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These
films are meant to be viewable by all ages. It is considered not to
have any themes that would be objectionable to parents. Many of the
classic Disney movies, such as Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid,
or Aladdin, are rated G. This rating does not constitute a seal of endorsement
for anyone and everyone to see the film; rather it signifies that anything
within the film that signifies conflict is minimal. A young child may
be frightened by the movie, but not scarred by it. There may be words
that go beyond polite conversation (arguing), but there are no obscenities.
There are also no scenes in the movie that depict drug use, sex, or
nudity. Overall, this rating could be summed with the words ‘Mostly
Harmless’. You should still consider your child’s sensibilities
when seeing a G rated movie, but in the eyes of the MPAA the film is
something most parents would consider suitable for their children.
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This
is a step up from a G rated movie. While the film may still be alright
for your children, you should more thoroughly investigate the film before
taking your kids, especially younger kids. There could be mild profanity
or violence, or even brief nudity. Innuendo is especially likely to
cause an otherwise G rated movie to receive a PG rating. Perfect examples
of this are DreamWorks films such as the Shrek series which are rated PG due to their mild action, some rude humor and brief language. The film may still
be suitable for children, even young ones, but some parents may find
material objectionable. There are still no depictions of sex or drug
use in a PG movie, although there may be brief nudity, if it is in a
non-sexual context. The movies are considered something that many parents
would consider suitable for their children, but a significant number
may consider some things in the movie inappropriate.
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PG-13
Movies are a distinction that didn’t exist before 1984. Prior
to that movies went straight from PG to R. PG-13 was created to give
an alternative to rating any movie that was not “kid friendly”
an R rating (and thus significantly limiting its earning potential).
The theme of a movie itself (a film about death, or drug use, or the
mob, or a bunny ranch) won’t cause a film to be rated above PG-13,
as horror flicks such as The Ring. However, if there is any drug use
in a movie it automatically warrants a PG-13 rating. A PG-13 movie can
have brief nudity, if it is in a non-sexual context; Titanic is a perfect
example of this. Violence without gore can also cause a movie to be
rated PG-13, such as the Transformers movies. On the whole, PG-13 movies
are considered to be appropriate for older children, but not younger
ones. Even in the cases of older children, a parent should consider
their own stance towards the themes of the movie before allowing their
child to attend.
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Restricted
movies contain adult themes in abundance. So much so that anyone under
17 requires a guardian to get into the movie. They can contain any of
the following: violence, drug abuse, sexuality, profanity, nudity, or
other adult themes (among other things). An R rating constitutes a strong
warning toward parents to investigate the content of a movie more thoroughly
before they take their children to see them. Most R rated movies are
considered to be too adult oriented for the average minor to view. R
rated movies, as well as PG-13 rated movies usually contain a brief
description of why they are given the rating they are. A typical listing
would look something like this: Rated R for pervasive graphic violence,
brief nudity, and some strong language. The modifiers like pervasive,
brief, and some, are intended to let a parent know how much of a given
element to expect in a movie.
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NC-17
is the classification that succeeded the now outdated X rating for movies.
Movies that receive this classification are considered too adult in
nature for any children to see. No one under 17 is allowed into the
movie. It contains several of the themes found in an R rated movie in
abundance. It is not meant to classify a film as obscene, merely as
one that children should not see. The qualifications for an NC-17 movie
are that it goes beyond the scope of an R rated movie in its portrayal
of the themes in question.
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