Have you ever looked at a movie and wondered exactly what the rating meant? I know I have, what's the difference between PG and PG-13 or why was that last movie you saw rated R when you thought deserved a PG rating? Well this is the page you've been looking for.
Let us walk you through the confusing mess that makes up the Movie Rating System.
I'll bet you didn't know that the rating board is made up of parents. There are 10 to 13 members on the board and they view the movies you watch, deciding what rating each should get. Since 1968 they have been working to inform the public about what to expect when they watch a movie.
Sometimes you'll see a movie with "This Movie Is Not Yet Rated" or "This Movie Has Not Been Rated", that's because no movie is forced to be rated. Most producers or distributers submit their movies as a matter of course. And, if they don't agree with the rating they recieve they still have several options opened to them. They can re-cut the movie and try to get it re-rated, or they can appeal the decision. However, once appealed the decision is final.
The Movie Rating System, was first put together by theater owners, and were the first to enforce the rating system. Over the next 40 years other groups, such as the Video tape industry and the DVD makers joined on board.
The rating system was created to allow parents ease in deciding if a movie was age appropriate and still allowing the movie industry creative freedom to create such masterpieces like Chainsaw Massacue or Terms of Endreament.
Orginally there were fewer catagoies in the ratings: G (general), M (mature), R (restricted), & X (no one under 17 admitted). But, soon it became apparent that we needed to add more clairification. Many were often confused about the M & R, thinking that the Mature rating was worse than the Restricted. So, Mature was divided into GP, GP-13 & NC-17.
This is a movie that parents need to check out before letting their kids attend.The PG label clearly states that some of the movie’s content is unsuitable for children.The movie’s them may have any or all of the following:some profanity, some violence or brief nudity.However, none of these will be so strong that the movie deserved a stronger rating.There will be no drug use in a PG film. This is just a way of letting parents know that there may be some content that the board deems unsuitable for children without supervision.As always the decision is left to each parent to make and the board may error on the side of caution in most cases.Just be aware that there are some adult situations in these films. Top Grossing PG films: Star Wars, Shrek 2, ET, Harry Potter, Night at the Museum.
This is like a bridge rating between PG and R.While it’s content is not strong enough for a Restricted rating, it’s too strong for a PG rating.PG-13 is a ‘sterner warning’.If you have pre-teens (under 12) you may want to view this film with them or pre-view the film because of adult situations within the movie.There may be strong language, nudity (Sexually oriented nudity is rarely found within a PG-13 movie), violence, the movies theme may be adult oriented, drug use or some other content or idea that, while it makes it a PG-13 rating, it doesn’t require an R rating.
While the Rating Board isn’t trying to act as your family’s parent, they are trying to advise you that this movie may not be suitable for younger family members.This is a decision that they want you to make and are trying to give you enough information to make that decision for yourself. Top Rated PG-13 Films: Pirates of the Caribbean, Spiderman, Lord of the Rings, Titantic
R rated films have strong language, nudity, drug use, violence or any and all of the above.It is strong advised that you consider carefully before allowing your minor child to view this movie.The movie definitely has adult content.
Top grossing films with a Restricted rating: Passion of Christ, Matrix reloaded, Wedding Crashers, 300, Gladiator.
These movies are ones that the Rating Board thinks that most parents will consider these movies too adult for anyone under 17.No children will be admitted.While NC-17 doesn’t mean obscene or pornographic, it does mean that the film has “excessive violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug abuse or any other elements which, when present, most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children.”
Top grossing films with a NC-17 rating: Showgirls, Tie me up-Tie me down, Bad Education
"Wayne Gale: I thought a bond developed between us!
Mickey: No Not really. You're scum, Wayne; you did it all for RATINGS. You don't give a shit about us or anybody else except yourself; that's why nobody gives a shit about YOU. That's why "helicopters" were not 'deployed'."
I'd like to thank the MPAA for all their information and pictures. Please, for more information about the movie rating system go to: http://www.mpaa.org/ and discover it all!
