Freeze Frame: “The Royal” (Not rated), “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” (PG-13), “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” (PG), “Where the Crawdads Sing” (PG-13), “Persuasion” (PG)

The troubled life of former Kansas City Royals first baseman Willie Aikens gets the inspirational biopic treatment with “The Royal.” It’s currently showing theatrically at the Screenland Armour and is available on multiple streaming platforms. Amin Joseph plays Aikens who clung to his dignity after serving years in prison on drug charges. “The Royal” is an instructive family drama about the bumpy road to redemption.

“Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” is a gentle, sweet-natured fantasy that employs a mix of stop-motion animation and live action. It’s a mockumentary about a shell whose efforts to locate his family members goes viral on the internet. It’s a surprisingly touching and heartfelt movie that will appeal to older kids and adults.

“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” is a breezy adaptation of the 1958 novel about an English charwoman, beautifully played by Leslie Manville, who saves her pennies to travel to Paris to buy a haute couture dress from Christian Dior. Her naivety charms everyone she meets. It’s a featherweight tale that benefits from a great cast and stunning costuming.

“Where the Crawdads Sing” is an adaptation of the best-selling mystery novel about an abandoned girl who grows up alone in the North Carolina marshes in the 50s and 60s and becomes a suspect in a murder case. While it never quite achieves the impact it aims for, it’s a workmanlike melodrama with a strong central performance by Daisy Edgar-Jones.

The seventh dramatic adaptation of Jane Austin’s classic 1817 novel “Persuasion” is new on Netflix. Dakota Johnson stars as a young woman who is reluctantly persuaded by family to break off with a poor suitor they deem unworthy. Imbued with modern sensibilities that don’t quite fit the story, this “Persuasion” is an unconvincing version of Austin’s work.

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