How does a movie earn a G, PG, PG-13, R or NC-17 rating? The Motion Picture Association of America has set the following standards for films in order to help parents determine if the content is acceptable for viewing.
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 snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are 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. A PG-rated motion picture should be investigated by parents before they let their younger children attend. The PG rating indicates, in the view of the Rating Board, that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, and parents should make that decision. The more mature themes in some PG-rated motion pictures may call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity and some depictions of violence 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-rated motion picture.
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. An R-rated motion picture, in the view of the Rating Board, contains some adult material. An R-rated motion picture may include adult themes, adult activity, hard language, intense or persistent violence, sexually-oriented nudity, drug abuse or other elements, so that parents are counseled to take this rating very seriously. Children under 17 are not allowed to attend R-rated motion pictures unaccompanied by a parent or adult guardian. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about R-rated motion pictures in determining their suitability for their children. Generally, it is not appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them to R-rated motion pictures.
NC-17 — No One 17 and Under Admitted. An NC-17 rated motion picture is one that, in the view of the Rating Board, most parents would consider patently too adult for their children 17 and under. No children will be admitted. NC-17 does not mean “obscene” or “p*rnographic” in the common or legal meaning of those words, and should not be construed as a negative judgment in any sense. 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.
Source: MPAA
FAQs
Rated G: General audiences – All ages admitted. Rated PG: Parental guidance suggested – Some material may not be suitable for children. Rated PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned – Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Rated R: Restricted – Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
What are the 5 movie ratings? ›
Movie (Film) Ratings
- G: General Audiences. This program is designed to be appropriate for all ages. ...
- PG: Parental Guidance Suggested. Parents are urged to give parental guidance. ...
- PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some material may not be suited for children under age 13. ...
- R: Restricted. ...
- NC-17: Clearly Adult.
no children under 17. . If a movie has the label NC-17, no one aged 17 or under is allowed to see it in a movie theater in the US. The movie was originally rated NC-17, before some cuts were made.
What does F mean in movie ratings? ›
The F-Rating is applied to all films which are directed by women and/or written by women. If the film ALSO has significant women on screen, it receives a TRIPLE F-Rating, our gold standard. The rating allows audiences to “vote with your seat” and proactively choose to go and see F-Rated films.
Can a 12 year old watch M-rated movies? ›
Films and computer games classified M (Mature) are not recommended for children under the age of 15. They can have content such as violence and themes that requires a mature outlook. Children under the age of 15 may legally access this content.
What do ratings numbers mean? ›
How Do Nielsen Ratings Work? A Nielsen rating goes by percentage. In regards to a national television show, such as something on NBC, if a program receives a Nielsen rating of 15, it means that 15 percent of the public participating in the ratings service watched the television show.
What does "s" mean in movie ratings? ›
The Content Labels
TV Parental Guidelines may have one or more letters added to the basic rating to let parents know when a show may contain violence, sex, adult language, or suggestive dialogue. D – suggestive dialogue (usually means talks about sex) L – coarse or crude language. S – sexual situations.
What does "rated nr" mean? ›
If a film has not been submitted for a rating or is an uncut version of a film that was submitted, the labels Not Rated (NR) or Unrated (UR) are often used.
What does rated R stand for? ›
R: RESTRICTED. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Why is Blonde NC-17? ›
Blonde's NC-17 rating generated a lot of buzz—especially about what it means for the film. The MPA cited “some sexual content” in giving the rating. In February, Blonde director Andrew Dominik told ScreenDaily that the movie will include a “graphic rape scene.” It is also said to feature a vagin*l point-of-view shot.
In the United States, the film was rated NC-17 for "nudity and erotic sexuality throughout, some graphic language, and sexual violence." Showgirls was the first (and to date only) NC-17-rated film to be given a wide release in mainstream theaters.
Why is it NC-17 and not NC 18? ›
NC-17 originally stood for "No Children Under 17 Admitted" to combat the misconception that the rating indicated a film was p*rnographic. In 1996, the MPA reworded the NC-17 rating to "No One 17 and Under Admitted", effectively raising the minimum age for admission from 17 to 18.
What does rated Z mean in movies? ›
History and terminology. The term "Z movie" arose in the mid-1960s as an informal description of certain unequivocally non-A films. It was soon adopted to characterize low-budget motion pictures with quality standards well below those of most B movies and even so-called C movies.
How many F bombs are in PG-13? ›
The restrictions set by the Us ratings board mean the F-word can only be used once in a PG-13 movie. Mark looks at its impact on films...
How many F words are allowed in Rated R? ›
The MPAA rating system typically assigns a PG-13 rating if a film contains the word used once not in the context of sex. The R rating is normally required if the film contains more than one utterance or if the word is used in a sexual context.
What is rated more than R? ›
The NC-17 rating is the highest rating (even higher than the R-rating) that a film can be given, and it means the movie is for adults only (ages 18 and older) and no one age 17 or younger will be admitted. This rating, prior to 1990, was previously rated X.
What does TV-MA LV mean? ›
TV-MA Mature Audience Only This program is specifically designed to be viewed by adults and therefore may be unsuitable for children under 17. This program contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), explicit sexual activity (S), or crude indecent language (L).
What is the difference between MA and R in movie rating system? ›
Rated R generally means some swearing, violence and minor sexual references. MA on the other hand could mean all of the above plus some very disturbing scenes and images. A good example is AMC series “Preacher”.
What does the R+ rating mean for movies? ›
This is the first rating that includes a strict rule: “Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian.” That means no one under 17 can watch an R-rated movie in a theater without having an adult with them. These movies might contain things like strong language, violence, scenes of sexual activity or drug use.
