MOSCOW, December 13 (Sputnik) – Enforcing an R rating on the documentary about US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden is entirely at movie theaters’ discretion, Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) spokesperson told Sputnik on Saturday.
Previously, it was reported that New York theater IFC Center decided to let teenagers watch the documentary, rated R by the MPAA. The R rating requires individuals under 17 to see a film with a parent or guardian.
“It’s also important to note that the rating system is entirely voluntary. Theaters around the United States overwhelmingly choose to enforce it, but it is entirely at their discretion to do so,” MPAA representative Kate Bedingfield told Sputnik via email.
Bedingfield noted that most theaters across the United States do enforce the rating system, “because they have an interest in keeping government regulation out of the theater and an interest in making sure parents are aware of the content of films before they decide to take their kids”.
According to the MPAA spokesperson, an R rating was meant to inform parents so that they could make a decision to see the movie on behalf of their children.
“It is, like all ratings, not a judgment about the quality or value of a film, it is a tool designed to give parents the information that they need to make movie-going decisions on behalf of their children,” Bedingfield said.
The documentary, titled "Citizenfour", features Edward Snowden during his first meeting with journalists in Hong Kong in June 2013, as he was disclosing US intelligence surveillance practices. The film has received an award for best feature from the International Documentary Association and nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.
The rating system of the Motion Picture Association of America was established in 1968. The MPAA rating board consists of an independent group of parents who rate the films to help people decide what movies are suitable for their children.
