MPAA ratings: Guidelines for parents

The State Theatre is careful to provide ratings for the films it shows, whenever ratings are available, in an effort to provide parents with approved guidelines in selecting films that will or will not be appropriate for their children to view. These guidelines, set forth by MPAA, the Motion Picture Association of America, are not a commentary on a film's content, nor are they meant to suggest censorship. Instead, the rating system exists to give parents clear, concise information about a film's content, in order to help them determine whether a movie is suitable for their children. The State Theatre's board of directors asks that parents adhere to these guidelines when selecting films based on their appropriateness for children. We play our role in enforcing these guidelines by refusing admission to R-rated movies by unaccompanied children, or allowing children admittance to NC-17 movies whether accompanied or not. We appreciate your adherence to these guidelines.

G: General Audiences

All ages admitted

A G-rated motion picture contains nothing in theme, language,

nudity, sex, violence or other matters that, in the view of the

Rating Board, would offend parents whose younger children

view the motion picture. The G rating is not a "certificate of

approval," nor does it signify a "children's" motion picture.

Some language may go beyond polite conversation

but it is common everyday expressions. No stronger words

are present in G-rated motion pictures. Depictions of violence

are minimal. No nudity, sex scenes or drug use are present in

the motion picture.

PG: Parental Guidance Suggested

Some material may not be suitable for children

These films should be investigated by parents before they let their

younger children attend. The PG rating indicates that parents

may consider some material unsuitable for their young children.

There may be some profanity and some depictions of violence,

sensuality or brief nudity. But these elements are not deemed so

intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond

the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use

content in a PG film.

PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned.

Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13

A PG-13 rating is a sterner warning by the Rating Board to parents

to determine whether their children under age 13 should view the

motion picture, as some material might not be suited for them. A

PG-13 motion picture may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities or other

elements, but does not reach the restricted R category. The theme

of the motion picture by itself will not result in a rating greater than

PG-13, although depictions of activities related to a mature theme

may result in a restricted rating for the motion picture. Any drug use

will initially require at least a PG-13 rating. More than brief nudity

will require at least a PG-13 rating, but such nudity in a PG-13 rated

motion picture generally will not be sexually oriented. There may

be depictions of violence in a PG-13 movie, but generally not both

realistic and extreme or persistent violence. A motion picture's single

use of one of the harsher sexually-derived words, though only as an

expletive, initially requires at least a PG-13 rating. More than one

such expletive requires an R rating, as must even one of those words

used in a sexual context. The Rating Board nevertheless may rate such

a motion picture PG-13 if, based on a special vote by a two-thirds

majority, the Raters feel that most American parents would believe

that a PG-13 rating is appropriate because of the context or manner

in which the words are used or because the use of those words in the

motion picture is inconspicuous.

R: Restricted.

Children under 17 require accompanying parent or

adult guardian

These films contain some adult material. An R-rated film may

depict adult activity, hard language, intense graphic or persistent

violence, sexually oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements.

Parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children

under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated films unaccompanied

by a parent or adult guardian. Parents are strongly urged to find

out more about the particular film in determining its suitability for

their children. Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring

their young children with them to R-rated movies.

NC-17: No one 17 and under admitted

These are films that the Rating Board believes most parents

would consider patently too adult for their children. No children

will be admitted. NC-17 does not necessarily mean "obscene"

or "pornographic" and should not be construed as a negative

judgment on the content of the film. The rating simply signals that

the content is appropriate only for an adult audience. An NC-17

rating can be based on violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug

abuse or any other element that most parents would consider too

strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children.