Do the ratings indicate
if a movie is good or bad?
No, the system is not designed to serve the function of "critic."   The ratings do not determine or reflect wheather a film is "good" or "bad."  The system is not intended to approve, disapprove or censor any film; it merely assigns a rating for guidance--leaving the decision-making responsibilities to the parents.

Who gives movies
their ratings?
Parents give the movies their ratings-men and women just like you.   They are part of a specially designed committee called the film rating board of the Classification and Rating Administration.  As a group they view each film and, after a group discussion, vote on its rating, making an educated estimate as to which rating most American parents will consider the most appropriate.

What criteria
do they use?
The rating board uses the criteria you as a parent use when deciding what is suitable viewing for your child.  Theme, language, violence, nudity, sex and drug use are among those content areas considered in the decision-making process.  Alco assessed is how each of these elements is employed in the context of each individual film.   The rating board places no special emphasis on any of these elements; all are considered and examined before a rating is given.

G General Audiences-All ages admitted.  Signifies that the film rated contains nothing most parents will consider offensive for even their youngest children to see or hear.  Nudity, sex scenes, and scenes of drug use are absent; violence is minimal; snippets of dialogue may go beyond polite conversation but do not go beyond common everyday expressions.

PG Parental Guidance Suggested- Some material may not be suitable for children.  Signifies that the film rated may contain some material parents might not like to expose to their young children - material that will clearly need to be examined or inquired about before children are allowed to attend the film.  Explicit sex scenes and scenes of drug use are absent; nudity, if present, is seen only breifly, horror and violence do not exceed moderate levels.

PG-13 Parents Stongly Cautioned -Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.   Signifies that the film rated may contain some material parents might not like to expose to their young children - material that will clearly need to be examined or inquired about before children are allowed to attend the film.  Explicit sex scenes and scenes of drug use are absent; nudity, if present, is seen only breifly, horror and violence do not exceed moderate levels.

R Restricted-Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian (age varies in some jurisdictions).  Signifies that the rating board has concluded that the film rated may contain some adult material.  Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their children to see it.  An R may be assigned due to, among other things, a film's use of language, theme, violence, sex or its portrayal of drug use.

NC-17 No One 17 and Under Admitted.  Signifies that the rating board believes that most American parents would feel that the film is patently adult and that children age 17 and under should not be admitted to it.  The film may contain explicit sex scenes, an accumulation of sexually-oriented language, and/or scenes of excessive violence.  The NC-17 designation does not, however, signify that the rated film is obscene or pornographic in terms of sex, language or violence.

Can a rating be changed?
Yes, the rules permit movie producers to re-edit their films and re-submit them in hopes of receiving another rating.  Producers may also appeal a rating decision to the Rating Appeals Board, which is composed of men and women from the industry organizations that sponsor the rating system.  A two-thirds secret ballot vote of those present on the Appeals Board may overturn a rating board decision.

Do all movies
have to be rated?
No.  Submitting a film is purely a voluntary decision made by the filmmakers.  However, the overwhelming majority of the producers creating entertaining, responsible films do in fact submit their films for ratings.  All five Classifications and Rating Administration rating symbols have been trademarked and may not be self-applied.

Who enforces the ratings?
The decision to enforce the rating system is purely voluntary.

How do you get more
information about a rating?
For additional information about the voluntary movie rating system and ratings for new releases, visit the Motion Picture Association of America's home page on the World Wide Web.  Our address is http://www.mpaa.org.

What else can parents do?
Parents are urged to learn as much about a film as possible before they permit their children to attend.  Reading reviews and feature articles or speaking with your theater manager and friends are good ways to gather information in addition to the ratings.

We are interested in your views.  Please let your theater manager know if you attend a movie theater and have any questions with regard to how the rating system is being implemented.