Motion picture content rating system

Motion picture rating systems are issued to give moviegoers an idea of the suitability of a movie for children and/or adults in terms of sex and violence. Ratings are often given in lieu of censorship.

United States

Between 1930, motion picture studios voluntarily followed the Hays Code, which restricted depictions of sex and violence. This practice ended in the 1950s, when movie theater box office revenues dropped due to the introduction of television.

U.S. states had boards of censorship for movies; the last, the Maryland State Board of Censors, was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1965. (Freedman v. Maryland, 380 U.S. 51).

In the United States, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA} issues ratings for movies. The system was instituted in 1968 and is voluntary; however, most movie theater chains, will not show unrated films.

The ratings as they exist in 2002 are:

G - Movie suitable for all ages
PG - Parental guidance suggested - Contains mature themes, may not be suitable for small children
PG-13 - Parents strongly cautioned - Contains mature themes, may not be suitable for children under 13 years old
R - Restricted - Contains mature themes (usually sex and/or violence). Children under 17 not admitted without an adult
NC-17 - No children under 17 admitted.

The rating "PG" was orignally "M" - for mature audiences.

The rating "PG-13" was instituted in the 1980s because motion picture distributors expressed concerns over children under 13 seeing unsuitable scenes.

The rating "X" was originally part of the system, but was dropped when it became synonymous with pornographic movies (many films advertise themselves as "Triple X".) Several directors and producers believed that their films had more intrinsic artistic merit than most "X" rated movies.

In the U.S. motion picture industry, G ratings are perceived to be suitable for only children, while many motion picture theater chains refuse to show "NC-17" movies.

Many films which are rated "R" have been aimed at teenage audiences. In 2000, due to issues raised by United States Senator Joseph Lieberman (Democrat from Connecticut), the National Association of Theater Owners, the major trade association in the U.S., started strict enforcement of ID checks for "R" rated movies. Many of these films, such as Blair Witch Project 2, ended up as box-office failures.

More information may be gathered at [[1]]

Canada

Movie ratings in Canada are a provincial responsibility. The Ontario Film Review Board uses the following system:

Family. Film appropriate for viewing by a person of any age.
Parental Guidance. Parents should exercise discretion in permitting a child to view the film.
Adult Accompaniment. Persons younger than 14 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Restricted. Film restricted to persons 18 years of age or older.

The British Columbia system is:

General. All ages. The contents of these motion pictures are suitable for viewing by all ages.
Parental Guidance. All ages. Parental guidance advised. Theme or content may not be suitable for all children.
14 Accompaniment. Anyone under 14 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Parents cautioned. These films may contain violence, coarse language, and/or sexually suggestive scenes.
18 Accompaniment. Anyone under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Parents strongly cautioned. Will likely contain explicit violence, frequent coarse language, sexual activity and/or horror.
Restricted. No one under the age of 18 may view under any circumstances. Content not suitable for minors. May contain scenes of explicit sex and/or violence. However, the film classification office considers these films to have some artistic, historical, political, educational or scientific merit.
Adult. No one under 18 may view under any circumstances. May contain explicit sexual scenes and/or violence. However, the classification office considers these films to be tolerable to the community.

United Kingdom

The British Board of Film Classification(BBFC) rates both motion pictures and videos. Local communities enforce BBFC ratings.

The BBFC system is:

U Universal, suitable for all.
PG All ages admitted, but Parental Guidance is recommended. It is the board's policy that movies rated "PG" should not disturb a child of about 8 years of age or older; however, "parents are advised to consider whether the content may upset young or more sensitive children."
12 No one under 12 years of age may see a "12" film or rent or buy a "12" video.
15 No one under 15 years of age may see a "15" film or rent or buy a "15" video.
18 Suitable only for adults. No one under 18 years of age may see an "18" film or rent or buy an "18" video.
R18 To be supplied only in licensed sex shops to adults of not less than 18 years of age.

Australia

The Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) uses the following system:

G Suitable for all viewers. It is noted by the board that a "G" movie rating in Australia doesn't indicate the movie is intended for children, simply that nothing in the movie will be disturbing or harmful to children.

PG Parental Guidance recommended for children under 15 years of age.

M Mature, recommended for audiences 15 years and over. Note: this is not a legally restricted Australian movie rating, but movies in this category cannot be recommended for those under 15 years.
MA Mature Accompanied. This category is legally restricted in that children under 15 cannot see "MA" films or rent them on video unless accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.
R Restricted. This category is legally restricted to adults. No one under 18 may view these movies in a cinema or rent them on videocassette.
X Restricted. This rating.applies to sexually explicit material which is restricted to viewers 18 years of age and over.