So where do they get those ratings?
MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) is a group that pushes movies and technology forward through many different avenues but is most well known by the MPAA Rating System. The rating system is voluntary for every film (though most theaters will not show a movie that hasn't received a rating) and decided by a group of 13 members from different backgrounds all with parenting experience to give a parent's perspective, crucial for the rating system.
Each movie is submitted by the production company, then reviewed by the MPAA board and issued a rating. The production company then decides to release their film with the given rating or appeal the decision seeking a different rating (we have seen a rise in the winning of appeals in the past couple of years).
Current rating scales and reasons:
G — General Audiences. All Ages Admitted. A
G-rated motion picture contains nothing in theme, language, nudity, sex,
violence or other matters that, in the view of the Rating Board, would offend
parents whose younger children view the motion picture. The G rating is not a
"certificate of approval," nor does it signify a "children’s"
motion picture. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite
conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are
present in G-rated motion pictures. Depictions of violence are minimal. No
nudity, sex scenes or drug use are present in the motion picture.
PG — Parental Guidance Suggested. Some
Material May Not Be Suitable For Children. A PG-rated motion picture should
be investigated by parents before they let their younger children
attend. The PG rating indicates, in the view of the Rating Board, that
parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, and parents
should make that decision. The more mature themes in some PG-rated motion
pictures may call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity and
some depictions of violence or brief nudity. But these elements are not deemed
so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the
suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated
motion picture.
PG-13
— Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children
Under 13. A
PG-13 rating is a sterner warning by the Rating Board to parents to determine
whether their children under age 13 should view the motion picture, as some
material might not be suited for them. A PG-13 motion picture may go beyond the
PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or
other elements, but does not reach the restricted R category. The theme of
the motion picture by itself will not result in a rating greater than PG-13,
although depictions of activities related to a mature theme may result in a
restricted rating for the motion picture. Any drug use will initially
require at least a PG-13 rating. More than brief nudity will require at
least a PG-13 rating, but such nudity in a PG-13 rated motion picture generally
will not be sexually oriented. There may be depictions of violence in a
PG-13 movie, but generally not both realistic and extreme or persistent
violence. A motion picture’s single use of one of the harsher sexually-derived
words, though only as an expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13
rating. More than one such expletive requires an R rating, as must
even one of those words used in a sexual context. The Rating Board
nevertheless may rate such a motion picture PG-13 if, based on a special vote
by a two-thirds majority, the Raters feel that most American parents would
believe that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context or manner in
which the words are used or because the use of those words in the motion
picture is inconspicuous.
R —
Restricted. Children Under 17 Require Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian. An R-rated motion picture, in the view of the Rating
Board, contains some adult material. An R-rated motion picture may include
adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence,
sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are
counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children under 17 are not allowed
to attend R-rated motion pictures unaccompanied by a parent or adult
guardian. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about R-rated motion
pictures in determining their suitability for their children. Generally,
it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to
R-rated motion pictures.
NC-17
— No One 17 and Under Admitted. An NC-17 rated motion picture is one that, in the view of the Rating
Board, most parents would consider patently too adult for their children 17 and
under. No children will be admitted. NC-17 does not mean
"obscene" or "pornographic" in the common or legal meaning
of those words, and should not be construed as a negative judgment in any
sense. The rating simply signals that the content is appropriate only for
an adult audience. An NC-17 rating can be based on violence, sex,
aberrational behavior, drug abuse or any other element that most parents would
consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children.
Great resources for parents and others to research each movie before going:
- IMDb (See: "Parents Guide" midway down on any specific movie selected)
- Plugged In (See: "Movie Nights" in the top right corner)
- Screen It (Unfortunately not free anymore but far more detailed than Plugged In)
- The Source for Parents (Great free spot for lots of resources including movie reviews)
Beginning next week (June 4th)
our annual summer program (Reel Time) is back!! Every Wednesday night we will watch a great
movie in its entirety, starting at our normal time of 6:30p but extending our
evening by thirty minutes to accommodate the post-movie discussion for the
summer (9:00p). Statistics say, “90% of
teenagers spend 20-40 hours a week in front of a screen…” That is a lot of time
watching movies, television and videos!
While most kids simply ‘check their brains at the door,’ Reel Time wants to help teens think
through movies. We are proud to announce
that this summer we have selected a batch of “old” movies, our hope is to
create some excitement for great films and probably movies most of our students
have never seen.
Details I want everyone to be
aware of:
- The Goal: Help
teens develop skills to watch movies with a filter (helping them spot the lies Hollywood is trying to sell
them as well as find redeeming qualities to share their faith with others)
- Every Wednesday
this summer (June 4th – Aug. 13th), in the Loft (the 4th floor of
New Beginnings: 4104 East 151st Street South) starting at 6:30pm-9:00p (Doors open at 6p)!!
- Please feel welcome to attend any or all of the movies
with us this summer (We have couches J)!!
- Here’s this
summer’s movies and their main discussion points:
o
12 Angry Men (Judgment)
o
A Place in the Sun (Image)
o
Chariots of Fire (Commitment)
o
Dead Poets Society (Pressure)
o
Elephant Man (Acceptance)
o
Patch Adams (Passion)
o
Shane (Sacrifice)
o
Simon Birch (Purpose)
o
Quiz Show (Integrity)
*These films will be viewed through our
ClearPlay unit (www.clearplay.com)
**There will be a weekly sheet covering
the plot of the film & follow-up quetsions
 |
The Bergs
|
No comments:
Post a Comment