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February 20, 2005
"R" Rated Movies on Decline?
According to this article, the number of "R" rated movies produced by Hollywood are declining - and the writer attributes the decline to the "political climate." (HT: Drudge)
Despite moral watchdogs lamenting Hollywood's vile tendencies, the studios have actually been cleaning up their act. R-rated films, once the studios' mainstay, are on the decline, both in numbers and in lure. In the last five years, R-rated pics have dwindled from 212 in 1999 to just 147 last year.Does anyone buy this? The "studies have actually been cleaning up their act?" It seems to me that what used to be an "R" rated movie in 1999, is now a "PG-13."
UPDATE: I didn't catch this on the first read through, but half way down the article there was the following parenthetical note:
(At the same time, there is evidence that today's PG-13 is more like yesterday's R. Last summer, a Harvard study found that current films with PG-13 ratings and below had more violence, sex and profanity than films of the same ratings 10 years prior.)
Posted by Rick at February 20, 2005 07:09 PM
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Also, the decline in "Rs" would have little or no significance if the general output is also in decline.
Interesting post, though.
Thanks,
RICHARD
lawreligionculturereview.blogpost.com
Posted by: Richard at February 20, 2005 11:52 PM
Very true Richard. The data should have been stated relative to the number of movies produced. Good catch.
Posted by: Rick Brady at February 21, 2005 12:00 AM
Rick - Ratings criteria are really odd. And ever since Columbine, theatres have strict about letting minors into R-rated movies. Consequently movie-makers have pushed the envelope with lots of PG-13 movies. See the current crop of scary movies.
Posted by: Matt at February 21, 2005 12:05 AM
To add to the discussion, PG-13 is the current cash crop rating. 5-10 years ago, the R-rating was the target for movies that wanted to make money by hitting the largest movie-going audience. The sense was that G = kids, PG = family, PG-13 = a concession to early teenagers, R = real movies for real adults.
That has changed. With movies like Spider-Man, X-Men, The Bourne Identity, Minority Report, and other blockbusters hitting an absolutely huge audience with their PG-13 rating, the movie-makers are realizing that they don't need the super-gore to attract audiences.
It has gotten to the point where an otherwise PG movie will throw in a swear word or two to get PG-13, and an otherwise R-rated movie will cut a few scenes for the money-rating and then release them later as a special edition DVD.
I think you're right though in that the ratings' envelopes are being pushed. That's been happening for ages though. I don't know how far they will let it go before it's too much.
Posted by: Adam Heine at February 21, 2005 01:01 PM
Interesting bit of trivia I heard while reading this post out loud:
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was the first PG-13 rated movie.
I guess they didn't want to alienate the teenage audience by giving it an R rating (too bad, cause I could have done with out the heart removal scene!)
So that is less than 20 years ago right? Having a new rating must have really allowed the MPAA to make adjustments to its decisions, thus lowering the number of R rated movies and allowing PG-13 movies to be more and more "R-rated" like, as the actual R-rated movies become riskier and more graphic.
Posted by: Abigail Brayden at February 21, 2005 01:51 PM
Actually, if I remember my trivia correctly, Steven Spielberg got the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating specifically for Temple of Doom. It was felt that it was too gory for a PG rating, but not so bad as to, as you say, alienate the teenage audience.
It's interesting, because I remember watching Raiders of the Lost Ark recently, which has a PG rating, and being surprised by the blood that they showed. I think Spielberg was already pushing the PG envelope with that movie and he pushed it even farther with Temple of Doom - thus the new rating.
Posted by: Adam Heine at February 22, 2005 02:05 AM