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.
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.
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.
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.
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.