An informal survey of 5 parents revealed that at least 4 of the 5 had allowed a child under the age of 13 to watch an R-rated movie on cable or DVD (the fifth parent could not recall whether any of the films their child watched before age 13 had been rated “R”).
We found it interesting was that all of the films were older films, and none were seen in a movie theater. Among the films parents allowed their pre-teens to watch were The Rock, Not Another Teen Movie (featuring a cameo appearance by Perspectives’ own Paul Goebel), Animal House, Beverly Hills Cop, The Breakfast Club, Caddyshack, Air Force One, Sudden Death, Judge Dredd, Timecop, and Starship Troopers. All of the parents surveyed commented on how much standards had changed and wondered if those films would earn an R rating if released in their current state into today’s market.
We recognize that each household has its own criteria for determining what is appropriate entertainment, and clearly much depends on the maturity level of the individual child.
What films have you, as a parent, decided were too harshly judged by the MPAA? Do you disagree with the choices of these 5 parents? Please share your thoughts below.