MovieChat Forums > I Capture the Castle (2003) Discussion > Why is this movie rated 'R' in the US?! ...

Why is this movie rated 'R' in the US?! ...and opinion.

posted 21 years ago by JackMercy
69 replies | jump to latest

Saw the film in the UK recently, rated PG, for some 'coming-of-age' themes and I'm presuming the one short shot of Tara Fitzgerald nude. Although they could have pulled off the feeling without this shot, I understand its effect. This film is clearly aimed at a teenage and older audience, and there were many in the audience I viewed the film with, most of whom I think could understand the notion of Fitzgerald's character and her... art.

My point is, this film should not suffer an R rating in the US because of this one shot -- the distributor/ratings board once again adhering to double standards for women (you don't see her bottom half, only her breasts). I've seen much *much* more graphic things in shot and context in many PG-13 movies lately! TPTB are thereby bypassing the exact audience the film would work best for, and is indeed aimed at, I believe.

Saw the film myself and loved it, and really appreciated that the ending is not predictable, but yet offers hope. This is a film teens need to see to tell them that everything is not dark and disheveled in this world. I have been already following Ramola Garai, whom I think will be around for a long, long time. Good actress, great in the film. See her also in Daniel Derronda, stellar performance for a 21 year-old.

Though can someone explain to me the implications of the title itself? I'm not familiar with the book.

Yours,
JM

[–] mezobromelia 14 years ago

I agree that it is stupid to rate this movie 'R'. I would much rather see a naked body than people being killed and blood spraying everywhere, but here in the US we are rather stupid about things like that.

I mean, it wasn't even nudity in a sexual situation...

I've heard it both ways

[–] deliane 14 years ago

.. just saw the film for the first time-

and I wonder whether the rating is due to the scenes showing/treating the 'cake knife' fight between the Mortmain parents- ? alcoholic rage, prison sentence- not easy topics for children, perhaps-

[–] 2sweetkids 14 years ago

Producers KNOW which things will make which ratings...nudity, certain profanity, etc. If they put it in = R rating. If they don't want it R rated = Don't put it in. The movie will be out in 4 months on dvd (after being in the theatre) and then liberal parents can let their kids watch whatever they chose.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] keykeyx100000 13 years ago

The simple answer is this: Janet Jackson's nipple.

We're alright with blood, gore, teen on teen making out, scantly clad underage girls. We're one of the largest porn distributors. If a girl is being decapitated while she's topless it's all good. If she's dancing in the rain and it looks remotely sexual than it should be banned!

However, we are also one of the most prudish countries on Earth. We become skirmish when we see a flash or a nipple an call on federal regulation to monitor how many seconds of boobies and nudity is ok before we become skirmish once more.

It's sick and sad, but that's America for ya.

Personally, I think the nudity was just fine. I think if you asked most Americans they would be cool with it....but the people we elect also make the major decisions and let's face it: We elect the wrong people when it comes to just about everything.

[–] timlin-4 13 years ago

Tragic part is that her breasts were smaller than the average male's

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] meadowlark54 9 years ago

I'm an American and I completely ignore the MPAA ratings. I didn't even know this film was rated R until I found this thread. However, some people do consider film ratings when deciding whether to see a film or not, so I agree that an R rating is too harsh for this film. There's no violence to speak of, and very little nudity. There is one scene where Cassandra and Stephen are kissing and it looks like they're going to have sex, but before it happens Stephen realizes this isn't the right time and place. I don't know if that's what caused the R rating in the US or not, but I thought the scene was actually a good thing for teenagers to see; a couple of teens deciding NOT to have sex. They weren't married and she might have gotten pregnant. (Why she didn't fall in love with Stephen is beyond me, he was so gorgeous!)

Back to the ratings, I used to take my son to R rated films all the time, even before he was a teen. If it sounded like a good movie that I thought he would enjoy, I just took him, and since he was with me, an adult, he was allowed to see it. I didn't worry about him watching sex in a film, but then I was an unusual mom. He's a bright kid, and when he was 5 he asked me how women became pregnant and I decided to tell him. Why be so ashamed of it?? Unfortunately, many Americans tend to be uncomfortable talking to their kids about sex, and I guess that's because sex has somehow become associated with shame. I don't understand it, but there it is. I think that sexual repression in America is precisely the reason why we seem so obsessed with sex and nudity. We see scantily clad women in films, TV series, commercials, magazine covers and advertisements, everywhere. I find it annoying because you can't escape from it and it's a constant reminder of how messed up Americans are about sex. I have friends who dreaded explaining sex to their children. My husband told me that his father never said a word to him about sex, ever. He had to find out about it through his friends. I think it's silly to be so afraid to talk about sex with your children, but many people are. Perhaps that's the reason why so many Americans tend to look at a naked body on film and they automatically think of sex, whether the scene is about sex or not.