• Wondering which camera, gear, computer, or software to buy? Ask in our Gear Guide.

R ratings?

What makes an R rating over PG?

"Films that receive an R rating do so because of explicit sex, nudity, violence or harsh language. For example, if a film uses the F-word more than four times, it will receive an automatic R rating."

Is that really true?
 
What makes an R rating over PG?

"Films that receive an R rating do so because of explicit sex, nudity, violence or harsh language. For example, if a film uses the F-word more than four times, it will receive an automatic R rating."

Is that really true?

Actually, I always thought if the F-word was thrown around more than twice, it would be an automatic R rating. Guess I was wrong :lol:
 
Do you US'ers have '15' ratings or some kind of intermediary level?

IIRC, ours (UK/euro) have all sorts of additional guidelines based on context, moderation, and gratuity etc.
 
Did you watch The Conjuring? Supposedly the MPAA gave it an R rating because it was "too scary" even though it was one of the most non-scary and dullest movies I've ever seen.

I think the R rating for it was a marketing ploy. "Too scary" is a pretty lame reason for a rating, even if it was true.
 
The ratings system is not very transparent at all, and the "rules" appear to be closer to fast & loose guidelines than anything else.

You'd prolly find this documentary interesting:

This Film Is Not Yet Rated

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTL3XMDwY0c

.
 
G: General Audiences
A G-rated film does not contain any adult theme, language, nudity or violence.

PG: Parental Guidance
PG-rated movies may have some mature themes, profanity, violence and brief nudity, but never any drug use.

PG-13: Parental Guidance for Children Under 13
A step beyond the basic PG rating, the themes may be more intense, including sensuality, language, adult activities, violence, some nudity and some drug use.

R: Restricted
R-rated movies contain material considered adult and not appropriate for anyone under the age of eighteen. This adult material may include strong language, nudity, adult activity, drug use and intense violence.

NC-17: No Person Under the Age of 18 will be admitted
An NC17 rating means the themes are adult and the film contains violence, sex and/or nudity and features behaviors a parent would not want their under-eighteen child viewing.

Personally, I think the system is somewhat twisted. Watch "This Film is Not Yet Rated", and you'll see why many people are against the rating system. One of my favorite documentaries, by the way. Oh, and the movie was rated NC-17 :lol:

@tokenwhiteboy

That was a gimmick. The film was filled with violent imagery, which is the true reason the film got an R-rating. Not to mention, some of the film's sequences might be too intense for kids and young teens.
 
Last edited:
What makes an R rating over PG?

"Films that receive an R rating do so because of explicit sex, nudity, violence or harsh language. For example, if a film uses the F-word more than four times, it will receive an automatic R rating."

Is that really true?
Not true.

In order to avoid being called "censorship" (legally) the MPAA does not have
specific, written guidelines. Thus that great documentary.

Since this has been posted in "Screenwriting" I will make the assumption you
are asking as it pertains to the writing of the screenplay. The rating is given to
the finished film, not to the screenplay. From the writing standpoint there is
very little you can do to insure a specific rating for the final film.
 
From the writing standpoint there is very little you can do to insure a specific rating for the final film.

Unless you are writing a Barney feature.

Barney-the-dinosaur.jpg


Or maybe writing for Disney.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5kYmrjongg
 
Violence is just fine with the MPAA. As long as you don't show much blood, or any actual repercussions of real violence, you can kill as many people as you want and still land a PG-13 rating.

Apparently, the MPAA never learned about the important distinctions between sticks & stones, and words. Cuz yeah, just a few F-bombs will normally warrant an R rating. Killing is okay. Saying "fuck" is bad.

Also, you better not show any more than a glimpse of tits or ass, and even the slightest penis will warrant an R rating. We don't want to corrupt any fragile little minds, after all.
 
Apparently, the MPAA never learned about the important distinctions between sticks & stones, and words. Cuz yeah, just a few F-bombs will normally warrant an R rating. Killing is okay. Saying "fuck" is bad.

Also, you better not show any more than a glimpse of tits or ass, and even the slightest penis will warrant an R rating. We don't want to corrupt any fragile little minds, after all.

I feel Australia is so much more relaxed in terms of classification:

In the 1990s Australian courts ruled that coarse language was no longer offensive due to its common usage and TV networks began allowing the word "fuck" to go to air, particularly where it was seen as vital to the storyline of a movie. Later "c**t" was also broadcast but only when it was vital to the storyline however, some regional stations still choose to censor it
 
I've read about independents complain about the MPAA and the ratings where the studios get feedback on what you need to do with a film to improve the ratings, though independents don't get that luxury.

I figure part of the complaints is the lack of proper guidelines and feedback and the other part is it's really slanted towards the studios.
 
I've read about independents complain about the MPAA and the ratings where the studios get feedback on what you need to do with a film to improve the ratings, though independents don't get that luxury.

I figure part of the complaints is the lack of proper guidelines and feedback and the other part is it's really slanted towards the studios.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDzblNKjsO0
 
What makes an R rating over PG?

"Films that receive an R rating do so because of explicit sex, nudity, violence or harsh language. For example, if a film uses the F-word more than four times, it will receive an automatic R rating."

Is that really true?

It's kind of a blurry line. My rule of thumb is write as if you're gonna get an R anyway, unless you're writing a children's film or something of the sort. If not, you're better off writing under the assumption that whatever you write will get an R so you won't limit yourself.

And the scariest part of the whole movie was the music over the end credits.

Ah, the cries of a jaded public. Surprisingly, it was scary, if you, you know, fear for your soul or have any kind of constitution that makes that kind of horror genuinely scary. The R rating on it was more for the fact that, unless I'm mistaken, near any movie that revolves around possession/exorcism/evil supernatural runs the risk of not being played in the Bible Belt below an R because of how people can/will react to it. The movie was genuinely scary, if you weren't scared, that's not a justification for it not to be an R rating.
 
Back
Top