PG13 (abbr.): Let the rating be your guide

When it comes to catching a flick, ratings remain a big consideration: they tell us how much violence, sex and swear words we can expect in a film, generally ensuring we don’t mistake Monster for, say, Monsters Inc. For many of us, the sweet spot is PG13, the rating for movies containing content that falls somewhere between The SpongeBob Movie and Silence of the Lambs. Here we explore PG13—what it is, why it started and what it means in Canada.

What Is PG13?

Part of the Motion Picture Association of America’s (MPAA) film rating system, PG13 describes a film that the MPAA has rated potentially inappropriate for children under 13 years old. In other words, the MPAA “strongly cautions” parents that some material in films rated PG13 may not be suitable for preteenagers.

How it Started

The MPAA (in partnership with the National Association of Theatre Owners and the International Film Importers and Distributors of America) introduced its motion picture rating system in the United States in 1968. Back then, the ratings included G for general audiences, M for mature audiences, R for restricted audiences (meaning anyone under 16 had to be accompanied by an adult) and X, which meant no one under 16 was allowed entry to the film. In 1972, they added a PG rating—parental guidance suggested.

It wasn’t until the mid 1980s that the MPAA found the need for another change. In 1984, the hit action film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, directed by Stephen Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, was released. The film, which includes a graphic scene that shows a man’s beating heart being ripped from his chest just before he is lowered headfirst into a pit of lava, was given a PG rating. Not surprisingly, many parents saw a problem with the family-friendly rating, and the MPAA received many complaints.

The controversy was reignited a few weeks later when Gremlins was released and also given a PG rating. On July 1, 1984, the MPAA introduced the PG13 rating to cover movies like the Temple of Doom and Gremlins, which may be acceptable for teens, but are not recommended for younger audiences.

The Canadian Equivalent

In Canada, we are used to seeing the MPAA’s rating system in American-made movie advertisements and trailers; however, we have our own legislated motion picture rating systems in place.

Here, motion picture ratings are a provincial responsibility, but each province (except Quebec) uses the same rating categories: G for general audience, PG for parental guidance, 14A for 14 accompaniment, 18A for 18 accompaniment, R for restricted and A for adult. Canada’s 14A rating is most similar to PG13; it means anyone under 14 years old must be accompanied by an adult to see the film.

Not All Movies Are Rated Equal

Because each province is responsible for rating motion pictures, each has a provincial classification board. In Alberta, any movie that’s played in a theatre is first viewed and rated by the Alberta Film Classification Board.

Rating criteria varies by classification board, so the same movie sometimes ends up with different ratings depending on the province in which it is being shown. A recent -example is The Revenant, which was released in late 2015. The film, which stars Leo-nardo DiCaprio, was rated 14A in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Ontario and the Maritimes, but was rated 18A in -Manitoba.  t8n

Fun Fact

The first movie to be rated PG13 was Red Dawn in August of 1984. Red Dawn, starring Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen, is a war film directed by John Milius.

Did You Know?

According to Box Office Mojo, the highest grossing PG13 movie of all time is Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which brought in $936,121,518. The next highest are Avatar, Titanic and Jurassic World, respectively.