The Movie Rating System
Keep Your Tween Safe from Seeing Inappropriate Content at Theaters
Movie ratings are designed to be a guide for parents, so they can be sure that their kids are only watching appropriate movies. Learn what the ratings mean.
By the time your child hits the age of 9, she'll want more freedom. It is during this time that your tween will spend more time with friends and may ask to see movies that are not rated G. As a parent, you have the ultimate say over what your child does and does not watch. You have seen the movie ratings G, PG, PG-13, and R/NC-17, but what does it all mean? If you are confused about what to let your child watch, here is a brief run-down of the movie rating system to help you make an educated choice.
G Rated Movies
A G rated movie stands for General Audience. These are so named because they are appropriate for all audiences, including children. These are typically squeaky clean and okay for your youngest child. They do not contain sex, references to sex, nudity, crude humor, bad language or references to drug use. These are typically the Disney movies (but not always, so check first) and cartoon-type movies. It should be noted that even some G rated movies will slip in some type of off-the-wall humor, so as to keep adults interested in the movie, as well as kids, so it always best to review any movie before renting it or taking your child to see it in the theater.
PG Rated Movies
A PG rated movie stands for Parental Guidance Suggested. These are movies that move just past the G rating. They may contain some things that you do not want your young child to see. Many PG rated movies are appropriate for the tween set, but this is, of course, a personal family decision. As a word of warning, a PG movie could contain brief nudity, a few bad words, and could contain slight references to smoking or alcohol. Many popular movies geared for kids are now rated PG.
PG-13 Rated Movies
A PG-13 rating stands for Parents Strongly Cautioned. This type of movie is generally not suitable for kids under the age of 13. Some kids over the age of 13 may not do well with these movies as well. These will contain some adult material and situations, including bad language, brief nudity, sexual references or overtones, and could also contain some drug usage or moderate violence. Some popular PG-13 movies include some of the Harry Potter movies, as well as some of the Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean movies. If your tween is asking to see one of these movies, then cautioned should be used.
R and NC-17 Rated Movies
An R rated movie simply stands for Restricted. No person under the age of 17 will be allowed into these movies without a parent or guardian. These movies will contain adult situations, language, violence, drug use, and will have an overall adult theme. Movies that are rated NC-17 are not appropriate for children under the age of 17 and some adults may feel uncomfortable watching these movies. They will probably contain explicit sex scenes or excessive language.
If you are not sure whether to allow your child to see a certain movie, there are several websites that will give open and honest reviews for you to read. One such site is Screen It. This site gives a scene-by-scene review and will give you ratings on language, nudity and violence. You can either join the site as a member, giving you access to reviews of the newest movies or get the information for free for movies that have been out in the recent past.
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