On November 1, 1968, a voluntary film rating system was announced. At first, it consisted of 4 ratings:

G - for General Audiences; all ages admitted;

M - for Mature Audiences - parental guidance suggested, but all ages admitted.

R - for Restricted Audiences - children under 16 would not be admitted without an accompanying parent or guardian, and

X - for no one under 17 admitted.

Hollywood being, if nothing else, commercial, didnt't take long to realize parents thought the M rating was stricter than the R; so the ratings were changed to GP - General Audience, parental guidance suggested. That was changed a year later to PG, and in 1984 PG was divided into two categories: PG and PG - 13. In 1990, the X rating was changed to NC - 17: No One 17 and Under Admitted. The rating system has stood the same since then, but how does it work and what do the labels mean?

There is a Board of Review that gives a rating on a movie not based on the movie's quality, but on the movie's content. The movie's content is not viewed in a vacuum, but as part of the whole. For instance, a verbal vulgarity will not give a movie a harsh rating if the vulgarity is deemed to be of common usuage, and it's use in the movie is not sexual in nature.

G: General Audiences - All Ages Admitted

This type of film can not contain a theme, language, nudity and sex, violence or other acts that would be offensive to parents whose younger children will watch the film. Nudity, sex and drug usuage are not in G rated movies.

PG: Parental Guidance Suggested. Some Material May Not Be Suited For Children

This type of film will more than likely contain some material that some parents consider unsuitable for their children. Parents are warned not to send their children to PG movies without understanding the content of that movie.

PG rated films may have some profanity, brief nudity and/or violence. There will not be, however, drug usuage in the film.

PG - 13: Parents Strongly Cautioned. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13

This is probably the least understood rating, and the most overlooked by parents. The label clearly warns parents to be careful about the attendance of their pre-teen children, yet most only see the numbers 13.

A PG - 13 rated film can have drug usuage, some nudity, sensuality, violence vulgar language or harsh theme. A film's use of a sexually vulgar word, in the context of an expletive is allowed in a PG -13 rated film. The same word used in a sexual connotation can be used if by a special vote, the Ratings Board feels the lesser rating would more reflective of the values of American parents.

R: Restricted, Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent Or Adult Guardian

This type of film may have extremely vulgar language, strong violence, nudity within sexual situations, drug abuse and other adults themes.

NC-17: No One 17 And Under Admitted

This rating is placed on a film when the ratings board feels most parents would consider that film patently too adult for teenagers. The film does not have to be "obscene or pornographic" as those words are understood by law. The ratings board just must feel the content of the film would be considered too strong for parents to consider allowing their children to see.


The question becomes "in whose eyes?" as far as content. Since every parent should want to raise their child with the same value system they possess, the rating system stands as a guide. Each parent should previously view or question the content of a film before allowing their child to view it. That is easier to do with a video or DVD rental or purchase than with a newly released theatrical movie. The rating system, and websites such as ours, should provide some guidance.