ChurchWatch: Craig von Buseck

Join Craig von Buseck weekdays as he shares his perspective on the major trends and news affecting the Body of Christ today.

june 19, 2006

Film Receives PG Rating for Being 'Too Religious' -- Congressman Responds

The Associate Press has reported that a church-produced film about a school whose losing football team is turned around after the coach turns to God has been slapped with a "PG" rating -- for being too religious.

The Rev. Alex Kendrick, who directed and stars in "Facing the Giants," said it was produced for only $100,000 by using members of his Georgia church for both cast and crew.

Kendrick said when he sought permission to use a song by the Christian band "Third Day," their record label's parent company, Sony Pictures, asked to see the film and agreed to release it in 400 theaters in late September.

But after the Motion Picture Association of America rated the film, Kendrick said he was told that it got the 'Parental Guidance' rating for being so openly religious. Kendrick said he's never heard of that criteria before and suggests it shows how much times have changed.

In response, House Majority Whip Roy Blunt today sent a letter to the Motion Picture Association of America last week requesting an explanation of the recent slip in the movie ratings system and expressing his concern that MPAA appears more concerned about religious content than sex and violence when it rates movies. (Read Rep. Blunt's letter)

Citing a Harvard School of Public Health study, Blunt said: "The MPAA's standards on sex and violence in the movies have been getting weaker-to the point where yesterday's R movie is today's PG-13, and yesterday's PG-13 is today's PG."

Blunt pointed to the AP story revealing that the movie Facing the Giants was given a PG rating due to its Christian theme: "This incident raises the disquieting possibility that MPAA considers exposure to Christian themes more dangerous for children than exposure to gratuitous sex and mindless violence."

What do you think?: Should the Hollywood ratings system designate a movie as 'PG' because they think it is 'too religious?'

Speak out: Send your comments to the Motion Picture Association of America

Read the Harvard Study: "Ratings Creep": Movie Ratings Categories Contain More Violence, Sex, Profanity than Decade Ago

Read Rep. Blunt's letter to the Motion Picture Association of America

Send a note to Rep. Blunt's office

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