Posted on: Monday, June 11, 2001

Editorial
More movie screens, more PG-13 movies

Suddenly, O'ahu is awash in stylish new movie theaters, offering dozens of additional screens to show ... well, pretty much the same thing all the other screens are showing.

Chalk that up to the market. Clearly, if there was a stronger audience out there for the independent film, our chains would be showing more such fare.

But have you noticed something about those blockbusters? Check the ratings.

Almost all the big sellers are rated PG-13, which means children can attend with parental guidance.

"Pearl Harbor"? PG-13. "The Mummy Returns"? PG-13. "Shrek"? "The Animal"? "Moulin Rouge"? All PG-13.

This is no accident. For years, according to the Federal Trade Commission, the studios were peddling R-rated films to youngsters who were ostensibly banned from seeing them without adult accompaniment.

That picture has changed and the studios are doing a better job of producing films suitable for the market they aim to get. And theater owners are being more rigorous about enforcing the rules.

That means there is much more out there for the entire family to comfortably enjoy. And producers and directors who want to make more challenging, adult fare can be adventurous and make and properly market films under the protection of the R rating.