Critics Want Movie Ratings Revamped

A lot of blood is spilled in the movie "Saw," but the Motion Picture Association gave it the same rating as the wine country romp "Sideways." Both are rated R.

Parents and filmmakers think the system needs fixing.

"The R rating can encompass anything from two uses of bad language in a very clean film or it can be what people in the industry call a 'hard R,' movies like 'Hostel' and 'Saw,' which is very graphic, non-stop violence," Timothy Gray, editor of Variety magazine, told The Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman.

The Motion Picture Association says most complaints from parents are about too much sex in the movies, not too much violence. "Sideways" and "Saw" are very different, and some wonder, what does R mean exactly?

"I think the R rating does mean something. I think what's happened more significantly is that PG-13 movies are kind of pushing the envelope in terms of violence and sexuality and language," said Paul Dergarabedian of Media by Numbers.

Replete with sexual tension and bullets flying, you might have thought the film "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," was rated R, but it was rated PG-13, probably because the producers wanted to sell more tickets.

"PG-13 movies make up the lion's share of the box office and those films do the best at the box office," Dergarabedian said.

Many parents said they have been surprised when they take their children to a movie expecting it to be tamer because of a PG-13 rating, but then the dialog is filled with innuendo or words they don't consider appropriate.

To make things clearer for parents and film-makers, the ratings board is planning an education effort: Putting posters in video stores to explain what the ratings mean. For the first time, the board will also post the ratings rules and appeals process.

The changes by the Motion Picture Association will mostly help film-makers. Parents will still need to do some homework.

Web sites such as CommonSenseMedia.org will give you specific information about aspects of a film that might be upsetting to your child.

"You know, maybe it's about divorce and your family has just gone through one and the timing is not right for your kid," AOL consumer adviser Regina Lewis said. "Or maybe there's a pet that dies in a PG movie and you just lost your dog. It's that kind of context that can really help parents make informed decisions so that when you get to the movie theatre or pop the DVD in there are no surprises."

Movie makers hate getting the most severe NC-17 rating because it's the kiss of death at the box office. Industry insiders think the ratings board will have to add a new category.

"The R becomes the hard intense stuff and there would be another PG-15 or PG-16," Gray said.

In the meantime, it's up to parents to be vigilant.