other half lies in the fine direction of Lasse Hallstrom, who previously brought us “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” and “My Life as a Dog.”

“The Cider House Rules” is the story of Homer Wells (Tobey Maguire), an orphan who comes into manhood and out of innocence. The first family to adopt him returns him because he doesn’t cry. He is rescued from the second family because he does indeed cry; he is beaten. From these instances, Homer grows into a young man with a child’s lack of guile and the sense of a sage. Homer’s benefactor is Dr. Larch (Michael Caine), an ether-addicted obstetrician who both delivers and destroys unwanted babies. As “Dead Man Walking” did with the issue of capital punishment, so does “The Cider House Rules” with abortion. It takes a hot topic and tries its best not to become pedantic or proselytizing. Ultimately, the movie takes a stand, although it would appear to be reluctant and not without misgivings.

Dr. Larch raises Homer as a son in the bucolic surroundings of St. Cloud’s, Maine. Homer in turn becomes a father-figure of sorts to the younger residents of the orphanage. But as he leaves his teen years, he also leaves St. Cloud’s, driving off in a convertible driven by cocky Air Force pilot Wally Worthington (Paul Rudd). Recuperating in the back of the car from one of Dr. Larch’s procedures is Wally’s fiancée, Candy Kendall (Charlize Theron).

When Wally is called to battle the Germans at war, Homer, who has taken a job as an apple picker, and Candy start spending “quality time” together. All the while, Dr. Larch pines for his boy, sending him letters pleading for his return. Homer is in love, however, and no amount of begging will get him to forsake his beloved, even as she admits that she’s “waiting to see what happens” with Wally.

As part of his job, Homer lives in a cider house dormitory, where a ridiculous set of rules is posted - the Cider House Rules. The question is asked: how can someone who doesn’t live here tell us what to do? And therein lies the core theme of movie. Who is anyone to play God, and yet aren’t there times when one of us must?

“The Cider House Rules” could degenerate into sappy sentimentality, but thanks to Irving’s script and the wonderfully understated performances by Maguire, Caine, Theron and Delroy Lindo as the foreman of the apple pickers, it doesn’t. The cinematography will make you long for your own New England Pepperidge Farm and a jug of cider. While “The Cider House Rules” is rated PG-13, it is a movie that requires the guidance of a parent. It includes themes of abortion and incest, although neither is portrayed on-screen. It would be a good movie for a parent and older teen to watch, because it introduces several topics that parents should discuss with their pre-college children.

On a scale of 1 to 5, “The Cider House Rules” earns a 4.

The Question of the Week

Along the lines of our back-to-school theme, you were asked to name your favorite movie about school. Judging from the responses, several of you are fans of Sidney Poitier, with votes going for “To Sir With Love,” “Lilies of the Field” and “The Blackboard Jungle.” On a lighter side were nods for “Back to School” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” And finally, there was the Robin Williams duo of “Dead Poets’ Society” and “Good Will Hunting.” Two of my favorites that you should check out are “Picnic at Hanging Rock” and “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.”

This week we will turn our eyes to the 100 yards of pigskin punts, passes and kicks. Do you have a favorite movie about football?