ratings for movies meaning

MSU Extension Child & Family Development

Kendra Moyses , Michigan State University Extension - September 27, 2017

Learn what movie ratings mean and how to use them to choose movies for your children.

You may be surprised to find out that the movie ratings given to current movies were originally designed by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) back in 1968. The current rating system we use was created in response to a previous self-censorship system that was created in 1922, known as the Hays Code, when the MPAA was founded and led by William Hays. The Hays Code was developed to ensure the absence of “offensive material” and prevent government interference in filmmaking.

The current rating system we have in the United States is voluntary and requires a fee for having material go through the rating process. The rating process is handled by the Classifications and Ratings Administration (CARA) by a rating board that is made up of a group of independent parents that is charged with giving ratings to films that “give parents clear, concise information about a films content, in order to help them determine whether a movie is suitable for their children,” according to a CARA brochure

During the rating process, the rating board considers things like language, sex, violence, drug use and other situations that might concern most parents. The ratings board tries to reflect what they think the majority of other parents would give the film in ratings.

Ratings are not designed to indicate that films are appropriate or inappropriate, they are simply a way of saying what kind of content is included in the movie to give parents a chance to make informed decisions on what they are allowing their children to watch. When you are looking at ratings, look at the three parts included in a rating.

What do the movie ratings mean? Take a look below at the information offered from CARA .

G: General Audiences, All Ages Admitted. Contains nothing in theme, language, nudity, sex, violence or other matters that the in-view of the Rating Board would offend parents whose younger children view the motion picture. It’s important to note that a “G” rating does not automatically make the movie a children’s movie or is an approval of the movie for children.

PG: Parental Guidance Suggested, Some Material May Not Be Suitable for Children. The film should be investigated further by parents. There may be some content such as language, violence or brief nudity, but they aren’t so intense that more than guidance is suggested. Remember, the content will vary with each movie, so check the specific movie rating for the film you are researching.

PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned, Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13. This rating is a stronger caution for parents that content included may not be appropriate for children under 13 (pre-teen ages). This may include stronger language, extended violence or sexual situations and drug-use. Remember, the content will vary with each movie, so check the specific movie rating for the film you are researching.

R: Restricted, Children Under 17 Require Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian. This rating means the film contains adult material such as adult activity, harsh language, intense graphic violence, drug abuse and nudity. Most theaters have their own policies regarding R rated movies and some include checking IDs of those who look under 17 purchasing tickets, allowing only parents to purchase tickets and accompany those under 17 into the movie, or just stating it has to be an adult guardian (not necessarily a parent) and that guardian has to purchase the tickets and accompany under 17 ages the entire time. Check with your theater on the policies and other parents about what you will allow your children to watch.

NC-17: No One 17 and Under Admitted. These films are too adult for children. The rating doesn’t mean that they are obscene or pornographic, but that the content is only appropriate for adult audiences.

Michigan State University Extension suggests doing the following when you are reviewing movie ratings.

For more resources related to movie ratings, check out these websites:

To learn about the positive impact children and families experience due to MSU Extension programs, read our 2016 Impact Report . Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways Michigan 4-H and MSU Extension positively impacted individuals and communities in 2016, can be downloaded from the Michigan 4-H website .

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension . For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu . To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters . To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts , or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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The Film Rating System

Empowering families to make informed movie choices.

Visit FilmRatings.com for more information.

General Audiences: G - All ages admitted. Nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children

Atlas Cinemas Policy: Infants are only permitted into G and PG rated features, and must be held.

Parental Guidance Suggested: PG - Some material may not be suitable for children. Parents urged to give parental guidance. May contain some material parents might not like for their young children.

PG - Parental Guidance Suggested: PG - Some material may not be suitable for children. Parents urged to give parental guidance. May contain some material parents might not like for their young children.

Parental Strongly Cautioned: PG-13 - Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13. Parents are urged to be cautious. Some material may not be appropriate for pre-teenagers.

Atlas Cinemas Policy: Infants are NOT permitted into PG-13 and R rated features.

Restricted: R - Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. Contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them.

Atlas Cinemas Policy: Children under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian over the age of 21 for R-rated movies. I.D. is required for proof of age. Children under 6 years of age are not permitted into R-rated features at all.

Other labels: 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. Uncut/extended versions of films that are labeled "Unrated" also contain warnings saying that the uncut version of the film contains content that differs from the theatrical release and might not be suitable for minors.

If a film has not yet been assigned a final rating, the label This Film Is Not Yet Rated is used in trailers and television commercials.

What Do Movie Ratings Mean?

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 “pornographic” 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

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Film Ratings

Informing parents since 1968.

Ratings are determined by the Classification and Ratings Administration (CARA), via a board comprised of an independent group of parents. Follow @FilmRatings on Twitter for daily updates on film ratings.

Looking for more information on how the film rating system works? Check out FilmRatings.com to learn the history of the film rating program, and to download additional film rating resources.

The History of the Ratings

Established by Motion Picture Association in 1968, the rating system was created to help parents make informed viewing choices for their children. Learn the facts, history, and evolution behind more than 50 years of ratings.

Understanding Film Ratings

Looking for more information on how the film ratings system works? Check out FilmRatings.com to learn the history of the film ratings program, and to download additional film ratings resources.

Submit a  Film for Rating

Are you a filmmaker looking to have your film rated? Start the submission process with the Classification and Rating Administration.

Ratings Guide

Not sure what each rating means? Check out our interactive guide:

General Audiences

Parental  guidance suggested, parents strongly cautioned, no one 17 and under admitted, sign up for updates.

To stay up to date with the Motion Picture Association, please sign up for our newsletter.

The movie ratings, by definition

What those letters and numbers mean.

Here's what each rating means, according to the Motion Picture Association of America:

¦ 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. Depictions of violence are minimal. No nudity, sex scenes or drug use are present.

¦ 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. There may be some brief 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. This 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 may not be suited for them. A PG-13 motion picture may go beyond the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, adult activities, but does not reach the restricted R category. Any drug use will require at least a PG-13 rating. More than brief nudity will require at least a PG-13 rating. There may be depictions of violence, but generally not both realistic and extreme or persistent violence. The single use of one of the harsher sexually derived words, though only as an expletive, requires at least a PG-13 rating.

¦ R. Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. An R-rated motion picture, in the view of the board, contains some adult material. The film 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. Generally, it is not considered appropriate for parents to bring their young children with them.

¦ 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. It does not mean "obscene" or "pornographic" 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.

The First Amendment Encyclopedia

Presented by the john seigenthaler chair of excellence in first amendment studies.

Encyclopedia Table of Contents | Case Collections | Academic Freedom | Recent News

Motion Picture Ratings

The First Amendment limits the degree to which governments can censor or ban movies. In 1968 the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) established a system of movie ratings for parents to use as a guide to determine the appropriateness of a film’s content for children and teenagers. The ratings system is voluntary, and there is no legal requirement that filmmakers submit their films for rating. Director Steven Spielberg was responsible for the PG-13 after his movies Jaws and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom were rated PG. Spielberg felt that the PG rating was too broad for the violence in these movies and suggested a PG-14 rating. In this photo, Spielberg poses with alien character E.T. in London, Dec. 1982. (AP Photo/Press Association, used with permission from the Associated Press)

The First Amendment limits the degree to which governments can censor or ban movies. In 1968 the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) established a system of movie ratings for parents to use as a guide to determine the appropriateness of a film’s content for children and teenagers. The ratings system is voluntary, and there is no legal requirement that filmmakers submit their films for rating. However, there are potentially significant economic sanctions for those filmmakers unwilling to accept the ratings system. For example, many theater chains will not run films without ratings, and numerous publications will not run ads for unrated films.

MPAA ratings replaced the Hay's Production Code

The MPAA rating system replaced the older Hay’s Production Code, used from the 1930s through 1966, in which the U.S. motion picture industry had adopted a policy of self-censorship. The Production Code listed specifics about what would not be permitted in films and a vague imperative that films should not lower the moral standards of viewers.

There were several reasons why the Production Code was replaced, including a 1968 opinion in Interstate Circuit, Inc. v Dallas , in which the Supreme Court forbade local governments from banning movies shown to adults but permitted officials to pass laws preventing children from being exposed to certain material. In addition, as the hierarchical studio system died, studios executives lost their iron grip over the content of films, which made the Production Code unenforceable. Finally, the social norms of the 1960s allowed for more candid depictions of adult matter, and during this period there was a greater acceptance of more explicit degrees of nudity, sexuality, and violence.

MPAA has five rating categories

The new ratings system began with four categories: G (general audiences), M (mature audiences, changed in 1969 to PG, parental guidance suggested), R (restricted, no children under 17 allowed without parents or adult guardians), and X (no one under 17 admitted). The ratings were revised several times over the years, to include in 1984 a new PG-13 label, and in 1990 a new NC-17 rating (which stands for no one 17 and under admitted). The NC-17 rating replaced the X rating, which came to signify pornography .

MPAA Board has been mired in controversy

Since its inception, the Ratings Board of the MPAA—an eleven-member board made up of parents who are not employed by the entertainment industry—has been mired in controversy. The board has been accused of being more lenient to major studios, granting them more acceptable ratings compared to those given to independent and foreign films. The board is charged with considering a given film in its entirety, rather than taking questionable scenes out of context, but additional charges have been made that the Ratings Board looks more harshly on individual depictions of sexuality and nudity than on violence. There is an appeals system for studios who want to contest a rating.

This article was originally published in 2009. Douglas C. Dow, Ph.D., is a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas specializing in political theory, public law, legal theory and history, and American politics.

Interested in First Amendment current events?

Douglas C. Dow. 2009. Motion Picture Ratings [electronic resource] . The First Amendment Encyclopedia, Middle Tennessee State University (accessed Mar 10, 2023). http://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1247/motion-picture-ratings

What do movie ratings mean, and who applies them?

President and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Dan Glickman.

The movie rating system used in the United States was created in 1968, as a replacement to the Hays Production Code. The Hays Production Code simply gave the Production Code Administration's approval or disapproval of a movie, without any gradation to describe the movie's content. The arrival of more and more wide-appeal movies containing adult content led the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), in conjunction with the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) and the International Film Importers & Distributors of America (IFIDA), to devise a new rating system to help parents protect their children from mature material. The rating system originally consisted of four ratings and now includes five.

The body that assigns these ratings is the Rating Board, located in Los Angeles. The Rating Board consists of eight to 13 full-time members and is part of the Classification and Rating Administration . The president of the MPAA chooses the chairman of the Rating Board but has no say over the board's decisions. Board members come from a variety of backgrounds, but they all have some parenting experience so they can look at movies with a parent's perspective. Members of the board view each film submitted for a rating, estimate the appropriate rating individually, discuss their thoughts as a group and vote on what rating the film should receive. The board also provides the producer of the film with an explanation of its decision, if the producer requests one. If the producer isn't happy with the rating the film receives, he can re-edit the film and resubmit it for rating, or he can appeal the board's decision. In this case, the Appeals Board, which consists of 14 to 18 movie industry professionals, hears both sides of the argument and votes on whether to overturn the decision. A rating can only be overturned by a two-thirds majority vote.

The rating process is largely subjective and is ever evolving. A Policy Review Committee comprising MPAA and NATO officials monitors the Review Board and provides guidelines to follow when rating movies. At this time, the Rating Board rates movies as follows:

This rating process is entirely optional; no filmmaker is required to submit her film for a CARA rating. Most filmmakers do because most movie theaters in the United States use the ratings system, and it's harder to get them to show a movie if it's not rated. Filmmakers who do not submit their movies to the Rating Board are free to release their movie unrated or to apply any other rating system. They cannot use any of the above ratings, however, as they are trademarked. CARA is not associated with the U.S. government, and its film ratings have no legal meaning.

This rating system is used when movies come out in theaters and when they are released on video. It is intended only for use in the United States. Rating organizations in other countries apply their own ratings to U.S. movies, and the Rating Board rates submitted foreign movies with its system, disregarding the film's rating in any other country.

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Originally Published: Sep 13, 2000

Movie Ratings FAQ

What are the five movie ratings, is nc-17 worse than r, can a 11-year-old watch a pg movie, why is an nc-17 rating bad, what is pg-13.

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COMMENTS

Motion Picture Association film rating system
The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain
What do movie ratings mean?
Ratings are not designed to indicate that films are appropriate or inappropriate, they are simply a way of saying what kind of content is
The Film Rating System
PG - Parental Guidance Suggested: PG - Some material may not be suitable for children. Parents urged to give parental guidance. May contain some material
Definition of Movie Ratings: G, PG, PG-13, R, NC-17
What Do Movie Ratings Mean? · G — General Audiences. All Ages Admitted. · PG — Parental Guidance Suggested. Some Material May Not Be Suitable For Children. · PG-13
TV and Movie Ratings with Descriptions
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
Film Ratings
Established in 1968, the film rating system provides parents with the information needed to determine if a film is appropriate for their children.
The movie ratings, by definition
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
Motion Picture Ratings
MPAA has five rating categories ... The new ratings system began with four categories: G (general audiences), M (mature audiences, changed in 1969 to PG, parental
CLASSIFICATION AND RATING ADMINISTRATION
Each of the designated ratings is defined as follows under the Motion Picture Classification and Rating program. G: GENERAL AUDIENCES. All ages admitted.
What do movie ratings mean, and who applies them?
The movie rating system used in the United States was created in 1968, as a replacement to the Hays Production Code. The Hays Production Code simply gave