When adapting the 2019 LGBTQ romantic novel Red, White & Royal Blue for the screen, Matthew Lopez was careful to circumvent an R-rating. The film has a handful of sex scenes that stop short of full-frontal nudity — there’s some bare butts and, naturally, shirtless men.

But it wasn’t enough. Red, White & Royal Blue was rated R, meaning people under 17 would need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian to see it.

Another recent film with LGBTQ leads, the French romantic drama Passages, received an even harsher NC-17 rating, which would restrict people under 18 from seeing the film at all, and also keep it from playing in certain theatres.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I think there is a reasonable argument for “appropriate for young children,” “appropriate for older children” and “appropriate for adults” as ratings. They don’t have to be adhered to strictly or anything, but having had a young child, knowing if a film is G or PG can make a difference, not to mention PG or R.

    • CobblerScholar@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Films should be thought provoking at times. “Whats that daddy/mommy?” Should often be a question asked after the movie ends. But it’s gotta be in doses, you can’t show a 6y/o kid all of the reasons a film is rated R all at once and expect them to process it enough to ask questions

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I’m not saying it’s a perfect solution and I agree with you, I’m just saying we need a way for parents to know if their 6-year-old is going to be seeing people fucking and chopping each other’s heads off before showing them to the movie.