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Motion Picture Association film rating system

January 26, 2023

The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures are the responsibility of the Motion Picture Association (MPA), previously known as the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) from 1945 to 2019. The MPA rating system is a voluntary scheme that is not enforced by law; films can be exhibited without a rating, although most theaters refuse to exhibit non-rated or NC-17 rated films. Non-members of the MPA may also submit films for rating.[1] Other media, such as television programs, music and video games, are rated by other entities such as the TV Parental Guidelines, the RIAA and the ESRB, respectively.

Introduced in 1968,[2] following the Hays Code of the classical Hollywood cinema era, the MPA rating system is one of various motion picture rating systems that are used to help parents decide what films are appropriate for their children. It is administered by the Classification & Ratings Administration (CARA), an independent division of the MPA.[3]

Ratings

Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see U.S. Route 321 and PG-13 (disambiguation).

MPA film ratings

The MPA film ratings are as follows:[4]

Rating block/symbol Meaning
 

 
G – General Audiences
All ages admitted. Nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children.
 

 
PG – Parental Guidance Suggested
Some material may not be suitable for children. Parents urged to give "parental guidance". May contain some material parents might not like for their young children.
 

 
PG-13 – Parents Strongly Cautioned
Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may be inappropriate for pre-teenagers.
 

 
R – Restricted
Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them.
 

 
NC-17 – Adults Only
No One 17 and Under Admitted. Clearly adult. Children are not admitted.

In 2013, the MPA ratings were visually redesigned, with the rating displayed on a left panel and the name of the rating shown above it. A larger panel on the right provides a more detailed description of the film's content and an explanation of the rating level is placed on a horizontal bar at the bottom of the rating.[5]

Content descriptors

Film ratings often have accompanying brief descriptions of the specifics behind the film's content and why it received a certain rating. They are displayed in trailers, posters, and on the backside of home video releases. Film rating content descriptors are exclusively used for films rated from PG to NC-17; they are not used for G-rated films because the content in them is suitable for all audiences even if containing mild objectionable content.[6]

Other labels

If a film has not been submitted for a rating or is an uncut version of a film that was submitted, the labels Not Rated (NR) or Unrated (UR) are often used. Uncut/extended versions of films that are labeled "Unrated" also contain warnings saying that the uncut version of the film contains content that differs from the theatrical release and might not be suitable for minors.

If a film has not yet been assigned a final rating, the label This Film Is Not Yet Rated is used in trailers and television commercials.

Regulation of promotional materials and releases

 
A green band trailer card for Toy Story 4
 
A yellow band trailer card for The Unborn
 
A red band trailer card for Snowpiercer
 
A blue feature tag for Edge of Tomorrow

The MPA also rates film trailers, print advertising, posters, and other media used to promote a film.[7]

Theatrical trailers

Rating cards appear at the head of trailers in the United States which indicate how closely the trailer adheres to the MPA's standards.[citation needed]

  • Green band: When the trailer accompanies another rated feature, the wording on the green title card states, as of May 2013, "The following preview has been approved to accompany this feature." For trailers hosted on the Internet, the wording is tweaked to "The following preview has been approved for appropriate audiences."[7]
    Until April 2009, these cards indicated that they had been approved for "all audiences" and often included the film's MPA rating. This signified that the trailer adheres to the standards for motion picture advertising outlined by the MPA, which include limitations on foul language and violent, sexual, or otherwise objectionable imagery.
    In April 2009, the MPA began to permit the green band language to say that a trailer had been approved for "appropriate" audiences, meaning that the material would be appropriate for audiences in theaters, based on the content of the film they had come to see.
    In May 2013, the MPA changed the trailer approval band from "for appropriate audiences" to "to accompany this feature", but only when accompanying a feature film; for bands not accompanying a feature film, the text of the band remained the same. The font and style of the text on the graphic bands (green and red) was also changed at the time the green band was revised in 2013.[citation needed]
  • Yellow band: A yellow title card, introduced around 2007,[when?] exists solely to indicate trailers with restricted content that are hosted on the Internet, with the wording stipulating "The following preview has been approved only for age-appropriate Internet users." The MPAA defines "age-appropriate Internet users" as visitors to sites either frequented mainly by adults or accessible only between 9:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. (i.e., 21:00 through 04:00 local time). The yellow card is reserved for trailers previewing films rated PG-13 or stronger.[8] Although official, this practice appears to have never been widespread. However, yellow band trailers are occasionally created, a notable example being the trailer for Rob Zombie's Halloween (2007).[8]
  • Red band: A red title card is issued to trailers which do not adhere to the MPAA's guidelines. It indicates that the trailer is approved for only "restricted" or "mature" audiences, and when it accompanies another feature, the wording states "The following restricted preview has been approved to accompany this feature only." For trailers hosted on the Internet, the wording is tweaked to "The following restricted preview has been approved for appropriate audiences."[7] The red title card is reserved for trailers previewing R and NC-17 rated films: these trailers may include nudity, profanity, or other material deemed inappropriate for children.[9] These trailers may only be shown theatrically before R-rated, NC-17-rated, or unrated movies.[citation needed] Trailers hosted on the Internet carrying a red title card require viewers to pass an age verification test which entails users aged 17 and older to match their names, birthdays, and ZIP Codes to public records on file.[8] However, many YouTube channels which exist to syndicate film and television trailers often do not have this check, and release these trailers without any type of restriction, to some criticism from groups such as Common Sense Media.[10]

Releases

The MPA also creates blue feature tags for theatrical and home media use. Theatrical releases show the blue tag after the film, with home media releases showing it prior to the film.[7] They feature the rating block and any content descriptors as assigned by the Classification and Rating Administration, the MPA logo, and links to MPA websites along the bottom.

History

Replacement of the Hays Code

Jack Valenti, who had become president of the Motion Picture Association of America in May 1966, deemed the Motion Picture Production Code – in place since 1930 and rigorously enforced since July 1, 1934 – as out of date and bearing "the odious smell of censorship". Filmmakers were pushing at the boundaries of the Code with some even going as far as filing lawsuits against the "Hays Code" by invoking the First Amendment, and Valenti cited examples such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, which contained the expressions "screw" and "hump the hostess"; and Blowup, which was denied Code approval due to nudity, resulting in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, then a member studio of the MPAA, releasing it through a subsidiary. He revised the Code to include the "SMA" (Suggested for Mature Audiences) advisory as a stopgap measure. To accommodate "the irresistible force of creators determined to make 'their films'", and to avoid "the possible intrusion of government into the movie arena", he developed a set of advisory ratings which could be applied after a film was completed.

On November 1, 1968, the voluntary MPAA film rating system took effect,[2] with three organizations serving as its monitoring and guiding groups: the MPAA, the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), and the International Film Importers & Distributors of America (IFIDA).[11] Only films that premiered in the United States after that date were affected by this.[12] Walter Reade was the only one of 75 top U.S. exhibitors who refused to use the ratings.[12] Warner Bros.-Seven Arts' The Girl on a Motorcycle was the first film to receive the X rating, and was distributed by their Claridge Pictures subsidiary.[13] Two other films were rated X by the time the MPAA published their first weekly bulletin listing ratings: Paramount's Sin With a Stranger and Universal's Birds in Peru. Both films were subsequently released by subsidiaries.[14]

The ratings used from 1968 to 1970 were:[15][16]

  • Rated G: Suggested for general audiences.
  • Rated M: Suggested for mature audiences - Parental discretion advised.
  • Rated R: Restricted – Persons under 16 not admitted, unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian.
  • Rated X: Persons under 16 not admitted.

This content classification system originally was to have three ratings, with the intention of allowing parents to take their children to any film they chose. However, the National Association of Theatre Owners urged the creation of an adults-only category, fearful of possible legal problems in local jurisdictions. The "X" rating was not an MPAA trademark and would not receive the MPAA seal; any producer not submitting a film for MPAA rating could self-apply the "X" rating (or any other symbol or description that was not an MPAA trademark).[11]

From M to GP to PG

In 1970, the ages for "R" and "X" were raised from 16 to 17.[17] Also, due to confusion over whether "M"-rated films were suitable for children,[17] "M" was renamed to "GP" (for General audiences, Parental guidance suggested),[18][19] and in 1971, the MPAA added the content advisory "Some material not generally suitable for pre-teenagers".[20] On February 11, 1972,[21] "GP" was revised to "PG".[17]

The ratings used from 1970 to 1972 were:

  • Rated G: All ages admitted – General audiences.
  • Rated GP: All ages admitted – Parental guidance suggested. [Sometimes a disclaimer would say "This film contains material which may not be suitable for pre-teenagers"]
  • Rated R: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
  • Rated X: No one under 17 admitted.

The ratings used from 1972 to 1984 were:[22]

  • Rated G: General audiences – All ages admitted.
  • Rated PG: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for pre-teenagers.
  • Rated R: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
  • Rated X: No one under 17 admitted.

Addition of the PG-13 rating

In the 1980s, complaints about violence and gore in films such as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins, both of which received PG ratings, refocused attention on films seen by small children and preteens.[23] According to author Filipa Antunes, this revealed the conundrum of a film that "could not be recommended for all children but could also not be repudiated for all children uniformly," leading to speculation that the rating system's PG classification "no longer matched a notion of childhood most parents in America could agree on."[24] Steven Spielberg, director of Temple of Doom and executive producer of Gremlins, suggested a new intermediate rating between "PG" and "R".[25] The "PG-13" rating was introduced on July 1, 1984, with the advisory "Parents Are Strongly Cautioned to Give Special Guidance for Attendance of Children Under 13 – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Young Children". The first film to be released with this rating was the John Milius war film Red Dawn.[26] In 1985, the wording was simplified to "Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13".[27] Around the same time, the MPAA won a trademark infringement lawsuit against the producers and distributors of I Spit on Your Grave over a fraudulent application of its R rating to the uncut version of the film,[28] and forced its member studios and several other home video distributors to put MPAA ratings on the packaging of MPAA-rated films via a settlement that would come into effect by fall that year.[29]

The ratings used from 1984 to 1990 were:

  • Rated G: General audiences – All ages admitted.
  • Rated PG: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children.
  • Rated PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
  • Rated R: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
  • Rated X: No one under 17 admitted.

Tennessee law

In 1989, Tennessee state law set the minimum age to view a theatrically exhibited R-rated film without adult accompaniment at 18, instead of 17, and categorized the admission of minors to X-rated films as a misdemeanor. The statute remained in force until 2013, when it was ruled to be in violation of the First Amendment. The law was amended in 2013 as to prohibit persons under the age of 18 only if the film was considered "harmful to minors".[30][31]

X replaced by NC-17

 
"X"-rating as it appeared in theatrical posters prior to being replaced by NC-17.

In the rating system's early years, "X"-rated films such as Midnight Cowboy (1969) and A Clockwork Orange (1971) were understood to be unsuitable for children, but non-pornographic and intended for the general public. However, pornographic films often self-applied the non-trademarked "X" rating, and it soon became synonymous with pornography in American culture.[32] In late 1989 and early 1990, respectively, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, two critically acclaimed art films featuring strong adult content, were released. Neither film was approved for an MPAA rating, limiting their commercial distribution and prompting criticism of the rating system's lack of a designation for such films.[33][34]

In September 1990, the MPAA introduced the rating NC-17 ("No Children Under 17 Admitted").[35] Henry & June, previously to be assigned an X rating, was the first film to receive the NC-17 rating instead.[35][36] Although films with an NC-17 rating had more mainstream distribution opportunities than X-rated films, many theaters refused to screen them, most entertainment media did not accept advertising for them, and many large video outlets refused to stock them.[37]

The ratings used from 1990 to 1996 were:

  • Rated G: General audiences – All ages admitted.
  • Rated PG: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children.
  • Rated PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
  • Rated R: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
  • Rated NC-17: No children under 17 admitted.

In 1996,[38] the minimum age for NC-17-rated films was raised to 18,[39][40][41] by rewording it to "No One 17 and Under Admitted".[42] The ratings used since 1996 are:[4]

  • Rated G: General audiences – All ages admitted.
  • Rated PG: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children.
  • Rated PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.
  • Rated R: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
  • Rated NC-17: Adults Only – No one 17 and under admitted.

Since September 1990, the MPAA has included brief explanations of why each film received an "R" rating, allowing parents to know what type of content the film contained. For example, some films' explanations may read "Strong Brutal Violence, Pervasive Language, Some Strong Sexual Content, and Drug Material".[43][44]

By the early 2000s, the MPAA began applying rating explanations for PG, PG-13, and NC-17-rated films as well.[45][46]

Rating components

Violence

Depictions of violence are permitted under all ratings but must be moderated for the lower ones. Violence must be kept to a minimum in G-rated films and must not be intense in PG-rated films. Depictions of intense violence are permitted under the PG-13 rating, but violence that is both realistic and extreme or persistent will generally require at least an R rating.[3]

Language

Snippets of language that go "beyond polite conversation" are permitted in G-rated films, but no stronger words are present. Profanity may be present in PG rated films, and use of one of the harsher "sexually-derived words" as an expletive will initially incur at least a PG-13 rating. More than one occurrence will usually incur an R rating as will the usage of such an expletive in a sexual context.[3] Known as the "automatic language rule", the rule has been applied differently depending on the subject matter of the film. For example, All the President's Men (1976) received a general rating on appeal, despite multiple instances of strong language, likely because of its historic subject matter. The automatic language rule is arguably the rule that can most often be successfully appealed.[47] The ratings board may award a PG-13 rating passed by a two-thirds majority if they believe the language is justified by the context or by the manner in which the words are used.[3]

It is sometimes claimed that films rated PG-13 are only able to use the expletive fuck once to avoid an R rating for language.[48] There are several exceptional cases in which PG-13-rated films contain multiple occurrences of the word fuck: Adventures in Babysitting, where the word is used twice in the same scene;[49] Antwone Fisher which has three uses;[50] The Hip Hop Project, which has seventeen uses;[51] and Gunner Palace, a documentary of soldiers in the Second Gulf War, which has 42 uses of the word with two used sexually.[52] Both Bully, a 2011 documentary about bullying, and Philomena—which has two instances of the word—released in 2013, were originally given R ratings on grounds of the language but the ratings were dropped to PG-13 after successful appeals.[53][54]The King's Speech, however, was given an R rating for one scene using the word fuck several times in a speech therapy context; the MPAA refused to recertify the film on appeal, despite the British Board of Film Classification reducing the British rating from a 15 rating to a 12A on the grounds that the uses of the expletive were not directed at anyone.[55]

This was satirized in the 2005 film Be Cool, in which the movie producer Chili Palmer (John Travolta) says: "Do you know that unless you're willing to use the R rating, you can only say the 'F' word once? You know what I say? Fuck that. I'm done."[56] Often film producers will use the word for a scene of gravitas or humor and then blur out any further instances with sound effects.[56]

Some forms of media are cut post-release so as to obtain a PG-13 rating for home media release or to feature on an Internet streaming service that will not carry films rated higher than PG-13. In 2020, a recording of Hamilton was released on Disney+ after cuts by Lin-Manuel Miranda to remove two of the three instances of fuck in the musical to qualify it as PG-13 under MPAA guidelines.[57]

A study of popular American teen-oriented films rated PG and PG-13 from 1980 to 2006 found that in those films, teenaged characters use more and stronger profanity than the adult characters in the same movies.[58] However, the study found that the overall amount of such language had declined somewhat since the 1980s.[58]

Substances

See also: Product placement § Tobacco

Drug use content is restricted to PG-13 and above.[3] An example of an otherwise PG film being assigned a PG-13 rating for a drug reference (momentary, along with brief language) is Whale Rider. The film contained only mild profanity, but was rated PG-13 because of a scene where drug paraphernalia were briefly visible. Critic Roger Ebert criticized the MPAA for the rating and called it "a wild overreaction".[59]

In May 2007, the MPAA announced that depictions of cigarette smoking would be considered in a film's rating.[60][61] Anti-smoking advocates stated that the child-friendly PG rating was inappropriate for the 2011 Nickelodeon-animated film Rango, which included over 60 depictions of characters smoking.[62]

Nudity

Nudity is restricted to PG and above, and anything that constitutes more than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating. Nudity that is sexually oriented will generally require an R rating.[3] Since 2006, films have been flagged by the MPAA for carrying nudity. In 2010, the MPAA flagged three films specifically for "male nudity", precipitated by parental pressure in response to Brüno.[63] In 2018, MPAA Ratings Chair Joan Graves clarified the MPA's position by stating that "we don't usually define [nudity] as male or female ... usually, we just mention partial nudity, [or] graphic nudity."[64]

Sex

The MPAA does not have any explicit criteria for sexual content other than excluding sex scenes from G-rated films.[3]

Effects of ratings

The Exorcist

Prior to the release of The Exorcist at the end of 1973, CARA president Aaron Stern took the unusual step of calling director William Friedkin to tell him that since it was an "important film", it would be rated R and could be released without any cuts.[65] The film drew huge crowds upon its release, many of whom vomited and/or fainted;[66] a psychiatric journal would later document four cases of "cinematic neurosis" induced by the film.[67]

Among those patrons were many children, not always accompanied by adults. This left many commentators incredulous that the ratings board would have found that a film with disturbing scenes such as a possessed 12-year-old girl masturbating with a crucifix was acceptable for children to see. Roy Meacham, a Washington, D.C., critic who had praised the film while admonishing parents not to take their children to it, recalled those children he did see leaving showings "drained and drawn afterward; their eyes had a look I had never seen before." Authorities in Washington invoked a municipal ordinance that would have prevented any minors from seeing the film, threatening theater owners with arrest if they did.[68]

Meacham insinuated that the board had succumbed to pressure from Warner Brothers, which had spent $10 million, more than twice its original budget, making the film; an X rating would have seriously limited The Exorcist's commercial prospects. New Yorker critic Pauline Kael echoed his criticism. "If The Exorcist had cost under a million or been made abroad," she wrote, "it would almost certainly be an X film. But when a movie is as expensive as this one, the [board] doesn't dare give it an X."[65]

In 1974, Richard Heffner took over as president of the board. During his interview process, he had asked to screen recent films that had sparked ratings controversies, including The Exorcist. "How could anything be worse than this?" he recalled thinking later. "And it got an R?" After he took over as head, he would spearhead efforts to be more aggressive with the X rating, especially over violence in films. In 1976, he got the board to give the Japanese martial arts film The Street Fighter an X rating for its graphic violence, the first time a film had earned that rating purely for violence.[65]

Commercial viability of the NC-17 rating

The NC-17 rating has been described as a "kiss of death" for any film that receives it.[69] Like the X rating it replaced, NC-17 limits a film's prospects of being marketed, screened in theaters and sold in major video outlets.[37] In 1995, United Artists released the big-budget film Showgirls (1995); it became the most widely distributed film with an NC-17 rating (showing in 1,388 cinemas simultaneously), but it was a financial failure that grossed only 45% of its $45 million budget.[70] Some modest successes can be found among NC-17 theatrical releases, however; Fox Searchlight Pictures released the original NC-17-rated American edition of the European film The Dreamers (2003) in theaters in the United States, and later released both the original NC-17 and the cut R-rated version on DVD. A Fox Searchlight spokesman said the NC-17 rating did not give them much trouble in releasing this film (they had no problem booking it, and only the Salt Lake City newspaper Deseret News refused to take the film's ad), and Fox Searchlight was satisfied with this film's United States box office result.[71] Another notable exception is Bad Education (2004), an NC-17 foreign-language film that grossed $5.2 million in the United States theatrically[72] (a moderate success for a foreign-language film[73]).

In 2000, the Directors Guild of America called the NC-17 rating an "abject failure", for causing filmmakers to re-edit films to receive an R rating, rather than accept an NC-17 rating. They argued that this was "not only compromising filmmakers' visions, but also greatly increasing the likelihood that adult-oriented movies are seen by the very groups for which they are not intended."[74] As of March 2007, according to Variety, MPAA chairman Dan Glickman had been made aware of the attempts to introduce a new rating, or find ways to reduce the stigma of the NC-17 rating. Film studios have pressured the MPAA to retire the NC-17 rating, because of its likely impact on their film's box office revenue.[75][76]

During the controversy about the MPAA's decision to give the film Blue Valentine (2010) an NC-17 rating (The Weinstein Company challenged this decision, and the MPAA ended up awarding the same cut an R rating on appeal). Actor Ryan Gosling, who stars in the film, noted that NC-17 films are not allowed wide advertisement and that, given the refusal of major cinema chains like AMC and Regal to show NC-17 rated movies, many such films will never be accessible to people who live in markets that do not have art house theatres.[77]

Legal scholar Julie Hilden wrote that the MPAA has a "masterpiece exception" that it has made for films that would ordinarily earn an NC-17 rating, if not for the broader artistic masterpiece that requires the violence depicted as a part of its message. She cites Saving Private Ryan, with its bloody depiction of the D-Day landings, as an example. This exception is troubling, Hilden argues, because it ignores context and perspective in evaluating other films and favors conventional films over edgier films that contribute newer and more interesting points to public discourse about violence.[78]

Issuance of "R Cards"

Starting in 2004, GKC Theatres (since absorbed into AMC Theatres) introduced "R-Cards", which parents could obtain for their children under 17 to see R-rated films without adult accompaniment. The cards generated much controversy; MPAA president Jack Valenti said in a news article: "I think it distorts and ruptures the intent of this voluntary film ratings system. All R-rated films are not alike."[79] John Fithian, the president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, also said that the cards can be harmful. He noted in a news article for the Christian Science Monitor that the R rating is "broad enough to include relatively family-friendly fare such as Billy Elliot and Erin Brockovich (which were both rated R for language) along with films that push the extremes of violence, including Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill."[80]

Criticisms

Emphasis on sex and language versus violence

The film rating system has had a number of high-profile critics. Film critic Roger Ebert called for replacing the NC-17 rating with separate ratings for pornographic and non-pornographic adult film.[81] Ebert argued that the system places too much emphasis on sex, while allowing the portrayal of massive amounts of gruesome violence. The uneven emphasis on sex versus violence is echoed by other critics, including David Ansen, as well as many filmmakers. Moreover, Ebert argued that the rating system is geared toward looking at trivial aspects of the film (such as the number of times a profane word is used) rather than at the general theme of the film (for example, if the film realistically depicts the consequences of sex and violence). He called for an A (adults only) rating, to indicate films high in violence or mature content that should not be marketed to teenagers, but do not have NC-17 levels of sex. He also called for the NC-17 rating to be removed and to have the X rating revived. He felt that everyone understood what X-rated means, while fewer people understood what NC-17 meant.[82][83][84]

MPAA chairman Dan Glickman has disputed these claims, stating that far more films are initially rated NC-17 for violence than for sex, but that these are later edited by studios to receive an R rating.[85]

Despite this, an internal critic of the early workings of the ratings system is film critic and writer Stephen Farber, who was a CARA intern for six months during 1969 and 1970. In The Movie Ratings Game,[86] he documents a prejudice against sex in relation to violence. The 2006 documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated also points out that four times as many films received an NC-17 rating for sex as they did for violence according to the MPAA's own website, further mentioning a bias against homosexual content compared to heterosexual content, particularly with regards to sex scenes. Filmmaker Darren Stein further insists that his tame teen comedy G.B.F., which features multiple same-sex kisses but no intercourse, strong language, violence, or nudity, was "rated R for being gay."[87]

The 2011 documentary Bully received an R rating for the profanity contained within the film, which prevented most of the intended audience, middle and high schoolers, from seeing the film. The film's director, Lee Hirsch, has refused to recut the film, stating, "I feel a responsibility as a filmmaker, as the person entrusted to tell (these kids') stories, to not water them down." A petition collected more than 200,000 signatures to change the film's rating[88] and a version with less profanity was finally given a PG-13 rating. The same, however, could not be said about the 1995 teen drama Kids, which director Larry Clark wanted rated R so parents could take their kids to it for educational purposes, but the MPAA rated it NC-17 due to its content of teen sex and turned down Clark's appeal. The film was then released unrated by Miramax (under Shining Excalibur Films because Miramax, formerly owned by Disney, hesitated to release it as an NC-17 film).

Tougher standards for independent studios

Many critics of the MPAA system, especially independent distributors, have charged that major studios' releases often receive more lenient treatment than independent films. The independent film Saints and Soldiers, which contains no nudity, almost no sex (although, there is a scene in which a German soldier is about to rape a French woman), very little profanity, and a minimum of violence, was said to have been rated R for a single clip where a main character is shot and killed, and required modification of just that one scene to receive a PG-13 rating.[89][90] Eric Watson, producer of the independently distributed, NC-17-rated Requiem for a Dream complained that the studios are paying the budget of the MPAA, which gives the studios leverage over the MPAA's decisions.[91]

The comedy Scary Movie, released by Dimension Films, at the time a division of The Walt Disney Company, contained "strong crude sexual humor, language, drug use and violence," including images of ejaculation, fellatio and an erect penis, but was rated R, to the surprise of many reviewers and audiences; by comparison, the comparatively tame porn spoof Orgazmo, an independent release by South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, contained "explicit sexual content and dialogue" and received an NC-17 (the only on-screen penis seen in the film is a dildo). As Parker and Stone did not have the money and the time to edit the film, it retained its NC-17 rating. In contrast, Parker and Stone's second feature film, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, was distributed by a major studio (Paramount Pictures) and, after multiple submissions and notes from the MPAA, received an R rating.[91]

Call for publicizing the standards

Many critics of the system, both conservative and liberal, would like to see the MPAA ratings unveiled and the standards made public. The MPAA has consistently cited nationwide scientific polls (conducted each year by the Opinion Research Corporation of Princeton, New Jersey), which show that parents find the ratings useful. Critics such as Matt Stone in Kirby Dick's documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated respond this proves only that parents find the ratings more useful than nothing at all.[92] In the film, it is also discussed how the MPAA will not reveal any information about how or why certain decisions are made, and that the association will not even reveal to the filmmaker the specific scenes that need to be cut in order to get an alternative rating.

Accusation of "ratings creep"

Although there has always been concern about the content of films,[93] the MPAA has been accused of a "ratings creep", whereby the films that fall into today's ratings categories now contain more objectionable material than those that appeared in the same categories two decades earlier.[94] A study put forward by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2004 concluded that there had been a significant increase in the level of profanity, sex and violence in films released between 1992 and 2003.[95] Kimberly Thompson, director of the study, stated: "The findings demonstrate that ratings creep has occurred over the last decade and that today's movies contain significantly more violence, sex, and profanity on average than movies of the same rating a decade ago."[95]

Questions of relevance

Slashfilm.com managing editor David Chen wrote on the website: "It's time for more people to condemn the MPAA and their outrageous antics. We're heading towards an age when we don't need a mommy-like organization to dictate what our delicate sensibilities can and can't be exposed to. I deeply hope that the MPAA's irrelevance is imminent."[96]

Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips wrote that the MPAA ratings board "has become foolish and irrelevant, and its members do not have my interests at heart, or yours. They're too easy on violence yet bizarrely reactionary when it comes to nudity and language."[97]

See also

References

  1. ^ Rialto Cinemas (2012). "Frequently Asked Questions". Rialto Cinemas. Rialto Cinemas™. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
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External links

 
Wikidata has the property:
  •   MPA film rating (P1657) (see uses)
  • Classification and Ratings Administration Official Website with ratings database
  • MPAA Film Ratings website

January 26, 2023
motion, picture, association, film, rating, system, used, united, states, territories, rate, motion, picture, suitability, certain, audiences, based, content, system, ratings, applied, individual, motion, pictures, responsibility, motion, picture, association,. The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture s suitability for certain audiences based on its content The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures are the responsibility of the Motion Picture Association MPA previously known as the Motion Picture Association of America MPAA from 1945 to 2019 The MPA rating system is a voluntary scheme that is not enforced by law films can be exhibited without a rating although most theaters refuse to exhibit non rated or NC 17 rated films Non members of the MPA may also submit films for rating 1 Other media such as television programs music and video games are rated by other entities such as the TV Parental Guidelines the RIAA and the ESRB respectively Introduced in 1968 2 following the Hays Code of the classical Hollywood cinema era the MPA rating system is one of various motion picture rating systems that are used to help parents decide what films are appropriate for their children It is administered by the Classification amp Ratings Administration CARA an independent division of the MPA 3 Contents 1 Ratings 1 1 MPA film ratings 1 2 Content descriptors 1 3 Other labels 2 Regulation of promotional materials and releases 2 1 Theatrical trailers 2 2 Releases 3 History 3 1 Replacement of the Hays Code 3 2 From M to GP to PG 3 3 Addition of the PG 13 rating 3 4 Tennessee law 3 5 X replaced by NC 17 4 Rating components 4 1 Violence 4 2 Language 4 3 Substances 4 4 Nudity 4 5 Sex 5 Effects of ratings 5 1 The Exorcist 5 2 Commercial viability of the NC 17 rating 5 3 Issuance of R Cards 6 Criticisms 6 1 Emphasis on sex and language versus violence 6 2 Tougher standards for independent studios 6 3 Call for publicizing the standards 6 4 Accusation of ratings creep 6 5 Questions of relevance 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksRatings EditSeveral terms redirect here For other uses see U S Route 321 and PG 13 disambiguation MPA film ratings Edit The MPA film ratings are as follows 4 Rating block symbol Meaning G General Audiences All ages admitted Nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children PG Parental Guidance Suggested Some material may not be suitable for children Parents urged to give parental guidance May contain some material parents might not like for their young children PG 13 Parents Strongly Cautioned Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 Parents are urged to be cautious Some material may be inappropriate for pre teenagers R Restricted Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian Contains some adult material Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them NC 17 Adults Only No One 17 and Under Admitted Clearly adult Children are not admitted In 2013 the MPA ratings were visually redesigned with the rating displayed on a left panel and the name of the rating shown above it A larger panel on the right provides a more detailed description of the film s content and an explanation of the rating level is placed on a horizontal bar at the bottom of the rating 5 Content descriptors Edit Film ratings often have accompanying brief descriptions of the specifics behind the film s content and why it received a certain rating They are displayed in trailers posters and on the backside of home video releases Film rating content descriptors are exclusively used for films rated from PG to NC 17 they are not used for G rated films because the content in them is suitable for all audiences even if containing mild objectionable content 6 Other labels Edit If a film has not been submitted for a rating or is an uncut version of a film that was submitted the labels Not Rated NR or Unrated UR are often used Uncut extended versions of films that are labeled Unrated also contain warnings saying that the uncut version of the film contains content that differs from the theatrical release and might not be suitable for minors If a film has not yet been assigned a final rating the label This Film Is Not Yet Rated is used in trailers and television commercials Regulation of promotional materials and releases Edit A green band trailer card for Toy Story 4 A yellow band trailer card for The Unborn A red band trailer card for Snowpiercer A blue feature tag for Edge of Tomorrow The MPA also rates film trailers print advertising posters and other media used to promote a film 7 Theatrical trailers Edit This section has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Motion Picture Association film rating system news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message This section needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information February 2019 This section is missing information about when mandatory green card was lifted for trailers hosted online Please expand the section to include this information Further details may exist on the talk page February 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Rating cards appear at the head of trailers in the United States which indicate how closely the trailer adheres to the MPA s standards citation needed Green band When the trailer accompanies another rated feature the wording on the green title card states as of May 2013 The following preview has been approved to accompany this feature For trailers hosted on the Internet the wording is tweaked to The following preview has been approved for appropriate audiences 7 Until April 2009 these cards indicated that they had been approved for all audiences and often included the film s MPA rating This signified that the trailer adheres to the standards for motion picture advertising outlined by the MPA which include limitations on foul language and violent sexual or otherwise objectionable imagery In April 2009 the MPA began to permit the green band language to say that a trailer had been approved for appropriate audiences meaning that the material would be appropriate for audiences in theaters based on the content of the film they had come to see In May 2013 the MPA changed the trailer approval band from for appropriate audiences to to accompany this feature but only when accompanying a feature film for bands not accompanying a feature film the text of the band remained the same The font and style of the text on the graphic bands green and red was also changed at the time the green band was revised in 2013 citation needed Yellow band A yellow title card introduced around 2007 when exists solely to indicate trailers with restricted content that are hosted on the Internet with the wording stipulating The following preview has been approved only for age appropriate Internet users The MPAA defines age appropriate Internet users as visitors to sites either frequented mainly by adults or accessible only between 9 00 p m and 4 00 a m i e 21 00 through 04 00 local time The yellow card is reserved for trailers previewing films rated PG 13 or stronger 8 Although official this practice appears to have never been widespread However yellow band trailers are occasionally created a notable example being the trailer for Rob Zombie s Halloween 2007 8 Red band A red title card is issued to trailers which do not adhere to the MPAA s guidelines It indicates that the trailer is approved for only restricted or mature audiences and when it accompanies another feature the wording states The following restricted preview has been approved to accompany this feature only For trailers hosted on the Internet the wording is tweaked to The following restricted preview has been approved for appropriate audiences 7 The red title card is reserved for trailers previewing R and NC 17 rated films these trailers may include nudity profanity or other material deemed inappropriate for children 9 These trailers may only be shown theatrically before R rated NC 17 rated or unrated movies citation needed Trailers hosted on the Internet carrying a red title card require viewers to pass an age verification test which entails users aged 17 and older to match their names birthdays and ZIP Codes to public records on file 8 However many YouTube channels which exist to syndicate film and television trailers often do not have this check and release these trailers without any type of restriction to some criticism from groups such as Common Sense Media 10 Releases Edit The MPA also creates blue feature tags for theatrical and home media use Theatrical releases show the blue tag after the film with home media releases showing it prior to the film 7 They feature the rating block and any content descriptors as assigned by the Classification and Rating Administration the MPA logo and links to MPA websites along the bottom History EditReplacement of the Hays Code Edit Jack Valenti who had become president of the Motion Picture Association of America in May 1966 deemed the Motion Picture Production Code in place since 1930 and rigorously enforced since July 1 1934 as out of date and bearing the odious smell of censorship Filmmakers were pushing at the boundaries of the Code with some even going as far as filing lawsuits against the Hays Code by invoking the First Amendment and Valenti cited examples such as Who s Afraid of Virginia Woolf which contained the expressions screw and hump the hostess and Blowup which was denied Code approval due to nudity resulting in Metro Goldwyn Mayer then a member studio of the MPAA releasing it through a subsidiary He revised the Code to include the SMA Suggested for Mature Audiences advisory as a stopgap measure To accommodate the irresistible force of creators determined to make their films and to avoid the possible intrusion of government into the movie arena he developed a set of advisory ratings which could be applied after a film was completed On November 1 1968 the voluntary MPAA film rating system took effect 2 with three organizations serving as its monitoring and guiding groups the MPAA the National Association of Theatre Owners NATO and the International Film Importers amp Distributors of America IFIDA 11 Only films that premiered in the United States after that date were affected by this 12 Walter Reade was the only one of 75 top U S exhibitors who refused to use the ratings 12 Warner Bros Seven Arts The Girl on a Motorcycle was the first film to receive the X rating and was distributed by their Claridge Pictures subsidiary 13 Two other films were rated X by the time the MPAA published their first weekly bulletin listing ratings Paramount s Sin With a Stranger and Universal s Birds in Peru Both films were subsequently released by subsidiaries 14 The ratings used from 1968 to 1970 were 15 16 Rated G Suggested for general audiences Rated M Suggested for mature audiences Parental discretion advised Rated R Restricted Persons under 16 not admitted unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian Rated X Persons under 16 not admitted This content classification system originally was to have three ratings with the intention of allowing parents to take their children to any film they chose However the National Association of Theatre Owners urged the creation of an adults only category fearful of possible legal problems in local jurisdictions The X rating was not an MPAA trademark and would not receive the MPAA seal any producer not submitting a film for MPAA rating could self apply the X rating or any other symbol or description that was not an MPAA trademark 11 From M to GP to PG Edit In 1970 the ages for R and X were raised from 16 to 17 17 Also due to confusion over whether M rated films were suitable for children 17 M was renamed to GP for General audiences Parental guidance suggested 18 19 and in 1971 the MPAA added the content advisory Some material not generally suitable for pre teenagers 20 On February 11 1972 21 GP was revised to PG 17 The ratings used from 1970 to 1972 were Rated G All ages admitted General audiences Rated GP All ages admitted Parental guidance suggested Sometimes a disclaimer would say This film contains material which may not be suitable for pre teenagers Rated R Restricted Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian Rated X No one under 17 admitted The ratings used from 1972 to 1984 were 22 Rated G General audiences All ages admitted Rated PG Parental guidance suggested Some material may not be suitable for pre teenagers Rated R Restricted Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian Rated X No one under 17 admitted Addition of the PG 13 rating Edit In the 1980s complaints about violence and gore in films such as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins both of which received PG ratings refocused attention on films seen by small children and preteens 23 According to author Filipa Antunes this revealed the conundrum of a film that could not be recommended for all children but could also not be repudiated for all children uniformly leading to speculation that the rating system s PG classification no longer matched a notion of childhood most parents in America could agree on 24 Steven Spielberg director of Temple of Doom and executive producer of Gremlins suggested a new intermediate rating between PG and R 25 The PG 13 rating was introduced on July 1 1984 with the advisory Parents Are Strongly Cautioned to Give Special Guidance for Attendance of Children Under 13 Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Young Children The first film to be released with this rating was the John Milius war film Red Dawn 26 In 1985 the wording was simplified to Parents Strongly Cautioned Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13 27 Around the same time the MPAA won a trademark infringement lawsuit against the producers and distributors of I Spit on Your Grave over a fraudulent application of its R rating to the uncut version of the film 28 and forced its member studios and several other home video distributors to put MPAA ratings on the packaging of MPAA rated films via a settlement that would come into effect by fall that year 29 The ratings used from 1984 to 1990 were Rated G General audiences All ages admitted Rated PG Parental guidance suggested Some material may not be suitable for children Rated PG 13 Parents strongly cautioned Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 Rated R Restricted Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian Rated X No one under 17 admitted Tennessee law Edit In 1989 Tennessee state law set the minimum age to view a theatrically exhibited R rated film without adult accompaniment at 18 instead of 17 and categorized the admission of minors to X rated films as a misdemeanor The statute remained in force until 2013 when it was ruled to be in violation of the First Amendment The law was amended in 2013 as to prohibit persons under the age of 18 only if the film was considered harmful to minors 30 31 X replaced by NC 17 Edit X rating as it appeared in theatrical posters prior to being replaced by NC 17 In the rating system s early years X rated films such as Midnight Cowboy 1969 and A Clockwork Orange 1971 were understood to be unsuitable for children but non pornographic and intended for the general public However pornographic films often self applied the non trademarked X rating and it soon became synonymous with pornography in American culture 32 In late 1989 and early 1990 respectively Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer and The Cook the Thief His Wife amp Her Lover two critically acclaimed art films featuring strong adult content were released Neither film was approved for an MPAA rating limiting their commercial distribution and prompting criticism of the rating system s lack of a designation for such films 33 34 In September 1990 the MPAA introduced the rating NC 17 No Children Under 17 Admitted 35 Henry amp June previously to be assigned an X rating was the first film to receive the NC 17 rating instead 35 36 Although films with an NC 17 rating had more mainstream distribution opportunities than X rated films many theaters refused to screen them most entertainment media did not accept advertising for them and many large video outlets refused to stock them 37 The ratings used from 1990 to 1996 were Rated G General audiences All ages admitted Rated PG Parental guidance suggested Some material may not be suitable for children Rated PG 13 Parents strongly cautioned Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 Rated R Restricted Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian Rated NC 17 No children under 17 admitted In 1996 38 the minimum age for NC 17 rated films was raised to 18 39 40 41 by rewording it to No One 17 and Under Admitted 42 The ratings used since 1996 are 4 Rated G General audiences All ages admitted Rated PG Parental guidance suggested Some material may not be suitable for children Rated PG 13 Parents strongly cautioned Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13 Rated R Restricted Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian Rated NC 17 Adults Only No one 17 and under admitted Since September 1990 the MPAA has included brief explanations of why each film received an R rating allowing parents to know what type of content the film contained For example some films explanations may read Strong Brutal Violence Pervasive Language Some Strong Sexual Content and Drug Material 43 44 By the early 2000s the MPAA began applying rating explanations for PG PG 13 and NC 17 rated films as well 45 46 Rating components EditViolence Edit Depictions of violence are permitted under all ratings but must be moderated for the lower ones Violence must be kept to a minimum in G rated films and must not be intense in PG rated films Depictions of intense violence are permitted under the PG 13 rating but violence that is both realistic and extreme or persistent will generally require at least an R rating 3 Language Edit Snippets of language that go beyond polite conversation are permitted in G rated films but no stronger words are present Profanity may be present in PG rated films and use of one of the harsher sexually derived words as an expletive will initially incur at least a PG 13 rating More than one occurrence will usually incur an R rating as will the usage of such an expletive in a sexual context 3 Known as the automatic language rule the rule has been applied differently depending on the subject matter of the film For example All the President s Men 1976 received a general rating on appeal despite multiple instances of strong language likely because of its historic subject matter The automatic language rule is arguably the rule that can most often be successfully appealed 47 The ratings board may award a PG 13 rating passed by a two thirds majority if they believe the language is justified by the context or by the manner in which the words are used 3 It is sometimes claimed that films rated PG 13 are only able to use the expletive fuck once to avoid an R rating for language 48 There are several exceptional cases in which PG 13 rated films contain multiple occurrences of the word fuck Adventures in Babysitting where the word is used twice in the same scene 49 Antwone Fisher which has three uses 50 The Hip Hop Project which has seventeen uses 51 and Gunner Palace a documentary of soldiers in the Second Gulf War which has 42 uses of the word with two used sexually 52 Both Bully a 2011 documentary about bullying and Philomena which has two instances of the word released in 2013 were originally given R ratings on grounds of the language but the ratings were dropped to PG 13 after successful appeals 53 54 The King s Speech however was given an R rating for one scene using the word fuck several times in a speech therapy context the MPAA refused to recertify the film on appeal despite the British Board of Film Classification reducing the British rating from a 15 rating to a 12A on the grounds that the uses of the expletive were not directed at anyone 55 This was satirized in the 2005 film Be Cool in which the movie producer Chili Palmer John Travolta says Do you know that unless you re willing to use the R rating you can only say the F word once You know what I say Fuck that I m done 56 Often film producers will use the word for a scene of gravitas or humor and then blur out any further instances with sound effects 56 Some forms of media are cut post release so as to obtain a PG 13 rating for home media release or to feature on an Internet streaming service that will not carry films rated higher than PG 13 In 2020 a recording of Hamilton was released on Disney after cuts by Lin Manuel Miranda to remove two of the three instances of fuck in the musical to qualify it as PG 13 under MPAA guidelines 57 A study of popular American teen oriented films rated PG and PG 13 from 1980 to 2006 found that in those films teenaged characters use more and stronger profanity than the adult characters in the same movies 58 However the study found that the overall amount of such language had declined somewhat since the 1980s 58 Substances Edit See also Product placement Tobacco Drug use content is restricted to PG 13 and above 3 An example of an otherwise PG film being assigned a PG 13 rating for a drug reference momentary along with brief language is Whale Rider The film contained only mild profanity but was rated PG 13 because of a scene where drug paraphernalia were briefly visible Critic Roger Ebert criticized the MPAA for the rating and called it a wild overreaction 59 In May 2007 the MPAA announced that depictions of cigarette smoking would be considered in a film s rating 60 61 Anti smoking advocates stated that the child friendly PG rating was inappropriate for the 2011 Nickelodeon animated film Rango which included over 60 depictions of characters smoking 62 Nudity Edit Nudity is restricted to PG and above and anything that constitutes more than brief nudity will require at least a PG 13 rating Nudity that is sexually oriented will generally require an R rating 3 Since 2006 films have been flagged by the MPAA for carrying nudity In 2010 the MPAA flagged three films specifically for male nudity precipitated by parental pressure in response to Bruno 63 In 2018 MPAA Ratings Chair Joan Graves clarified the MPA s position by stating that we don t usually define nudity as male or female usually we just mention partial nudity or graphic nudity 64 Sex Edit The MPAA does not have any explicit criteria for sexual content other than excluding sex scenes from G rated films 3 Effects of ratings EditThe Exorcist Edit Prior to the release of The Exorcist at the end of 1973 CARA president Aaron Stern took the unusual step of calling director William Friedkin to tell him that since it was an important film it would be rated R and could be released without any cuts 65 The film drew huge crowds upon its release many of whom vomited and or fainted 66 a psychiatric journal would later document four cases of cinematic neurosis induced by the film 67 Among those patrons were many children not always accompanied by adults This left many commentators incredulous that the ratings board would have found that a film with disturbing scenes such as a possessed 12 year old girl masturbating with a crucifix was acceptable for children to see Roy Meacham a Washington D C critic who had praised the film while admonishing parents not to take their children to it recalled those children he did see leaving showings drained and drawn afterward their eyes had a look I had never seen before Authorities in Washington invoked a municipal ordinance that would have prevented any minors from seeing the film threatening theater owners with arrest if they did 68 Meacham insinuated that the board had succumbed to pressure from Warner Brothers which had spent 10 million more than twice its original budget making the film an X rating would have seriously limited The Exorcist s commercial prospects New Yorker critic Pauline Kael echoed his criticism If The Exorcist had cost under a million or been made abroad she wrote it would almost certainly be an X film But when a movie is as expensive as this one the board doesn t dare give it an X 65 In 1974 Richard Heffner took over as president of the board During his interview process he had asked to screen recent films that had sparked ratings controversies including The Exorcist How could anything be worse than this he recalled thinking later And it got an R After he took over as head he would spearhead efforts to be more aggressive with the X rating especially over violence in films In 1976 he got the board to give the Japanese martial arts film The Street Fighter an X rating for its graphic violence the first time a film had earned that rating purely for violence 65 Commercial viability of the NC 17 rating Edit The NC 17 rating has been described as a kiss of death for any film that receives it 69 Like the X rating it replaced NC 17 limits a film s prospects of being marketed screened in theaters and sold in major video outlets 37 In 1995 United Artists released the big budget film Showgirls 1995 it became the most widely distributed film with an NC 17 rating showing in 1 388 cinemas simultaneously but it was a financial failure that grossed only 45 of its 45 million budget 70 Some modest successes can be found among NC 17 theatrical releases however Fox Searchlight Pictures released the original NC 17 rated American edition of the European film The Dreamers 2003 in theaters in the United States and later released both the original NC 17 and the cut R rated version on DVD A Fox Searchlight spokesman said the NC 17 rating did not give them much trouble in releasing this film they had no problem booking it and only the Salt Lake City newspaper Deseret News refused to take the film s ad and Fox Searchlight was satisfied with this film s United States box office result 71 Another notable exception is Bad Education 2004 an NC 17 foreign language film that grossed 5 2 million in the United States theatrically 72 a moderate success for a foreign language film 73 In 2000 the Directors Guild of America called the NC 17 rating an abject failure for causing filmmakers to re edit films to receive an R rating rather than accept an NC 17 rating They argued that this was not only compromising filmmakers visions but also greatly increasing the likelihood that adult oriented movies are seen by the very groups for which they are not intended 74 As of March 2007 according to Variety MPAA chairman Dan Glickman had been made aware of the attempts to introduce a new rating or find ways to reduce the stigma of the NC 17 rating Film studios have pressured the MPAA to retire the NC 17 rating because of its likely impact on their film s box office revenue 75 76 During the controversy about the MPAA s decision to give the film Blue Valentine 2010 an NC 17 rating The Weinstein Company challenged this decision and the MPAA ended up awarding the same cut an R rating on appeal Actor Ryan Gosling who stars in the film noted that NC 17 films are not allowed wide advertisement and that given the refusal of major cinema chains like AMC and Regal to show NC 17 rated movies many such films will never be accessible to people who live in markets that do not have art house theatres 77 Legal scholar Julie Hilden wrote that the MPAA has a masterpiece exception that it has made for films that would ordinarily earn an NC 17 rating if not for the broader artistic masterpiece that requires the violence depicted as a part of its message She cites Saving Private Ryan with its bloody depiction of the D Day landings as an example This exception is troubling Hilden argues because it ignores context and perspective in evaluating other films and favors conventional films over edgier films that contribute newer and more interesting points to public discourse about violence 78 Issuance of R Cards Edit Starting in 2004 GKC Theatres since absorbed into AMC Theatres introduced R Cards which parents could obtain for their children under 17 to see R rated films without adult accompaniment The cards generated much controversy MPAA president Jack Valenti said in a news article I think it distorts and ruptures the intent of this voluntary film ratings system All R rated films are not alike 79 John Fithian the president of the National Association of Theatre Owners also said that the cards can be harmful He noted in a news article for the Christian Science Monitor that the R rating is broad enough to include relatively family friendly fare such as Billy Elliot and Erin Brockovich which were both rated R for language along with films that push the extremes of violence including Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill 80 Criticisms EditEmphasis on sex and language versus violence Edit The film rating system has had a number of high profile critics Film critic Roger Ebert called for replacing the NC 17 rating with separate ratings for pornographic and non pornographic adult film 81 Ebert argued that the system places too much emphasis on sex while allowing the portrayal of massive amounts of gruesome violence The uneven emphasis on sex versus violence is echoed by other critics including David Ansen as well as many filmmakers Moreover Ebert argued that the rating system is geared toward looking at trivial aspects of the film such as the number of times a profane word is used rather than at the general theme of the film for example if the film realistically depicts the consequences of sex and violence He called for an A adults only rating to indicate films high in violence or mature content that should not be marketed to teenagers but do not have NC 17 levels of sex He also called for the NC 17 rating to be removed and to have the X rating revived He felt that everyone understood what X rated means while fewer people understood what NC 17 meant 82 83 84 MPAA chairman Dan Glickman has disputed these claims stating that far more films are initially rated NC 17 for violence than for sex but that these are later edited by studios to receive an R rating 85 Despite this an internal critic of the early workings of the ratings system is film critic and writer Stephen Farber who was a CARA intern for six months during 1969 and 1970 In The Movie Ratings Game 86 he documents a prejudice against sex in relation to violence The 2006 documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated also points out that four times as many films received an NC 17 rating for sex as they did for violence according to the MPAA s own website further mentioning a bias against homosexual content compared to heterosexual content particularly with regards to sex scenes Filmmaker Darren Stein further insists that his tame teen comedy G B F which features multiple same sex kisses but no intercourse strong language violence or nudity was rated R for being gay 87 The 2011 documentary Bully received an R rating for the profanity contained within the film which prevented most of the intended audience middle and high schoolers from seeing the film The film s director Lee Hirsch has refused to recut the film stating I feel a responsibility as a filmmaker as the person entrusted to tell these kids stories to not water them down A petition collected more than 200 000 signatures to change the film s rating 88 and a version with less profanity was finally given a PG 13 rating The same however could not be said about the 1995 teen drama Kids which director Larry Clark wanted rated R so parents could take their kids to it for educational purposes but the MPAA rated it NC 17 due to its content of teen sex and turned down Clark s appeal The film was then released unrated by Miramax under Shining Excalibur Films because Miramax formerly owned by Disney hesitated to release it as an NC 17 film Tougher standards for independent studios Edit Many critics of the MPAA system especially independent distributors have charged that major studios releases often receive more lenient treatment than independent films The independent film Saints and Soldiers which contains no nudity almost no sex although there is a scene in which a German soldier is about to rape a French woman very little profanity and a minimum of violence was said to have been rated R for a single clip where a main character is shot and killed and required modification of just that one scene to receive a PG 13 rating 89 90 Eric Watson producer of the independently distributed NC 17 rated Requiem for a Dream complained that the studios are paying the budget of the MPAA which gives the studios leverage over the MPAA s decisions 91 The comedy Scary Movie released by Dimension Films at the time a division of The Walt Disney Company contained strong crude sexual humor language drug use and violence including images of ejaculation fellatio and an erect penis but was rated R to the surprise of many reviewers and audiences by comparison the comparatively tame porn spoof Orgazmo an independent release by South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker contained explicit sexual content and dialogue and received an NC 17 the only on screen penis seen in the film is a dildo As Parker and Stone did not have the money and the time to edit the film it retained its NC 17 rating In contrast Parker and Stone s second feature film South Park Bigger Longer amp Uncut was distributed by a major studio Paramount Pictures and after multiple submissions and notes from the MPAA received an R rating 91 Call for publicizing the standards Edit Many critics of the system both conservative and liberal would like to see the MPAA ratings unveiled and the standards made public The MPAA has consistently cited nationwide scientific polls conducted each year by the Opinion Research Corporation of Princeton New Jersey which show that parents find the ratings useful Critics such as Matt Stone in Kirby Dick s documentary This Film Is Not Yet Rated respond this proves only that parents find the ratings more useful than nothing at all 92 In the film it is also discussed how the MPAA will not reveal any information about how or why certain decisions are made and that the association will not even reveal to the filmmaker the specific scenes that need to be cut in order to get an alternative rating Accusation of ratings creep Edit Although there has always been concern about the content of films 93 the MPAA has been accused of a ratings creep whereby the films that fall into today s ratings categories now contain more objectionable material than those that appeared in the same categories two decades earlier 94 A study put forward by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2004 concluded that there had been a significant increase in the level of profanity sex and violence in films released between 1992 and 2003 95 Kimberly Thompson director of the study stated The findings demonstrate that ratings creep has occurred over the last decade and that today s movies contain significantly more violence sex and profanity on average than movies of the same rating a decade ago 95 Questions of relevance Edit Slashfilm com managing editor David Chen wrote on the website It s time for more people to condemn the MPAA and their outrageous antics We re heading towards an age when we don t need a mommy like organization to dictate what our delicate sensibilities can and can t be exposed to I deeply hope that the MPAA s irrelevance is imminent 96 Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips wrote that the MPAA ratings board has become foolish and irrelevant and its members do not have my interests at heart or yours They re too easy on violence yet bizarrely reactionary when it comes to nudity and language 97 See also Edit United States portal Film portalList of highest grossing R rated films List of NC 17 rated films Common Sense Media Entertainment Software Rating Board Film Advisory Board Green Sheet filmmaking Parental Advisory Pink permits TV Parental Guidelines United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Office for Film and Broadcasting Film censorship in the United StatesReferences Edit Rialto Cinemas 2012 Frequently Asked Questions Rialto Cinemas Rialto Cinemas Retrieved August 1 2012 a b Questionable ratings to gain patronge Deseret News Salt Lake City Utah The Moviegoer October 31 1968 p 10A a b c d e f g Classification and Rating Rules PDF Classification and Rating Administration January 1 2010 pp 6 8 Archived PDF from the original on December 4 2014 Retrieved November 30 2014 a b Film Ratings Motion Picture Association of America Retrieved March 24 2014 Bowles Scott April 16 2013 Film rating descriptors to add detail USA Today Retrieved August 18 2018 History a b c d Advertising Administration Rules PDF Motion Picture Association of America January 1 2014 pp 1 7 amp 21 28 Archived from the original PDF on February 14 2014 Retrieved June 9 2014 a b c Halbfinger David M June 13 2007 Attention Web Surfers The Following Film Trailer May Be Racy or Graphic The New York Times p E1 Retrieved July 15 2016 Barnes Brooks February 23 2010 Cat and Mouse for a Trashy Trailer The New York Times Retrieved February 24 2010 What are red band trailers on YouTube Common Sense Media Retrieved July 29 2019 a b vbcsc03l vax csun edu snopes May 25 1993 Re The MPAA The Skeptic Tank The Skeptic Tank Archived from the original on August 18 2017 Retrieved August 1 2012 a b MPAA Ratings in Effect But Not Being Widely Advertised Yet Daily Variety November 4 1968 p 1 X Marks Spot For Only 1 of 1st MPAA Group W7 Girl Daily Variety October 22 1968 p 1 Murphy A D November 20 1968 Coding Old Pix New Wrinkle Daily Variety p 1 Kennedy Matthew 2014 Roadshow The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s OUP USA p 183 ISBN 9780199925674 Life p 55 May 30 1969 a b c Kramer Peter 2005 The New Hollywood From Bonnie and Clyde to Star Wars Short Cuts Series Columbia University Press p 49 ISBN 978 0 231 85005 6 OCLC 952779968 Kroon Richard W 2014 A V A to Z An Encyclopedic Dictionary of Media Entertainment and Other Audiovisual Terms McFarland amp Company p 316 ISBN 9780786457403 OCLC 910109344 Friedman Jane M 1973 The Motion Picture Rating System of 1968 A Constitutional Analysis of Self Regulation by the Film Industry Columbia Law Review 73 2 185 240 doi 10 2307 1121227 JSTOR 1121227 Austin Bruce A September 1980 The Influence of the MPAA s Film Rating System on Motion Picture Attendance A Pilot Study The Journal of Psychology 106 1 91 99 doi 10 1080 00223980 1980 9915174 ISSN 0022 3980 S2CID 144395298 The Robesonian February 11 1972 Retrieved November 5 2017 Brief Reviews MPAA Rating Guide New York 64 February 2 1981 RICHARD ZOGLIN MEG GRANT LOS ANGELES TIMOTHY LOUGHRAN NEW YORK June 25 1984 Show Business Gremlins in the Rating System Time Time Inc Archived from the original on October 29 2010 Retrieved August 1 2012 Antunes Filipa Spring 2017 Rethinking PG 13 Ratings and the Boundaries of Childhood and Horror PDF Journal of Film and Video 69 1 11 doi 10 5406 jfilmvideo 69 1 0027 S2CID 152216521 Archived PDF from the original on March 7 2020 Windolf Jim January 2 2008 Q amp A Steven Spielberg on Indiana Jones Vanity Fair Fernandez Jay A Borys Kit July 8 2008 Red Dawn redo lands director scribe MGM will remake the 1984 action drama The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved May 12 2017 PG 13 PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED SOME MATERIAL MAY BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 13 Trademark Details Justia Retrieved October 7 2016 Entertainment Law Reporter Business Affairs for March 1984 Archived February 1 2014 at the Wayback Machine Dealers will label ratings on cassettes Eugene Register Guard August 11 1984 Retrieved January 31 2014 TN Law 18 to buy R rated movie tickets Action News Tennessee WMC TV February 19 2009 Retrieved February 21 2015 Cooper Robert E Jr Young William E Gaylord James E December 6 2013 Opinion No 13 101 Constitutionality of Criminal Statute Regarding Admission of Minors to Movies PDF Nashville Tennessee Tennessee Attorney General Archived PDF from the original on July 16 2018 Retrieved July 16 2018 The MPAA Rating Systems September 16 1994 Roger Ebert January 1 1999 THE COOK THE THIEF HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER NO MPAA RATING RogerEbert com Retrieved August 1 2012 Ebert Roger September 14 1990 HENRY PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER UNRATED RogerEbert com Retrieved August 1 2012 a b David J Fox September 27 1990 X Film Rating Dropped and Replaced by NC 17 Movies Designation would bar children under 17 Move expected to clear the way for strong adult themes Los Angeles Times Retrieved August 20 2012 Jack Mathews August 27 1990 Henry Miller Meets the MPAA Movies Philip Kaufman s very adult Henry amp June a tale of the controversial author s days in Paris apparently is the latest recipient of the dreaded X rating Its U S release is in limbo Los Angeles Times Retrieved August 20 2012 a b Weinraub Bernard July 21 1995 First Major Film With an NC 17 Rating Is Embraced by the Studio New York Times Video Watchdog Tim amp Donna Lucas 1996 p 80 Masters Tim November 30 2011 Will Shame change the game for the NC 17 rating BBC Retrieved January 10 2021 The rating restricts anyone under the age of 18 from attending a film Brooks Brian February 28 2012 NATO Threatens Weinstein Co With NC 17 Rating For Bully Deadline Hollywood Retrieved January 10 2021 In most cases that means enforcement as though the movies were rated NC 17 where no one under the age of 18 can be admitted even with accompanying parents or guardians Zeitchik Steven August 18 2012 High hopes low notes for film world s NC 17 rating Los Angeles Times Retrieved January 10 2021 Formally instituted in 1990 the restrictive rating aimed to signal moviegoers that a film included adult oriented but not necessarily pornographic content and made those movies off limits to anyone under 18 Sandler Kevin 2007 The Naked Truth Why Hollywood Doesn t Make X rated Movies Rutgers University Press p 85 ISBN 978 0 8135 4146 4 MPAA ratings June 30 2010 The Hollywood Reporter June 30 2010 Retrieved October 19 2021 MPAA ratings Sept 1 2010 The Hollywood Reporter September 1 2010 Retrieved October 19 2021 Josh Wolk November 19 1999 The Backstreet Boys plan a new album and tour Entertainment Weekly Retrieved January 6 2018 Changes in the Rating System Motion Picture Association of America Archived from the original on May 30 2009 Vaughn Stephen 2006 Freedom and Entertainment Rating the Movies in an Age of New Media Cambridge University Press pp 47 51 ISBN 978 0 521 85258 6 Byrd Matthew April 2 2018 Ready Player One s F Bomb Is One of the Best Ever Den of Geek Retrieved January 1 2022 Keith Coogan December 12 2011 Keith Coogan Star of Adventures in Babysitting and Don t Tell Mom the Babysitter s Dead Indulges Our Nostalgia Vulture com Interview Interviewed by Patti Greco Retrieved August 3 2014 Brown Ben November 12 2010 HOW DO YOU KNOW Likely to Be Re cut to Avoid R Rating for Language Collider com Retrieved January 1 2022 The Hip Hop Project Rated PG 13 Despite 17 F Words The Moviefone Blog April 27 2007 Retrieved March 31 2012 SCREEN IT PARENTAL REVIEW GUNNER PALACE screenit com March 11 2005 Retrieved July 26 2007 McClintock Pamela February 28 2012 Tens of Thousands Sign Petition Urging MPAA to Overturn Bully s R Rating The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved May 15 2014 Pulver Andrew November 14 2013 Philomena Weinsteins win MPAA appeal against R rating The Guardian Retrieved April 2 2014 To the MPAA ratings board The King s Speech is just as bad as Saw 3D November 1 2010 Retrieved January 1 2022 a b Using the F word in PG 13 12A movies Den of Geek March 25 2013 Retrieved January 1 2022 Alexander Julia June 23 2020 Hamilton drops two uses of fuck to land on Disney Plus The Verge Retrieved January 1 2022 a b Cressman Dale L Callister Mark Robinson Tom Near Chris May 2009 Swearing in the cinema An analysis of profanity in US teen oriented movies 1980 2006 Journal of Children and Media 3 2 117 135 doi 10 1080 17482790902772257 ISSN 1748 2798 S2CID 38118008 Ebert Roger November 16 2003 Movie Answer Man Chicago Sun Times Archived from the original on October 12 2007 Retrieved July 26 2007 FILM RATING BOARD TO CONSIDER SMOKING AS A FACTOR PDF MPAA May 10 2007 Archived from the original PDF on June 12 2007 Retrieved July 26 2007 Universal Pictures Policy Regarding Tobacco Depictions in Films Universal Studios April 16 2007 Retrieved August 5 2008 Rubin Rita March 8 2011 PG rated Rango has anti smoking advocates fuming USA Today Thompson Brian October 11 2010 Spangle Magazine Archived from the original on July 16 2011 Retrieved February 1 2011 Joan Graves October 23 2018 Rating Nudity Interview Motion Picture Association Retrieved June 18 2021 a b c Zinoman Jason 2011 Chapter Five Shock or Awe Shock Value How a Few Eccentric Outsiders Gave Us Nightmares Conquered Hollywood and Invented Modern Horror Penguin Books ISBN 9781101516966 Retrieved March 3 2019 Klemesrud Judy January 27 1974 They Wait Hours to Be Shocked The New York Times Retrieved March 1 2019 Bozzuto James C July 1 1975 Cinematic neurosis following The Exorcist Report of four cases The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 161 1 43 48 doi 10 1097 00005053 197507000 00005 ISSN 0022 3018 PMID 1151359 S2CID 9570535 Meacham Roy February 3 1974 How Did The Exorcist Escape an X Rating The New York Times Retrieved March 1 2019 Dead cert the NC 17 rating The Guardian July 25 1999 Retrieved May 1 2018 Dirks Tim 2012 Greatest Box Office Bombs Disasters and Film Flops The Most Notable Examples 1995 2 filmsite AMC Network Entertainment LLC Retrieved October 1 2012 Dutka Elaine April 20 2004 NC 17 comes out from hiding Los Angeles Times Retrieved October 1 2012 Bad Education Box Office Mojo Foreign affairs The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on July 3 2009 DGA Task Force on Violence and Social Responsibility Statement in Response to FTC Report on Violence Directors Guild of America September 14 2000 Retrieved May 1 2018 MPAA Creating Hard R A More PC Version of NC 17 Bloody Disgusting Bloody Disgusting LLC March 12 2007 Archived from the original on October 10 2012 Retrieved October 1 2012 Stewart Ryan March 10 2007 MPAA Wants New Rating For Hard R Moviefone AOL Inc Retrieved October 1 2012 Vena Jocelyn December 8 2010 Ryan Gosling Says NC 17 Rating Stigmatizes Blue Valentine MTV News Viacom International Inc Retrieved June 4 2015 Hilden Julie July 16 2007 Free Speech and the Concept of Torture Porn Why are Critics So Hostile to Hostel II FindLaw s Writ Retrieved March 22 2011 Pinto Barbara June 1 2004 R Cards Let Teens See Racy Movies Some in Industry Say Cards Defeat Purpose of Ratings ABC News Archived from the original on February 2 2011 Retrieved July 7 2018 Paulson Amanda May 24 2004 Under 17 not admitted without R card Christian Science Monitor Retrieved July 26 2007 Ebert Roger September 24 2000 Ugly reality in movie ratings RogerEbert com Retrieved May 1 2018 Tassi Paul December 14 2010 Roger Ebert thinks the MPAA s ratings are useless Time Ebert Roger February 24 2004 The Passion of the Christ Time Ebert Roger December 11 2010 Getting Real About Movie Ratings Time Cruz Gilbert October 30 2008 Happy 40th Birthday Movie Ratings Time Archived from the original on November 2 2008 Farber Stephen 1972 The Movie Rating Game Paperback ed Public Affairs Press ISBN 978 0 8183 0181 0 Retrieved October 3 2011 Rich Juzwiak December 18 2013 G B F Was Rated R for Being Gay Gawker com Retrieved December 20 2013 Sandy Cohen March 8 2012 Teenager petitions to change R rating for Bully CBS News CBS Retrieved August 20 2012 R rating stuns Saints makers Deseret News Retrieved March 15 2008 Baggaley Thomas LDS Cinema Gets Better and Gets a Bum Rating meridianmagazine com Archived from the original on February 29 2004 a b Atschison Doug Separate and Unequal How the MPAA Rates Independent Films The Best American Movie Writing 2001 Ed John Landis 59 69 Kirby Dick January 25 2006 This Film is not Yet Rated Film Tobias Patricia Eliot November 1999 Who Put the Sin in Cinema Written by Archived from the original on April 16 2003 Retrieved September 6 2010 Greydanus Steven D October 24 2004 Ratings Creep or a Case of Once Bitten Twice Shy National Catholic Register Retrieved September 6 2010 a b Thompson Kimberly M Yokota Fumie 2004 Violence sex and profanity in films correlation of movie ratings with content MedGenMed 6 3 3 PMC 1435631 PMID 15520625 Study Finds Ratings Creep Movie Ratings Categories Contain More Violence Sex Profanity than Decade Ago Harvard School of Public Health Press release July 13 2004 Chen David November 8 2010 Why the MPAA Should Be Ashamed of Itself slashfilm com Retrieved October 3 2011 Phillips Michael November 4 2010 There s a word for the MPAA Chicago Tribune Retrieved February 8 2012 External links Edit Wikidata has the property MPA film rating P1657 see uses Classification and Ratings Administration Official Website with ratings database MPAA Film Ratings website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Motion Picture Association film rating system amp oldid 1135205011, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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