Mar 29, 2024
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America’s film classificaton system ‘should be changed’

The documentary Bully follows the lives of five children who experience abuse daily but the rating means it will not be shown in schools and many young people, who the makers wanted to see the film, will not be able to.

The decision by the Motion Picture Association of America, which oversees movie ratings, has been contrasted with the much more lenient PG-13 label it gave to The Hunger Games, an forthcoming science fiction epic in which 12 teenagers are selected to take part in a death match until only one is left.

More than 300,000 people, including Hollywood stars Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep, have signed a petition asking the MPAA to give Bully the same rating as The Hunger Games.

Support has also come from parents’ groups, filmmakers, teenagers and politicians on the left and right, who want the documentary’s message against bullying to be shown to children themselves.

The “R” for restricted classification means anyone under 17 must be accompanied by an adult, while PG-13 means “some material may be inappropriate for children under 13”, but it does not restrict entry.

Bully was given a more severe rating than The Hunger Games because it includes children using swear words.
Critics say the rating system, which has been in place since 1968, focuses too much on bad language rather than depictions of violence.

They also suggest that the MPAA, a trade association representing the major Hollywood studios, gives lower ratings to profitable blockbusters.

In Hollywood there are hopes that The Hunger Games, based on a novel by Suzanne Collins, will become a film franchise to rival Harry Potter and turn stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth into A-list stars.

Hansen Clarke, a Democrat congressman, said: “The hypocrisy is that the very movies that contribute to violence can be seen by teenagers because they get a PG-13. And the one film that actually teaches them to respect others is given an R.”

Lee Hirsch, who directed Bully, said: “This case has brought to light the hypocrisy of the rating system. It’s stepping all over the experience of these kids and the impact this movie can make. The R does matter.”

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who pushed French film The Artist to Oscar glory last month, has headed to Washington DC to lead the campaign. Referring to The Hunger Games he said: “I hear ten teenagers get killed and that’s PG-13.”

Mr Weinstein, who is well known for his own temper, has described the campaign on behalf of Bully as a “redemptive act” for himself.
In the UK “The Hunger Games” has been given a 12A rating, meaning 12-year-olds can watch it unsupervised, after changes were made including blood splashes being digitally removed.

Jennifer Lawrence, the star, said recently: “I do think the violence and brutality is justified, but I understand if everybody has a different standard for ratings.”

Source: The Telegraph

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Front Page, Industry News

America’s film classificaton system ‘should be changed’

The documentary Bully follows the lives of five children who experience abuse daily but the rating means it will not be shown in schools and many young people, who the makers wanted to see the film, will not be able to.

The decision by the Motion Picture Association of America, which oversees movie ratings, has been contrasted with the much more lenient PG-13 label it gave to The Hunger Games, an forthcoming science fiction epic in which 12 teenagers are selected to take part in a death match until only one is left.

More than 300,000 people, including Hollywood stars Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep, have signed a petition asking the MPAA to give Bully the same rating as The Hunger Games.

Support has also come from parents’ groups, filmmakers, teenagers and politicians on the left and right, who want the documentary’s message against bullying to be shown to children themselves.

The “R” for restricted classification means anyone under 17 must be accompanied by an adult, while PG-13 means “some material may be inappropriate for children under 13”, but it does not restrict entry.

Bully was given a more severe rating than The Hunger Games because it includes children using swear words.
Critics say the rating system, which has been in place since 1968, focuses too much on bad language rather than depictions of violence.

They also suggest that the MPAA, a trade association representing the major Hollywood studios, gives lower ratings to profitable blockbusters.

In Hollywood there are hopes that The Hunger Games, based on a novel by Suzanne Collins, will become a film franchise to rival Harry Potter and turn stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth into A-list stars.

Hansen Clarke, a Democrat congressman, said: “The hypocrisy is that the very movies that contribute to violence can be seen by teenagers because they get a PG-13. And the one film that actually teaches them to respect others is given an R.”

Lee Hirsch, who directed Bully, said: “This case has brought to light the hypocrisy of the rating system. It’s stepping all over the experience of these kids and the impact this movie can make. The R does matter.”

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who pushed French film The Artist to Oscar glory last month, has headed to Washington DC to lead the campaign. Referring to The Hunger Games he said: “I hear ten teenagers get killed and that’s PG-13.”

Mr Weinstein, who is well known for his own temper, has described the campaign on behalf of Bully as a “redemptive act” for himself.
In the UK “The Hunger Games” has been given a 12A rating, meaning 12-year-olds can watch it unsupervised, after changes were made including blood splashes being digitally removed.

Jennifer Lawrence, the star, said recently: “I do think the violence and brutality is justified, but I understand if everybody has a different standard for ratings.”

Source: The Telegraph

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Front Page, Industry News

America’s film classificaton system ‘should be changed’

The documentary Bully follows the lives of five children who experience abuse daily but the rating means it will not be shown in schools and many young people, who the makers wanted to see the film, will not be able to.

The decision by the Motion Picture Association of America, which oversees movie ratings, has been contrasted with the much more lenient PG-13 label it gave to The Hunger Games, an forthcoming science fiction epic in which 12 teenagers are selected to take part in a death match until only one is left.

More than 300,000 people, including Hollywood stars Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep, have signed a petition asking the MPAA to give Bully the same rating as The Hunger Games.

Support has also come from parents’ groups, filmmakers, teenagers and politicians on the left and right, who want the documentary’s message against bullying to be shown to children themselves.

The “R” for restricted classification means anyone under 17 must be accompanied by an adult, while PG-13 means “some material may be inappropriate for children under 13”, but it does not restrict entry.

Bully was given a more severe rating than The Hunger Games because it includes children using swear words.
Critics say the rating system, which has been in place since 1968, focuses too much on bad language rather than depictions of violence.

They also suggest that the MPAA, a trade association representing the major Hollywood studios, gives lower ratings to profitable blockbusters.

In Hollywood there are hopes that The Hunger Games, based on a novel by Suzanne Collins, will become a film franchise to rival Harry Potter and turn stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth into A-list stars.

Hansen Clarke, a Democrat congressman, said: “The hypocrisy is that the very movies that contribute to violence can be seen by teenagers because they get a PG-13. And the one film that actually teaches them to respect others is given an R.”

Lee Hirsch, who directed Bully, said: “This case has brought to light the hypocrisy of the rating system. It’s stepping all over the experience of these kids and the impact this movie can make. The R does matter.”

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, who pushed French film The Artist to Oscar glory last month, has headed to Washington DC to lead the campaign. Referring to The Hunger Games he said: “I hear ten teenagers get killed and that’s PG-13.”

Mr Weinstein, who is well known for his own temper, has described the campaign on behalf of Bully as a “redemptive act” for himself.
In the UK “The Hunger Games” has been given a 12A rating, meaning 12-year-olds can watch it unsupervised, after changes were made including blood splashes being digitally removed.

Jennifer Lawrence, the star, said recently: “I do think the violence and brutality is justified, but I understand if everybody has a different standard for ratings.”

Source: The Telegraph

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Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

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