Posted on 07/02/2006 1:23:07 PM PDT by Graybeard58
WASHINGTON -- A Christian-themed movie about a football coach's faith in God is finding an audience in Congress -- not so much for its inspirational message, but for the PG rating it received.
House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and other lawmakers are demanding explanations after hearing complaints that the movie "Facing the Giants" was rated PG instead of G due to religious content.
The Motion Picture Association of America claims the controversy arose from a miscommunication with the filmmakers. It says religion was not the reason for the rating.
"This incident raises the disquieting possibility that the MPAA considers exposure to Christian themes more dangerous for children than exposure to gratuitous sex and violence," Blunt said in a letter to MPAA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dan Glickman.
After meeting with MPAA officials, Blunt and a handful of other House members said they remain concerned about the subjective native of the ratings process.
"I'm not satisfied," said Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who attended the meeting with Blunt. "We probably will want to revisit this ratings process to have some commonality in the standards that exist for movies."
Blackburn said she wants the House Energy and Commerce Committee to hold hearings on the issue later this year.
Blunt also brought up a recent study by the Harvard School of Public Health that found that the MPAA standards on sex and violence in movies have been getting weaker.
"Mr. Blunt does continue to have questions about the process by which `Facing the Giants' was rated and what that says about ratings creep in general," spokeswoman Burson Taylor said Friday.
An MPAA spokesman did not return calls seeking comment. But in a letter to Blunt in June, the MPAA's Glickman insisted the rating for "Facing the Giants" was not based on religious content.
"Any strong or mature discussion of any subject matter results in at least a PG rating," Glickman said. "This movie had a mature discussion about pregnancy, for example. It also had other mature discussions that some parents might want to be aware of before taking their kids to see this movie."
A PG rating means parental guidance is suggested because the MPAA believes some material may not be suitable for children. A G rating means the MPAA has found the movie acceptable for all audiences.
Glickman said the movie's producers agreed with the rating and never appealed it.
The film's producers claim ratings officials changed their story after the controversy began.
"The first communication from the MPAA was that religion was a factor in the ratings," said Kris Fuhr, vice president of marketing at Provident Films, which is owned by Sony Pictures. "Since then, the MPAA has revised those factors to no longer include religion."
Fuhr says she is now satisfied with the rating and wants to move beyond the controversy to focus on marketing the film, billed as an inspirational drama about a high school football coach who relies on faith to battle fear and failure.
"He dares to challenge his players to believe God for the impossible on and off the field," the movie's Web site says.
"This incident raises the disquieting possibility that the MPAA considers exposure to Christian themes more dangerous for children than exposure to gratuitous sex and violence," Blunt said in a letter to MPAA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dan Glickman.
Do you need more evidence of this?
Let me just say that it is about time a movie had a mature discussion about pregnancy.
Without seeing the movie, I have no opinion on the rating except to say that I do agree that in general, ratings on sex and violence have been getting weaker over the years.
We are living in the age of insanity.
Yes.
Furthermore, there is simply no getting along with these libs. Anyone who tries to cooperate with them, Is The Enemy To Me!
This is to be expected:
Liberals and Lefties everywhere in America's institutions are trying to slowly but increasingly ban Christianity from America, from our site, from our discourse !
They have already succeded in banning any sign of Christianity from ourPublic Schools ! !
If THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST were released today for the first time, it would be slapped with an NC-17 rating !
Being 56 years old i never thought i would see America sink to the levels that it has!"Whorelywood"needs to be brought down to total bankruptcy.It amazes me to hear people say how bad the film industry is but always give in to it.You people need to quit giving in to weakness and going or letting your children and grandchildren drive you to take them to these sorry excuses for talent they call movies.Its something to see how great the old movies were and they did'nt have to use a single vile word or naked as* to sell it!
And what do you expect from left-wing anti-American fascist Democrats? If it were the Islamic religion, or Buddhism, or some others it would be rated G. The Dem-o-rats have declared war on Christians but it would seem that some Christians do not understand as with the left-wings support of terrorist over Israel which some Jews do not understand either.
> We are living in the age of insanity.
And this is different than the last 5,000 years of recorded history, how.....?
> They have already succeded in banning any sign of Christianity from ourPublic Schools ! !
Really. Strange, I've heard nothing about that.
> If THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST were released today for the first time, it would be slapped with an NC-17 rating !
As well it might. The level of violence and gore in "Passion" puts a Tarantino movie to shame.
>>> They have already succeded in banning any sign of Christianity from ourPublic Schools ! !
Really. Strange, I've heard nothing about that.
> If THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST were released today for the first time, it would be slapped with an NC-17 rating !
As well it might. The level of violence and gore in "Passion" puts a Tarantino movie to shame.<<
WE GOT A LIBERAL IN HERE !
Ah, the purging of Christianity from society....
Dan Glickman, I believe, was a cabinet member in the Clintooon administration. That should explain everything . . .
You are totally right. I am now in my seventh year of not seeing nor renting a Hollywood movie. And I don't miss them a bit.
The only thing these people understand is money. Don't give them yours.
Just trying to protect the kiddies, doncha know. Ratings Boards - they rate. No sense in getting our knickers in a twist about it.
"Dan Glickman, I believe, was a cabinet member in the Clintooon administration. That should explain everything . . ."
Thanks!
It does ... .
"The first communication from the MPAA was that religion was a factor in the ratings," said Kris Fuhr, vice president of marketing at Provident Films, which is owned by Sony Pictures. "Since then, the MPAA has revised those factors to no longer include religion."
Sounds like the MPAA has been exposed and is now in CYA mode.
Ah, that Christianity is indeed dangerous stuff<>
No, you got a conservative in here. One who is not emotionally married to a martyr complex.
Oh, for Fark's sake.
You want purging? I got your purging right here:
http://www.jewsonfirst.org/06b/indianriver.html
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.