MovieChat Forums > Flashdance (1983) Discussion > Why Wasn't It Rated PG?

Why Wasn't It Rated PG?

posted 2 years ago by TMC-4 (19408)
2 replies | jump to latest

Aside from about a dozen or so uses of the word "fuck" (only a couple that would have required an "R" rating because they were referring to the actual sex act), why did this movie receive an "R" rating? Did the producers target an R rating because it gave the movie a certain "racy" cache?

If they were really trying to target the 12-17 MTV/Duran Duran/Culture Club-loving teens of 1983, WHY did they insist on keeping that scene in the strip club (where Sunny Johnson is slithering around half-naked) because it certainly guaranteed an R rating? If it had been a PG-rated movie, it probably would have made double the box office, especially with all of the heavy MTV play of the two videos?

[–] Mustang (5214) 2 years ago

It was the 80's a lot of films had nudity it was almost mandatory. Maybe the films backers felt it needed the nudity or they really wanted to contrast the titty bar with the unlikely artsy workers bar where the women just dance?

[–] huwdj (4562) 2 years ago

The film was a huge hit as it was and it's not a teen movie anyway - they probably would have cast differently if that was the market. I'm also wondering how much that rating helped drive video sales afterwards as well.