Most parents recognize the arbitrariness and inconsistency of movie ratings for youth-oriented films. It's a stone in the shoe for those engaged in the (thankless, borderline impossible) job of policing their children's cultural diet and an annoyance for parents who are offended that mass destruction often gets a free pass while a few naughty words earn an instant R rating. That topic deserves a documentary of its own. Until then, MPAA-bashers will relish a film looking at the adult end of the spectrum. Read the full review
This documentary examines the MPAA film ratings system and questions whether its ratings are applied equally: Whether Hollywood movies and independent films are rated equally for comparable content; whether sexual content in gay-themed movies is given harsher ratings penalties than heterosexual films; whether sexuality should receive a harsher rating than violence; and whether the MPAA process should be an open one.
Director: Kirby Dick
Starring: John Waters, Kevin Smith, Matt Stone, Kimberly Peirce, Atom Egoyan
Run time: 97 minutes
Release date: Sept. 1, 2006
Rating: Unrated after receiving an NC-17 rating from the MPAA for some graphic sexual content.
On the web
Official movie site
Austin American-Statesman: 4 of 5 stars
"... frequently funny and sometimes unfair."
The Associated Press: B-
"... makes a good case for some all-American free enterprise to come up with an alternative."
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