Rypro 525

This ought to stir up a debate.
from E! Online

It's a marital drama so intense, no one under the age of 17 will be allowed see it, much to the dismay of its makers.

Those swearing-and-sex-fearing folks on the Motion Picture Association of America's ratings board have slapped the Weinstein Company's buzzworthy Ryan Gosling-Michelle Williams vehicle, Blue Valentine, with an NC-17 rating, shocking all those (including yours truly) who saw the film at Sundance and Cannes earlier this year.

Then again, if you're Harvey Weinstein, it's just more good publicity for the film.

Valentine, directed by up-and-comer Derek Cianfrance, tells the story of a young working-class couple through the intertwining of two narrative threads: the past when they first meet and fall in love, and the present, as their marriage disintegrates.

According to Deadline.com, the notorious rating (which was intended to erase the stigma of the dreaded "X") (put in tags in case this is big key scene)

The MPAA declined to say specifically what the board (which is a representative panel of parents) objected to, citing longheld policy. It did note that filmmakers have the option to appeal the rating.

"As part of the Classification and Rating System process, when a rating is offered, every independent filmmaker has the option of accepting the rating, appealing the rating, editing the film and resubmitting it or releasing the film unrated," read a statement from the board. "If they choose to appeal the rating, the appeals board is composed of distributors, exhibitors and industry people who will either uphold or overturn the rating."

No word yet on whether filmmakers will recut the film and try for R. A rep for the Weinstein Company did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Read more: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b204...#ixzz11pP0INqz
and here's the trailer

Ranger

Hey, Jen from Dawson's Creek! Nice!

I guess it got nc-17 for butt-sex?

ReduxGuy

So Saw's going to get an R rating for its outlandish violence, Piranha has a girl's face getting ripped off by a propeller and it's R... and Blue Valentine is NC-17 because it's emotionally difficult to get through?

These censor Nazis need to be put down and soon for this ridiculousness.

Mr. Cinema

Hostel II manages an R as well, but not this.

PopcornTreeCt

NC-17 for intensity. Wow.

Giles

one I seriousily doubt the movie will go out with the NC-17 rating, it will either try to be appealed or as a last unlikely resort it will go out unrated - but in all likely hood, it will be cut down to an R. The distributor/producers want the money - the artistic intent of the director is usually the victim in this case - but there's always the home video release which will be the full cut.

Ranger

NC-17 for being emotionally diffcult to get through? Lamest excuse I've ever hard.

If that's the case, every "dog dies at end" movie should be NC-17.

TheySentYou

in that case.. Big Fish should've been NC-17 too

foofighters7

Pretty soon we will see Raced NC-17 for Thematic Situations, rude situations and for a Giant Caterpillar smoking a cigar.

AnonomusBob15

There Will Be Blood was R for "some violence"

PopcornTreeCt

I think they slap ratings on some films to keep kids away. They could make a Mad Men movie that would be rated R just to lure in the right audience.

Tarantino

Definitely doesn't look like an NC-17 kind of movie.

Rypro 525

I wonder if the mpaa had a problem with the sex scene on the stairs in A History of Violence, as it could be considered intense and emotional

Giles

from what I can recall the MPAA had a prob with a few snippets of gore from A History of Violence not the sex scene.

LosingMyMind

SAW 3D had to be submitted six times before getting an R rating.

Artman

The MPAA should only be concerned with what's seen and heard, not whatever context is supposed to be there.. it's not their job to guess what the intent or impact is going to be.

NZ_DVD_Freak

I caught this flick tonight at the London film festival. Harvey Weinstein spoke beforehand and said what's wrong with the world when Piranha 3d can get an R and this film gets an NC-17.

The Writer/Director, a Producer, and Michelle Williams were also there and introduced the film and came back afterwards for a Q and A. They didn't discuss the rating.

I thought it was a very good film with a couple of great performances. While I don't agree with the rating I can kind of see why it has been given. There are a few fairly intense sex scenes, including nudity.

Gunde

Unless there's actual penetration in fucking close-up this doesn't deserve NC-17.

Giles

I thought Piranha had slight editing to get it's R-rating, one scene where a victims face is getting ripped off as she's hanging from a rope looks terribly trunscated.

it's common knowledge that the MPAA is more lenient towards violence, than sex.

TheySentYou

saw this tonight in Austin, TX at the Paramount Theatre. what an incredible piece of work. it's like a contemporary take on the old road film with Audrey Hepburn 'Two For The Road'... painfully similar in flashback format. Also can be considered a more stripped-down, daring and organic 'Revolutionary Road'. i can't say i teared up so much in a film since 'Big Fish'

Giles

so the most obvious question - did the movie have the NC-17 rating or was it R or unrated?

TheySentYou

actually - they didn't disclose the rating, and the producer who introduced the film mentioned nothing about it, strangely. the guy didn't stick around for a Q&A either. but for what i saw, it would be incredibly strange for the film to be NC-17. There were some intense sex scenes, but nothing that i hadn't seen in an R rated film. emotionally, the film was mega-intense, and the sex scenes had the emotionally awkward, yet intimate tone of most unrated films.

mickey65

I like RR, altho I didn't cry when I watched Big Fish. But I'm looking forward to this one.

sb5

NC-17 overturned on appeal; now rated R.

MrSmearkase

/\ Good for them