I don't know why they gave this movie an "R" rating. They only said f. u. c. k. twice. Was it because they talked about pedophilia? Because, they only spoke of it. There was no physical descriptions of it at all. In fact it didn't even occur in the movie. If anything the movie should have been rated PG-13.
The gays are always getting screwed. :-(
If a movie contains f. u. c. k. more than one time, it must take the R rating
shareYou're absolutely right man. The MPAA always rates movies involving gay characters or produced by gays more harshly. Not too long watched a documentary on cable regarding the MPAA rating practices and it AIN'T consistent when it comes to "gay" and "straight" films.
---------------------------------------
"I don't love you enough to hate you!!"
What mrlpratt said.
The title of the documentary is "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" (2006).
• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493459/
It details the secretive processes and often homophobic attitudes of the ratings committee and the entire board.
If you decide to see this documentary, be prepared to be incensed — and I mean steam-from-the-ears, flames-from-the-eyes infuriated.
One of the things the documentary did was to show side-by-side clips of various scenes of similar activity; a straight couple kissing, a gay couple kissing; a straight couple in bed together (not having sex), a gay couple doing the same; etc, etc, (get it?). The film with the gay couple always got a rating at least one degree worse than the film with the straight couple.
The filmmakers also did some detective work and documented a number of homophobic inconsistencies in the policies and practices of the MPAA — and some outright lies in their claims of equity and of the composition of the membership of their ratings personnel*. The filmmakers further describe the board's secrecy (almost) to the level of paranoia and their "appeals" procedure, HEAVILY weighted in favor of the board.
*Among other things, the MPAA claims that their ratings board is made up of parents of young children. [BUZZ!] WRONG! The filmmakers detective work found that only one of the 6 members was the parent of a minor child; another member had no children at all and the other four had children in their 20s and 30s.
And yes: A film can squeak by with a 'PG-13' rating if it has only one use of the 'f'-word — if it has no LGBT characters.
***
Sic transit gloria mundi, sometimes Tuesday is worse.
***
You're right about the documentary but I don't remember them discussing homophobia. Remember--the leadership of the MPAA has changed since that came out. Also they HAVE relaxed on some homophobic rulings. It used to be that one gay kiss gave a film an automatic R rating. Now we're getting it in PG-13 films with no problem. Same with full frontal male nudity. That used to get an automatic X (or NC-17) slapped on a movie. Now it gets by with an R. And two instances of the work "*beep*" IS enough to give a film an R.
shareIt's been a while since I saw it, but you're right: I don't recall the filmmaker(s) using the word "homophobia". However, since the vast majority of their examples and comparisons were regarding the discrepancy between rating straight couples and gay couples doing the same things ....
Things may have been easing up even before the change in leadership: I suddenly remembered the PG-13 rating on "In & Out" (1997) and that included a gay kiss between Kevin Kline and Tom Selleck.
---
"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things,"
Of atoms, stars and nebulæ, of entropy and genes.
---
Yeah--and that was a llooonnnggggg kiss between Selleck and Kline:) Also "Big Eden" had quite a few man-on-man kissing scenes and that came out around 1996 AND also had a PG-13 rating! Let's face it--u can see gay kissing on TV now--look at "Modern Family" and "Torchwood".
Yeah--and that was a llooonnnggggg kiss between Selleck and Kline:)Yes, wasn't it?
Also "Big Eden"Surprising, that one. And as much as I liked that movie, it required SUCH a suspension of disbelief to accept the notion of such a bucolic community being so accepting.
LOL "Big Eden" I agree with u. It was SO unbelievable maybe that's why it got the PG-13. "torchwood" is British true--but it DOES play on American TV so i think it does count. And the recent episode where two guys share a passionate kiss (while one guy strips nude) WAS shot in America.
shareWell, I think I said (more than) enough about "Big Eden" on its own board.
If there's a new "Torchwood" — as in after the Children of Earth series — it must be on a channel that I don't get.
• HBO?
• ShowTime?
• CineMax?
I do remember a couple of the original "Torchwood" episodes where Capt Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) shared a great kiss with Capt John Hart (James Marsters). Apparently they'd been an item some time in their past, our future. Then there's the one where he and Hoshi found themselves in 1941 meeting the original Capt Jack Harkness, USAF.
---
"The time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk of many things,"
Of atoms, stars and nebulæ, of entropy and genes;
And whether one can bend space;
And why the spaceship shrinks.
---