I remember the old posters that used to hang in movie theater lobbies explaining the Motion Picture Association of America ratings system to patrons-a vertical ladder of movie ratings G through NC-17 accompanied by cartoon renditions of the appropriate audiences for each.
As the ratings became more restrictive, the cheerful cartoon moviegoers slowly dropped out of frame until all that was left for NC-17 were the vaguely creepy bunny rabbit (who for some reason was wearing sunglasses to a movie) the adult couple beaming with excitement, and finally the loner male 20-something. An odd collective to say the least, but sadly not an accurate one. Virtually no one is seeing NC-17 movies today.
While the NC-17 rating has been kept in use by the MPAA since it was introduced in 1990 as a replacement for the infamous X rating, in the last 10 years only about 20 movies have been awarded the NC-17 rating from the MPAA and kept it. The vast majority of movies that are branded with a NC-17 rating inevitably end up undergoing extensive cuts in order to finally fetch an ‘R' rating. The reason these edits are so inescapable is the absurd stigma attached to any film brandishing an NC-17 rating.
Previously, the rating was an implicit death certificate for box office potential. While NC-17 was created in an attempt to dodge some of the stigma ingrained in the iconic X rating, in practice little was achieved. Media outlets still refused to run ads for NC-17 content. Essentially every major theater chain refused to screen NC-17 films, leaving only small art house theaters as a distribution channel. Even bygone rental giants Blockbuster and Hollywood Video refused to stock NC-17 movies, severely limiting such films' availability, even after their release.
Last year "Blue Valentine" received the dreaded NC-17 because of a scene in which Ryan Gosling performs oral sex on Michelle Williams, but distributor The Weinstein Company fought tooth and nail in an appeal to receive an R rating instead without making any cuts.
Thankfully, the Weinsteins won that round and audiences were free to experience the phenomenal piece of cinema that is "Blue Valentine" as its director intended it. But in reality, this appeal was only further delaying the desperately necessary public discourse about changing the MPAA ratings system.
This year Fox Searchlight, the indie studio behind such low-budget breakout hits as "(500) Days of Summer," "Slumdog Millionaire," "Little Miss Sunshine," and "Juno," is finally aiming at causing some change in the American ratings landscape, even if it has to do it culturally rather than bureaucratically.
One of Fox Searchlight's most promising films on its winter lineup this year is the Steve McQueen flick "Shame" starring Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan. The film is about a 30-something yuppie sex addict (Fassbender) who can barely maintain control of his addiction as it is. When his younger sister (Mulligan) moves into his apartment, his life begins to spiral out of control.
The reviews coming out of the film's festival run have been overwhelmingly positive-with Fassbender even wining best actor at this year's Venice Film Festival. Naturally, the MPAA has branded "Shame" with those scarlet letters-NC-17.
But rather than follow in the steps of the Weinstein Company with "Blue Valentine," Fox Searchlight has decided to take a stand. The studio announced recently that it would be keeping the NC-17 rating for "Shame" and not submit it for an appeal. Fox Searchlight wants to finally make NC-17 a usable rating and it just might have the pull to do so.
Fox Searchlight has a reputation for spinning gold, frequently turning out low-budget indie hits that cross over into mainstream success. While in the past theaters mostly refused to show NC-17 films, such a significant distributor has never propositioned them in recent years either. And with the vast expanses of the Internet at their disposal, its success is that much more likely. Even if traditional print media are still wary of carrying NC-17 advertisements, the Internet can provide alternative advertising opportunities.
I have a feeling "Shame" will be setting records this December for number of screens reached by an NC-17 film. If Searchlight can get the ball rolling and build up enough buzz in limited release at smaller theaters, I don't think it's out of the realm of possibility that "Shame" could be playing at your local mainstream multiplex by Christmas-especially if there is strong awards buzz behind the film as seems likely.
I applaud Searchlight's initiative to try and fix a broken, illogical system that is hampering artistic vision in this country. While many commentators love to throw out suggestions for new ratings systems, this does little in the face of the entrenched bureaucracy of the notoriously conservative MPAA.
If you'd like a more in-depth explanation as to why it would be so difficult to change ratings on the MPAA side-such as instituting a double RR rating as director David Lynch has suggested, or a universal A for adult rating as critic Roger Ebert has advised-I recommend you check out the intriguing documentary "This Film Is Not Yet Rated," available for streaming on Netflix. The documentary sheds some much-needed light on the shadowy inner workings of the MPAA.
Do you think that the MPAA rating system is usable, or even liberal? Tell David your thoughts at dcottrell@wisc.edu.
