Commentary by
Rick Kessler and Steve Bynum
It's an election year and the guardians of our nation's moral conscience
have trotted out their favorite whipping boy, popular culture, for a lofty go-round of
political grandstanding.
It's a simplistic attempt to blame society's ills on the undue
"influence" of movies, television and music instead of seriously addressing the
more pertinent issues, such as, gun control (which would cost votes) and how to provide
and pay for mental health care needs in this country (that would cost taxpayer money).
So, instead we get a national discourse on R-rated films and media
responsibility. Congress has been addressing this question, so we thought it might be
prudent to offer a perspective from midway between you, the ticket buyer, and the movie
studios and distributors.
The R-rating—defined by the Motion Picture Association of America
(MPAA) as "Restricted, no one under 17 admitted without parent or certified adult
guardian"—was created to enable filmmakers to tell mature stories honestly and
unflinchingly, without being obligated to protect the sensibilities of the youngest, most
vulnerable members of the audience. Without the liberation of the R-rating, masterpieces
such as The Godfather, Raging Bull and Saving Private Ryan
couldn't exist. Neither would works of considerably lesser cinematic aptitude and mastery
like the more recent Scary Movie and The Blair Witch Project. So, how and
when to "enforce" this rating, which is, in fact, a suggested guideline and not
a legally-stipulated regulation?
There are Rs, and then there are Rs. The same R-rating that the MPAA
assigns to Scream or Road Trip is equally applied to films as disparate as Pulp
Fiction, Air Force One, L.A. Confidential, Jerry McGuire and The English Patient.
What is one exposed to in Austin Powers (PG-13) that’s so different than There's
Something About Mary (R)?
That's where you, the parent, are called upon to make a judgment call with
regard to a movie’s appropriateness for your own child.
We, here at the Magic Lantern, try to aid you in several different ways.
First of all, our weekly newspaper ads always define the reason that a movie has received
an R-rating. Is it strictly for language or for sexuality or nudity—which can range
from the romantic love scenes of Shakespeare In Love to explicit on-screen sex?
Illegal drug use receives an automatic R, whether it’s harmlessly
comical a la Saving Grace or a frank depiction of the horrors of addiction.
Violence is, of course, a big factor in ratings, whether it’s the shockingly
realistic carnage of Saving Private Ryan or the comic-book kicks of The Matrix.
Some films are awarded an R in more than one of these four areas, as well
as a fifth catch-all category termed "adult content," referring to emotional and
psychological terrain that, one hopes, is far removed from children’s realm of
experience. Movies that deserve an extreme R-rating can vacillate in quality and content
as widely as Natural Born Killers to last year's Oscar-winner American Beauty.
Films that qualify for an "amplified" R don't receive an RRR
rating, so it's important for parents to ask questions about content, tone and the moral
values of a given movie. And we do our best to answer them, reminding accompanying parents
that the film they are taking their children to is rated R—and why.
We have also gone so far as to require explicit parental permission
(preferably in person, though telephone calls and written slips are frequently
substituted) for certain films. And we are more than willing to advise you anytime in
making your decision (call 726-3308). For example, anyone old enough to comprehend the
magnitude of the Holocaust or the invasion of Normandy should not miss Schindler’s
List or Saving Private Ryan, but why subject a child to the on screen violence
who does not comprehend the significance?
Like reading D. H. Lawrence, J. D. Salinger or even Mark Twain, these are
advanced "texts" that require mature judgment, reasoning and sensibilities.
Great as they are, they may not be suitable for young children, but they are unreservedly
recommended for some teens not yet 17 years old.
Despite our efforts to reasonably enforce the film rating system and not
tread on First Amendment rights, we are often stunned at some of the movies parents have
knowingly allowed their children to see despite our specifically alerting them (even with
the managers’ personal admonition at the box office) to what these youngsters would
be exposed to.
The Magic Lantern has increased vigilance with regard to R-rated films,
but we cannot do it effectively without your help. Parents, please do your duty: ask
questions, do a little research and accompany your teenagers to see deserving R-rated
films. Afterward, discuss with them what you saw and how you each felt about it. This is
the true meaning of "parental guidance."
Rick Kessler is the owner and Steve Bynum is the manager of the
Magic Lantern theater in Ketchum.
