MPAA pulls back the curtain on ratings—a little bit

In the eyes of many filmmakers, the Motion Picture Association of America should be rated R—for reticent. The MPAA has long kept its rating methods a tightly guarded secret as it continues to wield enormous power over the types of explicit content that can been shown in U.S. cinemas.

Now the MPAA is drawing back the curtain on its rating system, at least partially. In a new report published Monday, the Washingtonbased trade organization representing Hollywood’s major studios is releasing data on all films rated since the system was created five decades ago. The MPAA’s Classification and Rating Administration has rated 29,791 movies, the majority of which have received an R rating, which requires children under 17 to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The most films the MPAA has reviewed in any given year was in 2003, when it rated 940 titles (compared with just 563 last year). The organization attributed the surge to the popularity of DVDs at the time.

R-rated movies account for nearly 58 percent of all titles rated by the MPAA, followed by PG at 18 percent. The dreaded NC-17, and its predecessor the X, accounted for less than 2 percent of titles, though they have garnered the vast share of negative publicity whenever a director has sought an appeal. NC-17 prohibits children younger than 17 from entry into a movie theater.

The MPAA said that of the nearly 30,000 films it has rated, only 1.4 percent, or 428, have been appealed, and a scant 0.6 percent have had their rating overturned. Filmmakers often appeal NC-17 and R ratings in an effort to reach the largest audience possible. Recent successful appeals include Clint Eastwood’s “The 15:17 to Paris,” which went from R to PG-13, and the upcoming Rebel Wilson comedy “The Hustle,” which was also reduced to a PG-13.

The last time the MPAA assigned an NC-17 was in 2015, though some movies such as the 2016 animated comedy “Sausage Party” were re-edited after being slapped with the rating. The NC-17 was created in 1990 to replace the X.

Notable films that have received an NC-17 include “Henry & June,” “Showgirls,” “Crash” (the 1996 film directed by David Cronenberg) and the acclaimed French lesbian drama “Blue Is the Warmest Color.”

The identities of MPAA’s ratings board members remain shrouded in secrecy for the most part.

Although the names of a few senior raters are publicly known, the majority of the board continues to operate in anonymity in order to insulate the decision-making process from outside influence. The MPAA said the rating board is composed of eight to 13 raters who are parents. With the exception of senior raters, members must have children ages 5 to 15 when they join, and must leave when their children reach 21.

Currently, there are nine full-time and part-time raters, consisting of five mothers and four fathers who come from California, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Hawaii, according to the report.

Among the jobs they have held are positions in finance, social work, construction, education, customer service and chiropractic care.

During their time as raters, they reside in the Los Angeles area and watch movies together during the rating process. After screening a movie, the first votes are cast without discussion. A senior rater then announces the results and a discussion ensues during which the members eventually agree on a rating.