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MPAA Follows Interest Rates and Cuts Movie
Ratings
The feds have
pounded interest rates to record lows with the hopes of convincing you and I to
spend, spend, spend. It appears Hollywood is using a similar tactic with movie
ratings, as they have quietly allowed more content to slip into the PG rating
with the obvious hopes of pulling more patrons across a wider age range into
theaters. Thus far, it looks like this is one economic plan that is paying off
quickly, but are parents prepared for the "new" PG rating?
The division of the
Motion Pictures Association of America that handles film ratings, the
Classification And Ratings Administration, has made "tweaks" to movie ratings in
the past without telling the public -- but in this case it's a big change that
has just happened over the past few months and appears to be targeting only the
PG rating, which has been a somewhat unpopular label ever since the introduction
of PG-13 in the late 1980s.
Typically, PG-rated
movies have been targeting young audiences -- usually early teens and older
children (the group marketers refer to as "'tweens"). Bathroom humor, flatulence
jokes, and slapstick violence were the usual reasons these films didn't fit the
G-rating. At the same time, there was a prevailing sense that teens were more
drawn to the implied "maturity" of the PG-13 rating, leaving the PG arena an
unpopular stopping point.
Almost exactly two
years ago, MPAA head
Dan Glickman told filmmakers that he wanted
them to make more NC-17 movies (NC-17 is the MPAA's most restrictive rating) and
implied that other changes would be happening to the rating system -- which he
referred to as a "gem" in need of polishing. It seems the buffing has begun...
In November, I sat
down to watch
Marley & Me with great curiosity. It
appeared to be a romantic comedy, and was rated PG -- a very unusual occurrence.
Viewing the film, I was surprised to see the happily married couple engaging in
pre-sexual activities, swimming naked (no overt nudity was seen) in their
backyard pool, and engaging in fairly frank discussions about getting pregnant,
having a miscarriage and other "mature" topics. Another scene shows a teen
character who has been stabbed by her date.
Relative to what
I've seen in previous PG movies over the past two decades, this was an unusual
amount of content. Granted, the film would have been a "low" PG-13 rating, but
there was a definite change that had happened at the MPAA to allow this movie to
gain a PG rating. We can only speculate that the main motivation for providing
it a lower rating was quickly realized when Marely & Me shot over $100
million in box office receipts shortly after it opened, making it one of the
most successful holiday films of 2008.
A few weeks later
Bride Wars graced the screen, with
characters that drink and use prescription medications to overcome stress. Other
"relaxation" activities for these women include a party with male strippers.
What we politely call "moderate sexual expletives" were also included in the
language. Again, this film was rated PG with an official warning about
"suggestive content, language and some rude behavior." And, again, the movie has
gone on to gross close to $50 million in its first three weeks -- not bad
considering its reported $30 million budget.
Yet another PG
surprise opened the next week when Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions
released what I'm certain must be their first movie in this rating category.
Paul Blart: Mall Cop is a somewhat
endearing tale of a hapless mall security guard, and while it has lower levels
of content than the previous noted titles, there are still scenes with gunplay,
a seriously portrayed hostage situation, some veiled sexual references and an
intoxicated man shown in a comedic context. But what's interesting is the
obvious decision for this company to explore the PG rating. Again, the
experiment paid off royally when this $26 million film returned its investment
by more than double within two weeks of its release.
Finally, this week
yet another strange occurrence in ratings politics took place.
New In Town is a romance that was ready for
screens back in November when the MPAA gave it a PG-13 rating. Then it
disappeared, only to turn up again this week with a "new" PG rating. Heralding
the change, Lionsgate and Gold Circle Films -- the movie's production and
distribution companies -- sent a media release stating they "jointly decided to
delete strong language from the film, making New In Town more accessible
and acceptable to the entire family."
The release
continues, stating the film "received strong early word-of-mouth from
family-friendly audiences." We can only assume that when it was shown to people
in November of 2008, many appreciated the heartwarming story, but weren't happy
with the language. Yet even with the edits, the film still contains over thirty
mild profanities, an implied clothed sexual encounter between unmarried adults,
and an extended joke regarding a woman's protruding nipples. Again, it would be
a "low level" PG-13, but this type of content has not appeared in PG movies for
the past 20 years.
While I suspect
many parents won't appreciate seeing more content within PG movies, there are a
couple of consolations to keep in mind. First, none of the movies I describe
here are anywhere close to the content found in PG-13 films. Perhaps if studios
can begin making high profits from PG-rated movies, we may see a trend toward
films with less objectionable content -- assuming they don't continue to
relax the PG rating's specifications. (Interestingly, during the Great
Depression, Hollywood was financially forced to drop edgier movies in favor of
ones that would appeal to a wider portion of the population.)
The other fact is
that prior to the introduction of the PG-13 rating, it was not uncommon to see
full frontal female nudity in PG-rated films. If you are too young to remember,
go rent some 1970s releases -- but be warned: Your father's PG rating was very
different from the one we have now.
Probably what
concerns me the most about these recent changes is the lack of information
formally released by the MPAA to warn parents. I have received letters and
comments from readers who were caught off guard by the content within Marley
& Me, and I won't be surprised to see more correspondence in this regard. If
you feel that these changes aren't helping parents select appropriate movies for
their children, feel free to write the ratings board at the address below. A
little "interest" from the public wouldn't hurt, and perhaps the MPAA will
reconsider before lowering the "rates" any further.
Rod Gustafson
The department
of the MPAA responsible for movies ratings can be reached at the address below:
The Classification
and Rating Administration
15503 Ventura
Boulevard
Encino, CA 91436
Besides writing this column for the Parents Television Council, Rod Gustafson authors Parent Previews® - a newspaper and Internet column (published in association with movies.com) that reviews movies from a parent's perspective. He's also the film critic for a major Canadian TV station, various radio stations and serves on the executive of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness. Finally, his most important role is being the father to four wonderful children and husband to his beautiful wife (and co-worker) Donna.
Parenting
and the Media by Rod Gustafson
The Parents
Television Council -
www.parentstv.org
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