Michael B. answered • 11/30/24
Director, Actor, writer, Filmmaker with over 20 years of experience.
Question: How does certifying a movie work? Deciding if it will be realised as: U (for all) or P.G. Etc. Do we know anything (other than what you see on the back of a standard DVD case) about the different *areas* that are adjudicated? Is this documentation available to the public, for us to see?
Answer: If you are referring to the rating as the certification, it is done by the MPAA, Motion Picture Association of America. There are a number of different criteria that the MPAA uses to decide whether a film will be G for General audience, PG for Parental Guidance suggested, PG 13 which is more mature warning usually if there is significant violence or adult or sexual situations, and or 1 F-bomb. R is restricted for 17 and older, usually for sexual and or violent content, profanity, drug use, etc. The film is sent into the MPAA, a fee is paid and they review the film and determine the rating. If the Producer filmmaker wants to make a case for a rating different than the one MPAA determines, there is a means to object to the MPAAs decision and there are even instances when parts of films have been re-edited by filmmakers and studios to receive the desired rating.
