What's With Those MPAA Ratings?

2008-12-17

After some discussion with friends who had seen it, my husband and I took our daughter to see Slumdog Millionaire. While we don't usually hold a summit on whether or not to head to the multiplex, this instance was unique because 1) our daughter is 14, and 2) Slumdog Millionaire is rated R.

In case you're not familiar with the plot, the movie revolves around a young man from Mumbai, orphaned as a boy and surviving with his brother on street smarts and hustle. The main character, Jamal, eventually becomes a contestant, then a winner on the wildly popular TV game show, "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire". At the point at which it becomes clear Jamal has won a lot of money and could very well win the game, he is arrested and subjected to torture and  imprisonment under the assumption that he cheated. The device in the movie involves flashbacks as Jamal recounts to the authorities the experiences that provided him with the knowledge to win. Along the way, he finds, then loses, then finds again, the whereabouts of his lifelong love.

Everything we'd heard about the movie suggested it was great, and we have always been big on exposing our kids to other cultures. After assurances that it would probably be OK, we headed out, prepared to cover her eyes if necessary. Guess what? It wasn't necessary. While there were suggestions of gangsters and criminal behavior, the depictions were chaste and fairly innocuous: prostitution, for example, was portrayed by a young girl dressed in traditional veils and gold, twirling in dance in front of a customer. The worst torture inflicted by the police? Off-camera electro-shock, represented by a car battery and jumper cables.

Glad that we'd made the choice to take her to see what turned out to be a great cultural snapshot, it started me thinking about the R rating and how the very system meant to serve as a guide was actually an exercise in frustration. Blame it on Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America. Valenti instituted the system back in 1968 in response to complaints that audiences (read: parents) had no way of knowing what to expect once the lights in the auditorium went down. Except that the categories are vague and subjective and seldom, if ever give an accurate assessment of whether or not a movie is suitable.

Here's a sampling of the system as defined on the MPAA website:

"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."

"Beyond polite conversation?" There are at least four words that come to mind (more if you're creative) that go beyond polite conversation and are common in everyday expressions. These are words I would not expect to come across in Horton Hears A Who. Know what other movie got the same rating as Horton? College Road Trip.

The question of the system's relevance was raised nearly a decade ago, when Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut received an NC-17 rating because of an orgy scene. Never mind that there were plenty of other disturbing things about that movie, critics and filmmakers were up in arms because the scene was digitally altered to avoid what was considered "the kiss of death" at the box office. Seen any NC-17 ratings lately?

Ultimately, you'd do better to ask your family and friends -- people who know the sensibilities of you and your family and could probably make a more accurate -- and relevant -- assessment of the maturity level of your kid and whether or not you'd be able to relax and enjoy the movie, or end up flustered and having to explain why Horton, for example, isn't wearing any pants.

Terry Glover is Senior Editor for EbonyJet.com She writes about trends and culture, popular and otherwise.