Discuss: Movies That Deserved a Different Rating
Filed under: Comedy, Drama, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, Exhibition
Over the past few weeks, movie ratings have been a popular topic for discussion. While Kevin Smith's upcoming Zack and Miri Make a Porno appealed an NC-17 rating (and won), The Dark Knight was enjoying a record-setting box office take and a pretty controversial PG-13 rating. Once again, we ask: Why is sex more inappropriate than violence? Should raunchy language and a few "thrusts" be condemned while a dude with half his face falling off and a psychopathic, murderous clown get off practically unscathed? And are there other issues at work here? Does a film with a giant budget and an all-star cast get it "easier" than a smaller film with a lesser-known cast and a director who chain smokes profanity?
No doubt there are shady politics at play here (as is all over this fine country of ours), and over the years there have been a number of films that deserved a different rating. Over on OMG Lists, they currently have up a list of six wrongly rated movies; films that, for one reason or another, deserved either a lower or a higher rating. It's a weird system, for sure -- these days, if you're a comedy, you kinda want that 'R' rating because your box office take will most likely be higher. However, if you're a horror flick, you want to try for a PG-13. Strange world we live in ...
But anyway, among the films featured on their list are Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which, at the time, received an R-rating because of a few profanity-laced scenes, but totally could've gotten away with a PG-13. Or what about Jaws ... with its PG rating! Hey, it's a film about a giant shark that devours people -- bring the whole family!
And hey, did Showgirls really deserve an NC-17 rating? Is there like a naked breast count that, if passed, automatically puts you in NC-17 territory? Heck, two naked breasts is like seeing 150 naked breasts, in my opinion. Look at Can't Buy Me Love -- that has a few naked breasts in it, and it's rated PG-13. Or what about the original Bad News Bears (rated PG)? No naked breasts, but the racism is ridiculous and you've got little kids drinking alcohol! I don't get it. I don't think we'll ever get it.
Which films do you think deserved different ratings?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
8-07-2008 @ 12:24PM
Jonathan Kuhn said...
I remember thinking that the second Nutty Professor movie was the most vulgar and disgusting PG-13 movie I'd ever seen. It was also horrible, which might be might I think it should have been R.
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8-07-2008 @ 12:26PM
Moviezzz said...
Just a correction, there was no nudity in CAN'T BUY ME LOVE. It got the PG-13 for one use of the F word (which was changed to "funny" when it aired on THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY).
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8-07-2008 @ 1:52PM
Erik Davis said...
Oh, there's nudity dude. I totally remember it clear as day when I was growing up. I remember them taking it out of different versions that have been on TV here and there, but it's definitely in there. Maybe they recut the flick -- does anyone else remember the nudity?
8-07-2008 @ 12:30PM
Erik Davis said...
Oh, there certainly was nudity in Can't Buy Me Love -- when he's in the back of the station wagon, and she says something like "look at these" or "are these real" ...
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8-07-2008 @ 1:15PM
Moviezzz said...
Erik, have you seen CBML recently? There wasn't any nudity in that scene.
It is a common urban legend. It is suggestive, but nothing is shown.
Having seen the film (too) many times theatrically, on VHS, and cable, I can guarantee it. Heck, half my site is dedicated to the film.
8-07-2008 @ 12:37PM
Patrick R said...
"...these days, if you're a comedy, you kinda want that 'R' rating because your box office take will most likely be higher."
Funny, because I remember reading the exact opposite somewhere recently. Where could it have been? Oh yes, on Cinematical:
http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/30/r-rated-comedies-fare-poorly-at-the-box-office/
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8-07-2008 @ 12:50PM
Erik Davis said...
Patrick, I actually believe the opposite, but it also depends on that film's creators and stars. I do believe that, right now, R-rated comedies are "hotter" than PG-13 comedies.
That other post was based on another report, not something that originated here at Cinematical.
8-07-2008 @ 7:17PM
Adam P said...
Well, Jaws came out in the 70's and because there was no PG-13 rating at that time (pre July 1, 1984), it got PG. If it was true to the book it would have definitely been rated 'R' and Terri Garr would have had an affair with Mr. Holland.
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8-07-2008 @ 12:44PM
ECWaenigma said...
Pretty much all of Wes Anderson's movies could be PG-13. Some of the themes may be darkly comical, but they're not ADULT or damaging to a teenager. Coen's "The Ladykillers" had a couple of naughty words and revolved around trying to kill an old lady, but it was more Looney Tunes than "Psycho". On the other hand, a vast majority of 1970's movies that were PG should be R. Like the aforementioned "Jaws" how about pretty much all of Charles Bronson's output from that time period? "Mr. Majestyk", "The Mechanic", "Rider on the Rain", etc. Some odd flicks like "Darktown Strutters" (which would no way in hell be made now), "The Manitou", "Grizzly", "Bird with the Crystal Plumage", "Four Flies on Grey Velvet", etc. The sad thing is as disturbing as these movies would be to a PG audience, they're not really any less violent than the PG films of modern times ("Raiders of the Lost Ark", "Gremlins", "Dick Tracy", etc.) . It's just that, as a society, we've become too uptight and politically correct to just believe that people will know "it's just a movie" and keep moving forward. Big Brother thinks we need our hands held, and some people belive that as well. My parents were very liberal in letting my brother and I watch whatever we wanted (within reason, of course) when we were younger, and we turned out fine. I haven't killed anyone...recently ;-)
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8-07-2008 @ 12:51PM
Kurt said...
Orgazmo is a pretty obvious choice, NC-17 with absolutely no frontal nudity.
And I gotta agree with OMGLists on Planes Trains and Automobiles. The only reason they had the F-bomb scene was to make sure it was R, because in the 80's comedies were rated R and anything PG was a family film.
And then there's Airplane, which is PG, in spite of some blatantly sexual human and bared breasts (if only for about 20 frames).
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is another obvious choice, since it was the film that started the discussion that ultimately led to the creation of the PG-13 rating, and it's awfully dark for a PG film.
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8-07-2008 @ 1:05PM
Mike said...
As much as I love Planes, Trains and Automobiles (and the car rental scene in particular) there is no way that can be anything but an R. Does that mean I believe that movie is inappropriate for anyone under 17? No. But under the current ratings system there is no way in hell you can give a movie with that many f-bombs, even if only in one scene, anything less than an R.
I admire Hughes and the studio for not cutting that classic scene. Nowadays, it would almost certainly not make the theatrical cut. And that's a damn shame. Imagine all of the classic scenes we are missing out on because of the conformity of ratings.
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8-07-2008 @ 1:39PM
akaglebe said...
Once got an R for language. What a great tale about love in the real world and the creative process that teens could've gotten a lot out of. I think there were one or two f-bombs dropped.
A little after I saw Once I saw another musical, Across the Universe, which I was surprised managed a PG-13 with all the nudity and swears. It's probably borderline but there's no way Once was worse
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8-07-2008 @ 1:44PM
AJ Wiley said...
Here's an idea:
Get rid of the MPAA altogether.
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8-07-2008 @ 1:52PM
Kelsey said...
"Once" recieved an R rating while "The Dark Knight" got a PG-13. What is more harmful to your children; a couple of F-bombs or a psychopath holding a gun to a child's head?
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8-07-2008 @ 4:28PM
njbeetle said...
completely agree - I had to go back and check Dark Knight's poster for the rating after seeing it. How did that movie get such a low rating? And don't even get me started on them marketing toys to toddlers for that movie.
8-11-2008 @ 6:09AM
monstermac said...
People who pontificate on ' what is harmful for the children '.
Damn you all to hell.
8-18-2008 @ 12:24PM
Kelsey said...
I only mentioned "harmful to children" because the MPAA claims that their ratings system is based on "protecting children" from things their parents deem offensive.
8-07-2008 @ 2:41PM
Astin said...
Maybe I remember a different Showgirls, but it had full-frontal, female masturbation, a rape scene, lesbian scenes, and that ridiculous pool scene.
The pool scene alone makes it unfit for anyone who isn't drunk, and therefore, underage. :)
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8-07-2008 @ 3:25PM
zctop said...
I agree that airplane is the worst rated movie ever. You'd think that if it was PG than you would feel comfortable watching it with your grammy. Prepare to sweat as there is a vast amount of sexual humor and full frontal nudity (bouncing).
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8-07-2008 @ 5:14PM
Liz said...
I definitely agree on Poltergeist. I saw that as a kid (hey it was PG) and it scared me for years afterward.
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