G: General Audiences

Contains nothing in theme, language, nudity and sex, violence, etc. which would, in the view of the Rating Board, be offensive to parents whose younger children view the film. Some snippets of language may go beyond polite conversation but they are common everyday expressions. No stronger words are present in G-rated films. The violence is at a minimum. Nudity and sex scenes are not present; nor is there any drug use content.

PG: Parental Guidance Suggested

The label PG states that parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, but the parent must make the decision. There may be some profanity in these films. There may be some violence or brief nudity. But these elements are not deemed so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated film.

PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned

A PG-13 film leaps beyond the boundaries of the PG rating in theme, violence, nudity, sensuality, language, or other contents, but does not quite fit within the restricted R category. Any drug use content will initially require at least a PG-13 rating. In effect, the PG-13 cautions parents with more stringency than usual to give special attention to this film before they allow their 12-year olds and younger to attend.

R: Restricted

An R-rated film contains adult material. Parents are strongly urged to find out more about an R-rated film before they allow their children to accompany them. An R-rated film may include hard language, or tough violence, or nudity within sensual scenes, or drug abuse or other elements, or a combination of some of the above, so that parents are counseled, in advance, to take this advisory rating very seriously.

NC-17: No one 17 or Under Admitted

This rating declares that the Rating Board believes that this is a film that most parents will consider patently too adult for their youngsters under 17. No children will be admitted. The reasons for the application of an NC-17 rating can be violence or sex or aberrational behavior or drug abuse or any other elements which most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children.

The Motion Picture Association of America's ratings system was created by MPAA president Jack Valenti to serve as a cautionary guide for parents. It is not intended to approve or disapprove of a film's content, but simply to provide information about the film's content, so that parents may make informed decisions about the moviegoing habits of their children.

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