Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: G-rated movies that aren't "family fare"

This is topic G-rated movies that aren't "family fare" in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 07-18-2001, 03:24 PM:

Two Film-Techers hinted at this subject in another forum.

There have been quite a few non-kid, non-animated movies with G ratings in the past 3 years. Here's the list AFAIK with US distributor and release date:

Gone with the Wind (re-release), New Line, 6/98
The Winslow Boy, Sony Classics, 5/99
Buena Vista Social Club, Artisan, 6/99
The Straight Story, Disney/BV, 10/99
The Cup, Fine Line, 2/2000
Not One Less, Sony Classics, 3/2000
Calle 54, Miramax, 10/2000
A Hard Day's Night (re-release), Miramax, 12/2000
The Road Home, Sony Classics, 4/2001
The Princess Diaries, Disney/BV, 8/2001

Not One Less and The Road Home are from Sony's China studio (the same one that filmed Crouching Tiger). Buena Vista Social Club and Calle 54 are documentaries. Gone with the Wind had a highly publicized re-release and got megaplex bookings as a result.

Anyone willing to come up with other non-kid G-rated features?

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 07-18-2001, 03:41 PM:

>>The Princess Diaries, Disney/BV, 8/2001<<

You call this a 'non-kid/family' picture? it has 'Lets pack up the kids and check it out' written all over it, ala 'Parent Trap'!...

Another G-rated non-family title would be '2001: A Space Odyssey' (which probably even got its 'G' in its initial release in '68)
I also believe that the latest (several years ago) reissue of 'Casablanca' carried a G rating.

Aaron

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-18-2001, 06:53 PM:

"The Ten Commandments," along with GWTW, are my two favorite examples of non-kiddie G-rated films.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 07-18-2001, 10:36 PM:

Star Trek: The Motion Picture was released in 1979 with a G Rating...

Some may not be aware of this but when Star Wars was first rated it was G lucas did not like this because it was the kiss of death at the box office, so he shot and added the alien arm that was cut off in the cantina scene and resubmited it for a PG rating.

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 07-19-2001, 02:38 AM:

I always think they're too lenient when they decide to do ratings for movies that came out before ratings existed. "Gone With the Wind" has a guy getting shot, so it should at least get a PG for that, but I think someone might've been a little biased since this is already considered an all-time classic film. The "Pokemon" movies are pretty violent considering they're rated G, it's funny the "Digimon" movie got a PG rating probably because there's one questionable word in it- like they said in the "South Park" movie- horrific, deplorable violence is OK, just as long as no one says any naughty words!

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 07-19-2001, 11:25 AM:

Aaron S: Seen the trailer and poster for The Princess Diaries? Trailer gives no hint that the movie is rated G -- and Julie Andrews is prominent. Poster does likewise if you cover the MPAA rating in the bottom left corner.

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 07-19-2001, 02:12 PM:

The Great Waltz (1972) starring Horst Bucholz, and Mary Costa has a G rating.

It features:

Adultery
Blackmail
Illegit children, etc.

But no violence!

Also, no audience interest, but, we won't go there.

Posted by Greg Anderson (Member # 235) on 07-19-2001, 03:38 PM:

People often complain about the inconsistency in the way films are rated today, but there's no question that the ratings were far less consistent in the first decade of the letter-coded, MPAA ratings system. The original Planet of the Apes was rated G despite nudity in the movie (back-side nudity, but nudity nevertheless).

One of the problems with the MPAA system is that films are never re-rated. There's no question that Blazing Saddles would not receive an R rating today but I wonder if it would be rated PG-13 by today's standards or an even more mild PG.

Because films like Gone with the Wind were made at a time when all films were supposed to be safe for everyone to watch, perhaps the MPAA members didn't think twice about giving those films G ratings in the late 1960s (when the ratings system came into being). And, since those films have remained unchanged for more than 30 years, the MPAA feels no need to re-rate them to conform to more current sensibilities. It seems that the PG-13 rating was invented specifically because of complaints that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins were too intense for a PG rating. The new rating was invented within weeks of when those two films were released. Yet, those films continue to carry PG ratings because they've never been altered from their original versions for a theatrical re-release.

According to the rumors I heard, Star Trek: The Motion Picture was resubmitted for an MPAA rating because it has been re-cut for a new release this year. This seems unnecessary because, aparently, the new version will only be released on home video formats and not in theatres. At any rate, the new version (according to rumor) is, indeed, rated PG.

I remember a few years back when The Wild Bunch was restored and the MPAA wanted to give it an NC-17 rating because of the violence. But there was a question as to whether the "restored" version was exactly the same as a version which had originally received an R rating... and if that were true then the filmmakers would not be required to run their film past the MPAA again.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 07-19-2001, 04:11 PM:

Greg said: "One of the problems with the MPAA system is that films are never re-rated. There's no question that Blazing
Saddles would not receive an R rating today but I wonder if it would be rated PG-13 by today's standards or an
even more mild PG."

AFAIK, movies can be, and have been, resubmitted to the MPAA Classification and Rating Administration (CARA) for re-rating:
http://www.filmratings.com/

Here are the symbols used on their website:

#
Production Company
+
Appeal
-
Re-rating
=
Rating Revoked
s
Rating Surrendered
*
Re-issue
**
Edited Version
***
Edited for Re-rating
o
Rating Symbol
Changed

I recall that Bob Maar once wrote that he served as a CARA evaluator. Perhaps he can provide some insight into the process.

------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Posted by Paul Turner (Member # 832) on 07-19-2001, 06:39 PM:

"The Cup" 1999. Still one of my favorite films of the year.

So it's Easter Sunday and we're playing "The Cup" for an afternoon show. Just before showtime, about half a dozen cars pull up in front of the theater. All these people in their Sunday best of all ages unload from the cars. Being a little suspicious that the local paper, once again, managed to screw up the ad, I asked the first customer, "You're here to see The Cup?"

"Yep."

"You know this is a subtitled Tibetian film?"

"Yep."

"You know it deals with life in a Bhuddist monistary?"

"Yep. It happens to be the only G rated film in town."

Too cool. I sell them tickets and they do a fair amount of grazing at the snack bar. Show time! Now, the print I recived looked like it was made out of pieces of, say, 900 other prints: Colours changed between reels, subtitles were dropped from some places, slicing sometimes looked a little like "Requim for a Dream." So, with everything comfortably on the screen (and a few minutes before the next splice-ridden reel rolls), I wander into the auditorium to ck out audience reaction. Everyone was really enjoying it. So, I look at the screen and there is the phrase, " . . . . because the Americans are scard shitless of China . . . ." Oddly enough, I never noticed that when I screened the film. Silly me.

Oops. Made damn sure that G rating ran at the end of the film. When it was over, I parked myself in the snack bar ready for any comments that might be coming my way. The guy who bought the first ticket stopped, shook my hand, and thanked me for bringing such a delightful film to Corvallis. Sometimes you do win . . . .

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 07-19-2001, 06:45 PM:

Paul T: Thanks for mentioning The Cup -- I missed that one! Would have seen it except Fine Line mishandled it.

Have edited my original post to include that title.

Posted by Greg Anderson (Member # 235) on 07-19-2001, 07:00 PM:

I guess I didn't write that very well, John. What I meant (and what I understand) is that a film is never re-rated unless the film is changed from the version which the MPAA already assigned a rating to. The exception (as I understand) is when an assigned rating is successfully appealed, and that usually happens long before public screenings.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 07-20-2001, 01:28 AM:

a lot of film makers use the ratings classification board to see what they can get away with in a film....pushing the limits and editing down to get the R rating...Like Scarface took 3 tries to get the R rating. Once the chainsaw scene was edited down and 75 f-words were removed they got the R rating....Filmmakerts do not have to submit their films for ratings but it is standard practice to do so...I do not know what they may have edited into the first star trek movie but if you remember 12 mins. were added to it when it was relesed onto video the first time. The rating stayed as a G at the time and probably will this time if nothing more was added. To be honest it does not need to be any longer than it is.

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 07-20-2001, 08:15 AM:

Wait- so a movie with the "S" word got a G rating???

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-20-2001, 01:15 PM:

Charles said:

quote:
Aaron S: Seen the trailer and poster for The Princess Diaries? Trailer gives no hint that the movie is rated G -- and Julie Andrews is prominent

The trailer we have has the G rating on the green MPAA header. Also Julie Andrews in a Disney movie pretty much "screams" G rating.

Posted by Paul Turner (Member # 832) on 07-20-2001, 01:32 PM:

My version of "The Cup" went something like this: "Who are you rooting for, the French or the Americans?" "The French because the Americans are scard shitless of the Chinese." (The scene was between two boys in a monostary which is in India in exile from Tibet, discussing the upcoming soccor play-offs -- obviously referencing the Americans' lack of action toward China when China took over Tibet) My partner in crime remebers this as I do. My guess is that my print, which was a mess obviously made of several prints, had a reel or part of a reel of film that was in a different version. It might even have been a hunk of something left on the editing room floor from the cut to make it G ("Hey Jim. Yeah, this bozo in Corvallis needs a print but reel three is toast. Ya got somethin' laying around we can toss in the film can? It don't have to be pretty. Ain't like it's a real theater. It's one of them, you know, homo art houses . . . "). The G rating tail was spliced on so I had to look up the movie on IMDB.com to make sure it was a G. Being a small theater out in the sticks, I often get the "leftovers" from distribution. This print was barely playable so I'd be curious to see if this print was recycled after I played it.

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 07-21-2001, 07:32 AM:

What is that hmmmmm...

Isn't there a Chevy Chase Movie that has one F Word that got a PG rating..

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 07-21-2001, 09:20 AM:

Mike B: Thanks for the heads-up on the green band.

I saw the Princess Diaries trailer in front of The Luzhin Defence (arthouse movie) at the AMC Empire in NYC. As always, AMC cuts off the green bands on trailers.

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 07-22-2001, 04:54 AM:

You can have the F-word a certain number of times, I've heard it in PG movies at least made before PG-13 came out like "16 Candles". I heard if it's said more than 3 times than it gets an R rating; a few movies have had dialogue changed taking the word out in order to get a PG-13 instead of an R.

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 07-22-2001, 04:57 AM:

F---, I almost forgot!

One movie where the rule I stated clearly doesn't apply is "All the President's Men". It's rated PG and says this word several times more than 3, so I do have to scratch my head on that one a little bit. It's never used in a sexual manner, only as slang, and there's no sex or violent content in the movie so that may have had something to do with it. Still I've heard of more recent films having to drop a few uses of it to get less than an R rating.

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 07-22-2001, 07:34 AM:

As far as I can tell in the UK a single use of the F word gets a "12" rating. and multiple uses gets a "15" rating.

It appears that All the President's Men is rated PG in the USA and "15" over here.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-23-2001, 01:45 PM:

Supposedly you can get away with several "F"s if it isn't used sexually. I remember the movie "Tootsie" had Dustin Hoffman saying "F--- You" to Bill Murray two or three times in a row.

I personally wish they would stop it. PG-13 is really the new PG these days.....people get more upset about that one word than just about anything else, at least around here.

Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 07-24-2001, 06:06 AM:

yep, Tootsie another film rated USA PG and UK 15.

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 07-25-2001, 12:08 PM:

When I attended cara (code and rating administration)screening it was when the system was just beginning. The Ratings were G,GP,R and X. It was later changed from GP to PG and then PG-13. Before the screening the Director or Producer and the Distribution would address the audience. They would give a brief synopsis of what we were about to see. The chairman of the committee whoud pass out a sheet of paper with the title of the picture and some of the credits of the picture and a place to submit comments and place our opinion on the rating. There would be some discussion with the audience after the show and there was coffee and soft drinks.

I would watch nudity and language when voting my choice.

Semper Fi.....

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 07-25-2001, 11:42 PM:

Don't forget the "M" rating!

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 09-07-2001, 07:40 PM:

Add another G-rated movie that's not "family fare":

Funny Girl -- the Barbra Streisand musical. It's been restored by Sony (roadshow version, 6-track stereo) and is now playing at the Ziegfeld in NYC. No 70mm, though.

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 04-10-2002, 06:08 PM:

Add another picture to this list . . .

The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Adventure. This documentary was released by Cowboy Pictures last fall and might still be playing in non-metro areas AFAIK.

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 05-29-2003, 05:11 PM:

Two more for the list -- and they're both documentaries:

Spellbound (about the National Spelling Bee). Produced for HBO, picked up by ThinkFilm, opened strongly at the Film Forum in NYC. Now rolling out nationwide.

Winged Migration (birds of all species). Opened at the Paris Theatre in NYC last month, hit the top 20 on its national arthouse break (Memorial Day). The UA Union Square and suburban NYC arthouses start this film tomorrow.