Inside Pulse Review – This Film is Not Yet Rated

Archive


Director:

Kirby Dick

Featuring:

Kirby Dick……….Himself
David Ansen……….Himself
Darren Aronofsky……….Himself
Wayne Kramer……….Himself
Maria Bello……….Herself
Atom Egoyan……….Himself
Rachel Blanchard……….Herself
Mary Harron……….Herself
Kimberly Peirce……….Herself
Kevin Smith……….Himself
Matt Stone……….Himself
John Waters……….Himself

IFC Films presents This Film is Not Yet Rated. Written by Dick, Eddie Schmidt and Matt Patterson. Not rated. Running time: 97 minutes.

This Film is Not Yet Rated, a guerrilla-filmmaking styled attack on the ratings of the MPAA, couldn’t have come at a better time. Why just last week a British television channel decided to remove scenes from two “Tom and Jerry” episodes, because a viewer thought a tomcat rolling a cigarette with one hand, then smoking it, could be seen as glamorizing the puff-puff pastime. So cartoon violence = good, while cartoon cigarettes = bad. Guess that person never saw the opening minutes of Mrs. Doubtfire.

Before going on a rant about censoring cartoons to appease one viewer – thank goodness that person didn’t complain about Porky Pig’s stuttering or Bugs Bunny’s transvestism – I’ll instead segue into my review.

The Motion Pictures Association of America is an institution with a lot of pull. When the Supreme Court ruled in 1915 that films were not covered by the first amendment, it laid the groundwork for the establishment of an organization that would set forth a number of guidelines that governed the production of American motion pictures. The guidelines would eventually be sent through the proverbial ringer, though, by directors Otto Preminger, Alfred Hitchcock, as well as the cultural shift during the 1960’s and 70’s.

Most of us know the letter ratings as they are today, and the assumptions that go with them. To some they help decide what is an appropriate movie for a family to see. Still, the decision is subjective. Tastes differentiate among different classes, social groups, and theatergoers. The MPAA stresses that the persons hired to rate movies represent the views of the American family. Yet, the people employed to watch movies all day are typically Caucasians in their late forties, early fifties, with teenage or college-aged children. We are supposed to believe their views would denote those of a single parent, or perhaps that of an African American family with two five-year-olds.

Since the MPAA is shrouded in a veil of anonymity, as its board members’ names and identities are withheld from public record, filmmaker Kirby Dick decided unconventional means were the best way to approach his documentary subject. He enlisted the help of two female private detectives to do surveillance and shadow executives in addition to those who actually spend each day watching and rating movies. What he found was an organization with strong ties to national theater chains and the clergy.

Dick isn’t the only one who is perturbed by the MPAA mystique. To elaborate on the distain felt by many within the industry he conducts interviews with a number of filmmakers, all of whom have had disagreements with the ratings board. Among the on-screen contributors are Kimberly Peirce (Boys Don’t Cry), Matt Stone (Team America: World Police), and Mary Harron (American Psycho). The directors originally received NC-17 ratings for their respective works and had to cut, trim or alter sections from their movies so that they could obtain the more respectable R rating.

An NC-17 rating is the kiss of death as far as major theatrical distribution is concerned. Such a movie will only be shown in art house theaters. This Film is Not Yet Rated astutely shows the methods by which certain movies receive an R, while others will not allow children under the age of 17 no matter what. The juxtaposition Dick does with the movies that pass for an R and an NC-17 (i.e., Scary Movie gets an R despite scenes of strong sexuality, while The Cooler gets an NC-17 just for a quick peep at Maria Bello’s pubic hair) is quite a revelation.

We are also given a quick history lesson about the evolution of the MPAA with Jack Valenti as the organization’s figurehead. But the meat of the doc is how the group has a prevailing bias against independent features and non-established filmmakers.

Through archived clips from morning talk shows we see Valenti, once power wielder, as a man who consistently loses focus. In one interview he said most of the films that get an NC-17 rating has to do with violence. However, the graphic subsequent to his remark disputes his claim:

“In fact, nearly four times as many films received an NC-17 for sex as opposed to violence.” – WWW.MPAA.ORG

Violence sells, people. Avoid bloodshed and your film is granted a PG-13. If blood-filled debauchery is shot in black-and-white, the letter grade is R. In 1998, Saving Private Ryan re-defined movie violence with its realistic depiction of the D-Day invasion. If it weren’t for Steven Spielberg’s involvement, many speculate that it would have received an NC-17.

The leeway Spielberg is given because of his Hollywood standing is a total disservice to the rating process. Where young filmmakers have to jump through hoops dealing with the MPAA, those with clout can get as close to a free ride as one could expect. And it is that kind of disparity that will continue to exist with a ratings board that works in conjunction with the National Association of Theater Owners.

Travis Leamons is one of the Inside Pulse Originals and currently holds the position of Managing Editor at Inside Pulse Movies. He's told that the position is his until he's dead or if "The Boss" can find somebody better. I expect the best and I give the best. Here's the beer. Here's the entertainment. Now have fun. That's an order!